5 Plot Point Breakdown:

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

Movie Time: 115 minutes

1. INCITING INCIDENT
Elliot tries to convince his family that there’s something unusual living in their shed but to no
avail. Determined to find out what it is, Elliot camps out in the backyard. He inspects the
cornstalks and runs into E.T., an extra-terrestrial that has been accidentally left behind on
earth by his own kind. 09,2% (?)

2. LOCK IN (End of Act One): 

With the help of a trail of Reese’s Pieces, Elliot leads E.T. inside the house, into his room,
and, effectively, into his life. (21:00) 18,2%

3. FIRST CULMINATION (Midpoint): 

After E.T. spends the day home alone, he gets the idea to try and contact his home planet
to let them know he’s still here. Elliot figures out that this is what E.T. wants and now
makes it his mission to help E.T. “phone home.” (55:00) 47,8%

4. MAIN CULMINATION (End of Act Two):

The emotional connection that Elliot and E.T. share is beginning to hurt both of them – both
are sick and dying. But as Elliot gains strength, E.T. grows weaker and ultimately, E.T.’s
heartbeat stops. Elliot is distraught. (1:26:00) 74,8%

5. THIRD ACT TWIST:

Thinking it’s over and that E.T.’s body will now be taken away by the authorities to be
dissected, Elliot spots E.T.’s flowerpot. The dead flowers are quickly growing back to life.
Elliot rushes over to E.T., sees that his heart is glowing and that he’s alive! With the help of
his brother and friends, Elliot steals E.T. away from the authorities and rushes him to the
forest to meet his own kind. (1:36:00) 83,47%
5 Plot Point Breakdown: Parasite (2019)

By Michael Lee · April 7, 2020

Screenplay Genre: Thriller/Comedy

Movie Time: 132 minutes
Beware spoilers!
1. INCITING INCIDENT
The Kim family — Ki-taek (father), Chung-sook (mother), Ki-jeong
(daughter), and Ki-woo (son) — are living in a small semi-basement
apartment. They are poor and struggle to pay their bills with low-paying
temporary jobs. But they are a close-knit family that does what they can to
survive.
One day, a wealthy and educated friend of Ki-woo’s — Min-hyuk — comes
to visit. Ki-woo and Min-hyuk go out for drinks. Min-hyuk sees that Ki-woo’s
family is struggling to make ends meet so he suggests that Ki-woo takes over
his job as an English tutor to the wealthy Park family’s daughter when Min-
hyuk goes to study abroad. (00:11:07) 08,42%
2. LOCK IN (End of Act One)
Ki-woo and his family go to great lengths to create fake credentials. He poses
as a university student — introduced by the recommendation of Min-hyuk —
and is quickly hired by the Parks to tutor their daughter Da-hye.
Seeing that Mrs. Park responds to personal recommendations, Ki-woo has an
idea. He creates an opportunity for his sister Ki-jeong to pose as an art
therapist for Da-song, their young son. We quickly learn the Kim family has
an agenda. (00:21:26) 16,24%
3. FIRST CULMINATION (Midpoint)
The whole Kim family has infiltrated the home of the Parks by recommending
each other’s services. Each of them now poses as sophisticated skilled
workers in different fields. The Parks have no idea that they know each other.
Ki-woo is tutoring Da-hye and a romantic relationship has blossomed between
them. Ki-jeong is posing as an art therapist counseling Da-Song, the restless
young son. Ki-jeong has framed Mr. Park’s driver for having sex in the car.
He’s fired and Ki-jeong recommends a driver — Ki-taek is hired. The Kims
get the Park’s long-time housekeeper — Moon-gwang — fired so that Chung-
sook can take over as housekeeper.
The Kim family is now making excellent wages by exploiting the wealthy
Park family. When the Parks leave to go on a family camping trip, the Kim
family enjoys the luxuries of the Park residence.
Until Moon-gwang suddenly returns.
She explains that she has left something in the basement and reveals a hidden
entrance to an underground bunker beneath the house. She had been secretly
hiding her husband in the bunker, unbeknownst to the Park family. After
Moon-gwang discovers the truth about the Kim family, she threatens to reveal
their secret to the Parks if the Kims do not keep her own. (01:03:41) 48,24%
4. MAIN CULMINATION (End of Act Two)
After the Parks return home early from their camping trip due to a major
rainstorm, the Kims trap Moon-gwang’s husband Geun-sae in the bunker and
fatally wound Moon-gwang in the process. Both of them are locked in the
bunker as Ki-taek, Ki-jeong, and Ki-woo struggle to escape the house
undetected as Chung-sook does her best to cover their escape.
The next day, Mrs. Park decides to host a house party to celebrate Da-song’s
birthday. The Kim family attends the party in various roles. Ki-woo goes
down to kill Geun-sae. By this time, Moon-gwang, his wife, has died from her
injuries. Geun-sae attacks Ki-woo, seemingly killing him, and escapes into the
house in a rage. He grabs a knife from the kitchen and stabs Ki-jeong in front
of everyone at the party, killing her. Chung-sook kills Geun-sae. Ki-taek,
triggered by being continually looked down upon by Mr. Parks, grabs the
kitchen knife and kills Mr. Park. He quickly flees the scene. (01:51:32)
84,45%
5. THIRD ACT TWIST
Weeks have gone by. It has been revealed that Ki-woo survived his traumatic
injuries and is recovering from brain surgery. He and his mother are convicted
of fraud. They are back living in the semi-basement apartment. Ki-taek has
disappeared and is still wanted for the murder of Mr. Park.
Ki-woo discovers that his father — Ki-taek — has been hiding in the bunker
to escape authorities. He scavenges food from the new owners of the house
when he can.
Ki-woo writes a letter to Ki-taek, vowing that he will one day be successful
enough to buy back the house and free him. (02:00:28) 91,28%

