the moviesite — basic plot structures
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Basic Plot Structures
Many movies follow a formulaic plot structure, sometime combining two or more ideas
into a single film.
Some of these are:
1. Let's Be Friends
Thestandard romantic movie. Two people meet, and end up as friends. This can be
your typical "buddy" movie, or boy-meets-girl (or b-m-b or g-m-g). The re is usually a
period of conflict before they become friends. Often there is initial friendship, followed
by separation, followed by reconciliation. (Notting Hill[1], Lethal Weapon, Dinosaur[2])
Another variation is where A asks B to help him access C, since he has the hots for C.
Naturally he ends up falling for B instead.
2. Road Movie
In the general version, a group of characters travel from point A to point B, having
various adventures along the way. Nowadays Hollywood concocts reasons for the trip
(usually all the way across America), while in the past they had good reasons, like
driving a herd of cattle to market. (The Lord of the Rings [3], Central Station[4], Road
Trip[5], Dinosaur[6])
3. Slice of Life
We get to take a look at day-to-day activities of a group of people. Sometimes they
actually do something, like go to a disco. (Human Traffic[7], Bringing Out the Dead[8])
4. Coming of Age
While sounding similar to Slice of Life, it differs in that there *is* usually a story. We join
the hero at a critical point in his life (usually adolescence/brink of adulthood) and watch
as they deal with a particular crisis which matures them. (Where the Heart is [9], The
Cider House Rules[10])
5. Escape
A group of characters have to escape from confinement, usually in a prison or prison
camp of some sort. (Escape from Alcatraz)
6. Heist
The stars have to steal or recover some object from an impenetrable place. In some
http://www.moviesite.co.za/2000/0901/road.htmhttp://www.moviesite.co.za/2000/0901/road.htmhttp://www.moviesite.co.za/2000/0519/dead.htmhttp://www.moviesite.co.za/2000/0414/human.htmhttp://www.moviesite.co.za/2000/0901/road.htmhttp://www.moviesite.co.za/2001/1219/lord.htmhttp://www.moviesite.co.za/1999/0723/station.htmhttp://www.moviesite.co.za/2000/0623/dinosaur.htmhttp://www.moviesite.co.za/1999/0827/notting.htmhttp://www.moviesite.co.za/2000/0623/dinosaur.htmhttp://www.moviesite.co.za/2000/0407/cider.htmhttp://www.moviesite.co.za/2000/1020/heart.htm -
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ways, the opposite of "Escape". This is often combined with a "Buddy" theme in which
the partners start off as 'enemies' and end as friends. (The Score [11], Entrapment[12])
7. Kill the Monster
Standard plot structure for horror movies, and many others. The "monster" may be a
real monster, or merely the Big Baddie. Usually the heroes have to work their way to
the monster, by eliminating lesser baddies along the way first. Also a common plot
structure for video games. (Scream[13], Kiss of the Dragon[14])
8. Who Dies Next
The second basic element in horror movies, especially Teen Slasher yarns. The group
of characters is knocked off one by one, the audience has to guess who will be next,
how they will die, who will survive, and who is doing the killing. (Final Destination[15])
9. The Con
The heroes set out to trick some person who needs to be taught a lesson. There is a
variation called Who's Fooling Who, in which things are not as they seem and there arenumerous twists along the way, as a hidden hand manipulates things. (The Sting, Wild
Things[16], Reindeer Games[17], House of Games)
10. Buddy
Most often two mismatched people are forced to work together and end up becoming
buddies. Nowadays the people are usually either cops or crooks. (Lethal Weapon, The
Score[18])
11. Do the Right Thing
The hero is thrown into a situation with moral ambiguities and conflict of interests, and
has to do the noble thing. (Casablanca, Do the Right Thing)
12. Poor Boy
Extremely common plot in Bollywood movies. Our hero is a poor young man who falls
in love with a rich young woman. Her family refuse to allow them to marry. So our poor
hero goes away for a few years, makes his fortune, and comes back to claim his bride.
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1. http://www.moviesite.co.za/1999/0827/notting.htm
2. http://www.moviesite.co.za/2000/0623/dinosaur.htm
3. http://www.moviesite.co.za/2001/1219/lord.htm
4. http://www.moviesite.co.za/1999/0723/station.htm
5. http://www.moviesite.co.za/2000/0901/road.htm
6. http://www.moviesite.co.za/2000/0623/dinosaur.htm
7. http://www.moviesite.co.za/2000/0414/human.htm
8. http://www.moviesite.co.za/2000/0519/dead.htm
9. http://www.moviesite.co.za/2000/1020/heart.htm
10. http://www.moviesite.co.za/2000/0407/cider.htm
11. http://www.moviesite.co.za/2001/1214/score.htm
12. http://www.moviesite.co.za/1999/0806/entrapment.htm
13. http://www.moviesite.co.za/1997/0509/scream.htm
14. http://www.moviesite.co.za/2001/1123/kiss.htm
15. http://www.moviesite.co.za/2000/0615/final.htm
16. http://www.moviesite.co.za/1998/0605/wild.htm
17. http://www.moviesite.co.za/2000/0721/games.htm
18. http://www.moviesite.co.za/2001/1214/score.htm
19. http://www.moviesite.co.za/privacy.htm
20. http://groups.google.com/group/moviesite-za
21. http://www.zti.co.za/
http://www.moviesite.co.za/2000/0623/dinosaur.htmhttp://www.moviesite.co.za/1999/0827/notting.htmhttp://groups.google.com/group/moviesite-zahttp://www.moviesite.co.za/privacy.htmhttp://www.moviesite.co.za/2000/1020/heart.htmhttp://www.moviesite.co.za/2001/1214/score.htmhttp://www.moviesite.co.za/2000/0901/road.htmhttp://www.moviesite.co.za/1999/0723/station.htmhttp://www.moviesite.co.za/2000/0721/games.htmhttp://www.zti.co.za/http://www.moviesite.co.za/2000/0519/dead.htmhttp://www.moviesite.co.za/1998/0605/wild.htmhttp://www.moviesite.co.za/2000/0414/human.htmhttp://www.moviesite.co.za/2001/1219/lord.htmhttp://www.moviesite.co.za/2000/0407/cider.htmhttp://www.moviesite.co.za/2001/1214/score.htmhttp://www.moviesite.co.za/1999/0806/entrapment.htmhttp://www.moviesite.co.za/2000/0623/dinosaur.htmhttp://www.moviesite.co.za/2000/0615/final.htmhttp://www.moviesite.co.za/1997/0509/scream.htmhttp://www.moviesite.co.za/2001/1123/kiss.htm