Three-Act Film Structures

In the film industry, there are many structures that directors and producers use which they feel best represents the movie they are trying to create. One of the film structure examples is the three act film structure. The first act usually comprises the first quarter of the film and is the part of the movie which introduces the characters, shows some of their interrelationships, and places them within a time and place. In the movie Tommy Boy, the first act of the film introduces the viewer to Tommy, his close friends, his family, and the company his family runs. Halfway through the first act invokes the “inciting incident”, which sets the plot of the film in motion. Following the first act, the second act comprises the main protagonist encountering numerous obstacles which prevent him from accomplishing their task. In Tommy Boy, Tommy travels all across the country encountering many brakes-pad salesmen and cannot seem to find the right pitch or momentum to sell his father’s products. The second act reaches the midpoint, which is the point where the main protagonist seems farthest away from achieving his goal. The final act comprises the final quarter of the film and includes the climax and the denouement. The climax in Tommy Boy, or the point at which the plot reaches it maximum, is where he sells half of a million brake pads to the company that is attempting to buy his company out. Following his sale of the half of a million brake pads is the denouement, which is the return of things to their original state. In the end of the film Tommy once again sits out on his boat speaking to his father like he was in the first act while asking for guidance and assistance.