5 Plot Point Breakdown: Once Upon a

Time in Hollywood (2019) — Cliff’s Story
Screenplay Genre: Drama/Comedy
Movie Time: 161 minutes

Beware spoilers!
Note: There are arguably two main story threads within this film. The first is a character study of
Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) as he deals with the trials and tribulations of becoming a has-
been actor. The second is a more plot-driven story led by Rick’s stunt double Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt)
as his path is intertwined with the Charlie Manson and his cult of hippies that are destined to
murder actress Sharon Tate and her friends within her Hollywood Hills house—. We will be
following Cliff’s story for this Five Point Plot Breakdown. (Segment Time: Begins at 01:20:23)

1. INCITING INCIDENT
After seeing a hippie-hitchhiker named Pussycat sporadically throughout the first hour of
the film, Cliff finally finds himself going the direction that she is looking to go. Entranced by
her beauty, Cliff agrees to take her where she needs to go. He discovers that she’s living in
Chatsworth at the Spawn Movie Ranch — a former movie and television location site that
Cliff had done stuntwork at eight years prior. Cliff is curious as to why this hippie girl and
her friends are living there. (01:21:49) 1,8%

2. LOCK IN (End of Act One)

Upon arriving at the Spawn Movie Ranch, Pussycat coaxes him out of the car and further
into the grounds, hoping to introduce him to someone named Charlie (a.k.a. Charlie
Manson). As Cliff is introduced to Pussycat’s hippie friends, his suspicion of them grows.
He’s worried about George, the owner of the ranch and a former colleague of Cliff’s. He
wants to check on George but the girls are reluctant to let him. He decides to take matters
into his own hands and approaches George’s house, where other hippies track his every
move. After confronting the lead hippie Squeaky, Cliff goes into the house and discovers
that George is alive and well.  (01:39:08) 24,4%

3. FIRST CULMINATION (Midpoint)

Cliff exits the house and heads to his car as the hippies ridicule him loudly. He then
discovers that one of them has slashed his tired. He confronts the hippie guy that did it and
demands that he replace the tire with his spare. When the hippie guy refuses, Cliff begins
to beat him up. Tensions rise as the whole hippie community approaches him. He threatens
to continue to beat the hippie guy up if they come any closer. One of the hippie girls is sent
to get Tex, Charlie Manson’s right-hand man, to deal with Cliff. But by the time he arrives,
the slashed tire is replaced and Cliff drives off. (01:49:16) 35,8%

4. MAIN CULMINATION (End of Act Two)

Cliff takes his dog for a walk as he smokes an LSD-laced cigarette. Meanwhile, Tex and
three of Charlie Manson’s hippie girls drive up the private street in a loud car to infiltrate the
house next door to Rick’s house, home of Hollywood director Roman Polanski and his
actress wife Sharon Tate. However, they are confronted by a drunk Rick who scares them
off of the private road. The whole film has been leading up to the Manson murders of Tate
and her friends and we wonder how Cliff and Rick will be involved in that horrific crime.
(02:13:05) 65,4%

