Kelly Ernswiler – Hero’s Journey

The Mundane World

Kelly Ernswiler is a war re-enactment enthusiast who lives in Cleveland. His mother is a budding artist and his father, a recovering drug addict, works with homeless people. Kelly has trouble at school because he “hasn’t met a rule he didn’t want to break.” He is also tormented by the high school bullies.

The Call To Adventure

Kelly meets Bart Bowland, a rich student, at a war re-enactment. Bart makes Kelly question his role in the bullying situation at school. He encourages Kelly to take action against his bullies using the tactics they’ve learned through studying war.

Crossing The Threshold

Kelly crosses the threshold into the new world when he begins planning retribution on the bully. He has dinner at the Bowland’s home one night and is welcomed into the family.

The Path of Trials

Bart and Kelly plan a mission with the re-enactment group to scare the main bully with the aim of filming his reaction and broadcasting it on the school television station. Kelly’s relationships are neglected as he begins to focus on his crush on Bart’s sister, Tabby. He ignores Bart, refuses to care about his father’s worsening health, and shows no interest in the advances of his friend, Sarah.

Master of Two Worlds

Kelly finally realizes that to be successful he needs to think about other people as well as himself. He reconciles with his father, chooses to destroy the tape of the bully’s humiliation, and fixes his friendship with Bart. He even asks Sarah out on a date.

Tags: American, Male, Movies

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