Movie Review: The 'Quest' for a better life starts with family

The Rainey family featured in "Quest": Daughter Patricia 'PJ' and her parents Christine'a 'Ma Quest' and Christopher.

First Run Features

Quest (2017, directed by Jonathan Olshefski. U.S.A., English, Color, 105 minutes) Living in the Philadelphia suburbs all of my life (save college) I've always had an idea of what neighborhoods in the city to avoid due to violence and safety concerns. My views have been shaped by what has been reported on the news, of course. But as I started my career in journalism here in the suburbs you go into neighborhoods you may not be familiar with and you see the potential there, a relic of what its former self used to be and should be again. "Quest" gave me that hope for North Philadelphia.

"Quest" is an exceptional documentary that observes the Rainey family as they live with the violence that surrounds them, the neighbors who keep them strong and the love that keeps them together. For once I could put a face to the people of a community that has been pushed aside unless a politician wants a soundbite. With any neighborhood there's always a strong group of people trying to keep it whole and make it better, no matter what gets splashed all over the newspapers and evening news. Christopher Rainey, his wife, Christine'a 'Ma Quest', and their daughter, Patricia 'PJ', are those people. They are a soft-spoken family, but their sincerity and pride is more vibrant than any politician looking to exploit the area for political points.

For years director Jonathan Olshefski followed the Raineys around in all of their different endeavors as strong community members, entrepreneurs and hard-working people who want happiness. These are the people who make you love life no matter the circumstances. With each blow they're dealt they pick themselves up with grace and power on. They don't expect sympathy, and the movie doesn't ask us to view them as a charity case because they live where they do. 

I really enjoyed this movie because of how much heart and soul there is. I not only witnessed a family grow together through hard times and good times, I saw real people who deserve more recognition for being outstanding community members than the thugs who put a blemish on their area. We need more people like the Raineys out in the world. They're so comforting and warm you want to give them a hug. Most importantly, they're proof that a person's future is not designated by their neighborhood. We can all aspire to be great no matter what our situations are and where we reside. We should all take an important lesson from this movie to be more kind to our neighbors simply because we should. A strong foundation like the Raineys have is what should be had in every family and neighborhood.

Where intimate portraits of people and places are becoming more fluid (again) in the documentary genre, it's important to see "Quest" as a positive representation of what living in a dense city is like: Not everyone's bad, and the good people who are there go unnoticed. 

Rating: A-

Programming note: "Quest" opens at the Ritz at the Bourse on Dec. 1. Special appearances by the director and the Rainey family  are scheduled for the Dec. 1 and Dec. 2 screenings at 7 (Q&A) and 9:45 p.m. (film intro), and a Dec. 3 screening at 1:10. Director Jonathan Olshefski will have a Q&A on Dec. 6 at 7 p.m.