5. THIRD ACT TWIST

Tex and the girls drive off of the private road and park on the side of the adjacent street.
They are starstruck after recognizing who Rick was and decide to murder him and anyone
in his house. One of the girls has cold feet and escapes with the car. Rick is listening to
music in a drunken haze out back in the pool. His newlywed wife sleeps in the back room.
Meanwhile, Cliff is in the kitchen feeding his dog when Tex and the girls enter. However,
Cliff and his dog take action and brutely kill Tex and one of the girls. Cliff is stabbed in the
leg and passes out. The one surviving girl rushes out back into the pool in a blind and
bloodied rage, falls into the pool alongside Rick as she shoots a gun in the air while
screaming, and is then killed by way of a flamethrower wielded by Rick.
Cliff survives. All of the Manson would-be murderers are dead. And it’s revealed that the
Sharon Tate and her friends have escaped the real-life fate we know they had, once upon a
time… in Hollywood. (2:18:10) 71,6%

5 Plot Point Breakdown: Three Men and a

Baby (1987)
Screenplay Genre: Comedy
Movie Time: 104 minutes

1. INCITING INCIDENT
Architect Peter Mitchell (Tom Selleck), cartoonist Michael Kellam (Steve Guttenberg), and
actor Jack Holden (Ted Danson) are three bachelors living the good life in a posh
Manhattan penthouse. Beautiful women, fine wine, and exclusive parties occupy their time
as they bask in the joys of bachelorhood. One day, a baby named Mary (Lisa and Michelle
Blair), who was fathered by Jack now away in Turkey on a film shoot, is left on their
doorstep.  Like it or not, the swinging lifestyles of these three men are about to be tamed.
(00:16:51) 16,85/104 = 16.20%

2. LOCK IN (End of Act One)

After Peter goes to the market to buy diapers and “soft stuff” food for the baby, Michael
tries unsuccessfully to stop Mary from crying by entertaining her with his cartoon
characters. Peter returns with oversized diapers and, despite his experience building
skyscrapers, is unable to attach a diaper to Mary before she pees all over him. Peter and
Michael, dismayed at their failure to use their career training to appease a helpless baby,
look at each other. Michael mutters, “I think we’re in trouble.” (00:27:53)
27,88/104 = 26.80%

3. FIRST CULMINATION (Midpoint)

Jack’s friend, Paul Milner (John Gould Rubin), had a package delivered to Jack to hold for
him while Jack was in Turkey. When two men show up to pick up the package, Peter and
Michael give them Mary, thinking Mary is the “package” they are referring to. Only when
Peter discovers the real package, a small box containing bags of heroin, do Peter and
Michael realize their mistake. Peter recovers Mary but keeps the heroin, which draws the
suspicion of detectives staked outside their apartment. Jack returns early from his film
shoot in Turkey, claiming his “part was cut”. Peter and Michael try to temper their anger
against Jack by explaining to him the mess and chaos he’s brought into their lives.
(00:56:04) 56,06/104 = 54.42%

4. MAIN CULMINATION (End of Act Two)

After Peter, Michael, and Jack concoct an elaborate scheme to trap the drug dealers in an
elevator at a construction site, Mary’s mother, Sylvia (Nancy Travis) shows up at the trio’s
apartment. She is returning home to London and wants to take Mary with her. She
discusses the idea with Jack who reluctantly accepts Sylvia’s decision. On a rainy
afternoon, Peter, Jack, and Michael send Sylvia and Mary off in a taxi cab headed for the
airport. They wave goodbye as the infant who irrevocably turned their lives upside down
disappears from view.  (01:23:28) 83,46/104 = 80.25%

5. THIRD ACT TWIST

After a change of heart from Jack, the three men, who have been pining for Mary, rush to
the airport to stop Sylvia from taking her to London. They arrive a few minutes late and
watch helplessly as the airplane pulls away from the tarmac. They go home where they are
surprised to see Sylvia, who’s camped on their doorstep with tears streaming down her
face. She has changed her mind. After explaining her situation, Sylvia pleas for help. Peter
proposes an idea. Sylvia and Mary will move in with Peter, Michael, and Jack. Everyone
agrees. (01:36:01) 96,01/104 = 92.31%