Quest (2017 film)

Over an eight-year period, Quest closely follows the Rainey family—Christopher “Quest” Rainey, his wife Christine’a “Ma Quest,” their daughter P.J., along with Christine’a’s adult son William and his infant son—as they navigate life in a struggling North Philadelphia neighborhood.^[1]

The film opens with the couple’s wedding and shows Quest supporting the household through paper routes while Christine’a works at a women’s shelter. P.J., just eight years old at the beginning, is introduced as a budding basketball player with musical aspirations. William is battling a brain tumor while caring for his own young son. The family household also becomes a creative hub—Quest runs “Freestyle Fridays” in their basement recording studio, giving neighborhood youth an outlet for music and self-expression.^[2]

Interwoven through daily routines—braiding hair, school bus walks, family meals—the film stakes its emotional core in the small, tender moments. Political and social currents anchor the timeline: Obama’s re-election, Sandy Hook, Hurricane Sandy, and later Trump’s campaign address the family directly. A sudden neighborhood tragedy—P.J. being struck by stray gunfire—marks a painful turning point that the family endures with quiet resilience.^[3]

Through the unfolding years and challenges, *Quest* reveals both the fragility and strength embedded in the Raineys’ family life and their tight-knit—but beleaguered—community.