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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/

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