top 50 movies with heros and guides
How Many of These Movies Have You Seen?
My friend Michael Hauge is a sough-after expert in Hollywood that has worked with people like Will Smith. His unique approach to storytelling has helped thousands of writers, filmmakers, business leaders and speakers captivate huge audiences, make millions of dollars, and change people’s lives.
His explanation around Heros and Reflection Characters (Guides) gave me the visuals and words to describe what I do for people.
Here's more about Michael: https://storymastery.com/
In honor of Heros and Guides (and Michael Hauge), here's a list of movies that prominently feature heros and guides using the classic story arc. I've seen 42 of the 50 listed. How man have you seen? Feel feel to drop me an email!
| Movie Title | Year | Hero | Actor | Guide | Actor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avatar | 2009 | Jake Sully | Sam Worthington | Neytiri | Zoe Saldana |
| Avengers: Endgame | 2019 | Tony Stark / Iron Man | Robert Downey Jr. | Doctor Strange | Benedict Cumberbatch |
| The Lion King | 1994 | Simba | Matthew Broderick (voice) | Rafiki | Robert Guillaume (voice) |
| Inception | 2010 | Dom Cobb | Leonardo DiCaprio | Ariadne | Ellen Page |
| The Dark Knight | 2008 | Bruce Wayne / Batman | Christian Bale | Alfred Pennyworth | Michael Caine |
| The Matrix | 1999 | Neo | Keanu Reeves | Morpheus | Laurence Fishburne |
| The Hobbit | 2012 | Bilbo Baggins | Martin Freeman | Gandalf | Ian McKellen |
| Harry Potter | 2001 | Harry Potter | Daniel Radcliffe | Albus Dumbledore | Richard Harris |
| Star Wars | 1977 | Luke Skywalker | Mark Hamill | Obi-Wan Kenobi | Alec Guinness |
| Interstellar | 2014 | Cooper | Matthew McConaughey | Dr. Amelia Brand | Anne Hathaway |
| The Hunger Games | 2012 | Katniss Everdeen | Jennifer Lawrence | Haymitch Abernathy | Woody Harrelson |
| Finding Nemo | 2003 | Marlin | Albert Brooks (voice) | Dory | Ellen DeGeneres (voice) |
| Moana | 2016 | Moana | Auli'i Cravalho | Maui | Dwayne Johnson (voice) |
| The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring | 2001 | Frodo Baggins | Elijah Wood | Gandalf | Ian McKellen |
| The Shawshank Redemption | 1994 | Andy Dufresne | Tim Robbins | Ellis Boyd 'Red' Redding | Morgan Freeman |
| Gladiator | 2000 | Maximus Decimus Meridius | Russell Crowe | Proximo | Oliver Reed |
| Spider-Man | 2002 | Peter Parker | Tobey Maguire | Uncle Ben | Cliff Robertson |
| Doctor Strange | 2016 | Dr. Stephen Strange | Benedict Cumberbatch | The Ancient One | Tilda Swinton |
| Braveheart | 1995 | William Wallace | Mel Gibson | Hamish Campbell | Brendan Gleeson |
| Dead Poets Society | 1989 | Todd Anderson | Ethan Hawke | John Keating | Robin Williams |
| The Secret Life of Walter Mitty | 2013 | Walter Mitty | Ben Stiller | Cheryl Melhoff | Kristen Wiig |
| The Truman Show | 1998 | Truman Burbank | Jim Carrey | Christof | Ed Harris |
| Aladdin | 1992 | Aladdin | Scott Weinger (voice) | Genie | Robin Williams (voice) |
| Mulan | 1998 | Mulan | Ming-Na Wen (voice) | Mushu | Eddie Murphy (voice) |
| Cast Away | 2000 | Chuck Noland | Tom Hanks | Wilson (the volleyball) | N/A |
| Life of Pi | 2012 | Pi Patel | Suraj Sharma | Richard Parker (the tiger) | CGI |
| Good Will Hunting | 1997 | Will Hunting | Matt Damon | Sean McGuire | Robin Williams |
| The Karate Kid | 1984 | Daniel LaRusso | Ralph Macchio | Mr. Miyagi | Pat Morita |
| Big Fish | 2003 | Edward Bloom | Ewan McGregor | Will Bloom | Billy Crudup |
| The Bourne Identity | 2002 | Jason Bourne | Matt Damon | Marie Kreutz | Franka Potente |
| Field of Dreams | 1989 | Ray Kinsella | Kevin Costner | Terrance Mann | James Earl Jones |
| The Imitation Game | 2014 | Alan Turing | Benedict Cumberbatch | Joan Clarke | Keira Knightley |
| The Pursuit of Happyness | 2006 | Chris Gardner | Will Smith | Alan Frakesh | Dan Castellaneta |
| Ratatouille | 2007 | Remy | Patton Oswalt (voice) | Gusteau | Brad Garrett (voice) |
| Kung Fu Panda | 2008 | Po | Jack Black (voice) | Master Shifu | Dustin Hoffman (voice) |
| Slumdog Millionaire | 2008 | Jamal Malik | Dev Patel | Prem Kumar | Anil Kapoor |
| The Revenant | 2015 | Hugh Glass | Leonardo DiCaprio | Captain Andrew Henry | Domhnall Gleeson |
| Moneyball | 2011 | Billy Beane | Brad Pitt | Peter Brand | Jonah Hill |
| The NeverEnding Story | 1984 | Bastian Balthazar Bux | Barret Oliver | Falkor | Alan Oppenheimer (voice) |
| Brave | 2012 | Merida | Kelly Macdonald (voice) | The Witch | Julie Walters (voice) |
| Wonder | 2017 | Auggie Pullman | Jacob Tremblay | Isabel Pullman | Julia Roberts |
| Hacksaw Ridge | 2016 | Desmond Doss | Andrew Garfield | Tom Doss | Hugo Weaving |
| A Beautiful Mind | 2001 | John Nash | Russell Crowe | Dr. Rosen | Christopher Plummer |
| Coach Carter | 2005 | Ken Carter | Samuel L. Jackson | Principal Garrison | Denise Dowse |
| To Kill a Mockingbird | 1962 | Atticus Finch | Gregory Peck | Maudie Atkinson | Rosemary Murphy |
| Freedom Writers | 2007 | Erin Gruwell | Hilary Swank | Margaret Campbell | Imelda Staunton |
| The Blind Side | 2009 | Michael Oher | Quinton Aaron | Leigh Anne Tuohy | Sandra Bullock |
| The Way Back | 2020 | Jack Cunningham | Ben Affleck | Father Devine | Jeremy Radin |
| Cinderella Man | 2005 | James J. Braddock | Russell Crowe | Joe Gould | Paul Giamatti |
| The Greatest Showman | 2017 | P.T. Barnum | Hugh Jackman | Phillip Carlyle | Zac Efron |
| Eddie the Eagle | 2015 | Eddie Edwards | Taron Egerton | Bronson Peary | Hugh Jackman |