The Two-Goal Structure by David Siegel Moneywise, most feature films cost $30 million to make and don't break even until they go over $70 million at the box office. The structure (beyond the well known three acts taught in film school) that allows a picture to gross over $100 million is the subject of this paper. The key to grossing over $100 million is the two-goal story. Single-goal plots are predictable and "flat," whereas two-goal plots have a reversal in the middle of the film that changes the protagonist's goal and keeps things interesting. The Single-goal Plot In a single-goal plot, the protagonist has one problem to solve from the point of commitment to the end of the film. Accomplishing a single goal will solve the overall problem. The African Queen, Raider's of the Lost Ark, The River Wild, and Star Trek: Generations, are well known single-goal films (most are not well known, since they don't tend to stay in theaters very long). While single-goal, or linear, stories used to suffice, today's film consumers don't find them stimulating enough. They find these stories predictable and flat. In today's market, they are a bad investment. Yet studios continue to make a surprising number of single-goal films each year. The Two-goal Plot In contrast, most films we see these days have a two-goal plot. This involves the protagonist striving for the false goal, then learning something that changes the whole situation and going for the real goal to save the day in the end. The reversal of the protagonist's goal takes the entire story in a legitimate new direction half-way through the film. Let's look at some examples: In E.T., the Extraterrestrial, Elliot's first goal is to keep E.T. as a friend; his second goal (minute 53 of 107) is to help him get home. In Jurassic Park, Alan Grant's first goal is to verify the safety of the park; his second goal (minute 88 of 119) is to get Ellie and the kids to safety after he discovers the dinosaur eggs and the natural tendency for the dinosaurs to get out of control. In Star Wars, Luke's first goal is to get R2-D2 to the rebel base for analysis; his second goal (minute 94 of 115) is to destroy the Death Star by dropping a bomb in the right place. In Home Alone, Kevin's first goal was to get back together with his family; his second goal (minute 65 of 102*) is to defeat the bad guys. In The Return of the Jedi, Luke's first goal is to kill Darth Vader and thereby disable the new death star; his second goal (minute 112 of 125) is to kill the Emperor (with the help of his father). In The Lion King, Simba's first goal is to forget about the past and live a life of ease; his second goal (minute 60 of 105?) is to take his rightful place in the circle of life and be the alpha male. In Batman, Bruce Wayne's first goal is to apprehend the Joker and take him to jail for his crimes upon the public; his second goal (minute 83 of 118) is to get revenge for the death of his parents by fighting the Joker to the death. In Beverly Hills Cop, Axel's first goal is to find out who killed his friend Mike; his second goal (minute 77 of 99) is to bring down Victor Maitland's illegal arms-smuggling operation. In Ghostbusters, Peter's first goal is to go after the ghosts and suck them into the containment vessel; his second goal (minute 72 of 99) is close the door to the end of the world that the possessed Dana is guarding by eliminating her possessor, Gozer. In Mrs Doubtfire, Daniel's first goal is to get his kids back by becoming Mrs Doubtfire; his second goal (minute 98 of 108?) is to become the husband and father his wife is looking for. In The Fugitive, Richard Kimble's first goal is to find the one-armed man who killed his wife; his second goal (minute 88 of 124) is to bring down his friend Charlie, who was actually trying to kill Richard in an effort to push Devlin MacGreggor's new drug, Provasic, through the FDA approval process, making him a rich man. Conclusion Over 190 of the top-200 money-making films of all time have two-goal plots. Steven Spielberg hasn't made a single-goal film in twelve years. Though it may sound obvious, no one uses this goal-oriented method of plot development. Please note that a two-goal plot does not guarantee success. Rather, a single-goal plot limits it. The two-goal plot gives a film the chance to rise to the top of the pack. It is not impossible to get over $100 million without a two-goal plot, but the chances are more than 99-to-1 against. The only films in the last 12 years to get over the $100M mark without the nine-act structure are Forrest Gump, which was a total fluke, and Pulp Fiction, which, at this writing, is just on the cusp and may make it over the line with a little luck. It's a wonderful film, and its main character, (some may argue about this, but there's no doubt in my mind it is) Jules, does go through a nine-act story--see if you can find all nine of his acts. The most recent example of a big-budget linear-plot film is Star Trek: Generations, which had a linear plot (a single goal and no reversal), making it predictable and, from a plot point of view, lifeless. The film made $70 million at the box office but could have done much better with a two-goal plot. In contrast, the recent film Just Cause, did have a two-goal plot but didn't have enough other assets to get over $50 million. I will have more to say about the Two-Goal plot, but for now I hope you will watch movies and look for the two goals and the reversal that causes the protagonist's change of goal. Send comments to: The Center for Fundamental Film Research Go back to the Nine-Act Structure home page.