Transcendence in some movies

Something occurred to me about stories. I'm trying to think of cases where this is not true.

Most stories contain some kind of quest. Actually they contain two types of quests:

• a transcendent quest
• an immanent quest

In the recent Pixar movie UP, the transcendent quest is to get to Paradise Falls (a very significant name) and retire there either with your beloved, or at least alone. It is after all, Paradise. And getting there involves flying through clouds, far from the maddening crowd, in a big balloon vehicle.

Along the way, immanent quests interfere and seem to muck everything up. An endangered bird needs to be protected from the hunter, the dog named Doug gets a new master, a little boy scout-like kid is trying to get a merit badge and his broken family is in the background.

All these common life issues block Mr. Frederickson's journey to Paradise Falls, and in the end, only his house gets to go there (possibly indwelt by his wife, Ellie, who is dead and should be in paradise anyway).

The reason this pattern appeals to us is because we sense ourselves on the same sorts of quests - a higher longing for something transcendent (an 'end of life' type of goal, heaven, peace, bliss) and numerous worthwhile everyday battles that interfere.

Just going through the movies I've seen recently, it is easy to see this pattern

• Gattaca - transcendent quest to fly to another planet; immanent quest overcome the unjust genetically-based screening system
• Its A Wonderful Life - George Bailey's transcendent quest to travel the world, build buildings; immanent quest to save the Building and Loan and defeat Henry F. Potter, the evil banker who wants to control the town.
• A.I. - David, the robot-boy's transcendent quest to find the Blue Fairy and become a real boy so his mother will love him; immanent quest: no so much in this movie. He encounters trials, but none that are quests, but of course, he's a robot.

OK, not all stories fit into this pattern. In fact, a great many do not. In fact, the pattern is present in what appear to be stories with the most common appeal - Disney movies all have this. But not so much Barton Fink, The Royal Tennenbaums, Adaptation, Little Miss Sunshine. These have 'quests' of sorts, but of a different sort.

Still, I think if you want to have a successful screenplay, this is a winner.