TOLIBAO, TRISHA B.

12- HUMSS N4

1. Plot structure of the movie “Gone Girl”

FORESHADOW

It was shown at the very beginning where Nick stroked

Amy’s head while she was in his lap and to pair it up Nick’s
voiceover cue in saying, “When I think of my wife I always
think of her head. I picture cracking her lovely skull
unspooling her brain trying to get answers. The primal
questions of any marriage.” And ended his voiceover saying,
“How are you feeling?, and “What have we done to each other?.”

ACT 1 SET- UP

Normal life of the character

At the town of Missouri early in the morning Nick took out

the trash outside. In “The Bar” where Nick had a drink of
bourbon while having a conversation with his twin sister Margo
about his life, relationship, and anniversary with Amy.

The minor/ support characters

Margo “Go” Dunne the twin sister of Nick Dunne and his
father Bill Dunne. Amy Dunne’s parents who were Rand and
Marybeth Elliot. Detective Rhonda Boney and Officer Jim Gilpin
who were in charge of the missing case of Amy Dunne. Noelle
Hawthorne the neighbor who proclaimed herself to be close to
Amy. Tanner Bolt the famous and successful lawyer who helped
Nick to proving his innocence from being the accused murderer
of his wife Amy Dunne. Tommy O’ Hara and Desi Collings who
were Amy’s past relationships that had certain problems with.
Andie Hardy the lover of Nick and his student in his creative
writing class. Greta and Jeff as the people who Amy met in the
hide-away cabins and were also the ones who stole money from
her. Ellen Abbot, a news reporter who spread news of Nick that
made his image bad and Sharon Schneiber the woman who
interviewed Nick that helped him change his image. Shawna
Kelly the woman who seemed flirty and the one who forced Nick
into having a selfie with her which then got the picture of
the two of them broadcast on the Ellen Abbot live.

Inciting Incidents

When Nick came home after having a conversation in “The

Bar” with his twin sister Margo he then noticed that the
inside of the house was a mess and then found out that his
wife Amy was nowhere to be seen inside the house.

Call for Adventure

Nick then decided to call for the police and eventually

came the arrival of Detective Rhonda Boney and Officer Jim
Gilpin. Nick got interrogated by the police and asked if Amy
had any daily activities or friends and asked what blood type
she had which Nick had no idea. Later on was asked to inform
Amy’s parents about her disappearance. And found out his
father was in the same station roaming around which Nick was
asked to drop off his father back to the nursing home.

Refuse or Deny

When the realization came to Nick that his wife went

missing he decided to help look for his wife with Detective
Rhonda Boney and Officer Jim Gilpin when suddenly while
roaming around Nick and Amy’s house Detective Boney found the
first clue of their treasure hunt that his wife left him with.

ACT 2 CONFRONTATION

Honeymoon Stage

While Nick was sitting at the couch of his twin sister’s

home he suddenly received a text message from someone
saying ,“I’m outside” and there she outside the door was Andie
Hardy who was his student and the one that also turned out to
be his mistress which then led them have a sexual intercourse
by the surprise visit of Andie.

Sub-plot

When the police had an interrogation with Rand and Marybeth

Elliot who were Amy’s parents they were asked if Amy had
instances of having problems in previous relationships. Which
 then had Amy’s parents responded to Desi Collings and Tommy
O’Hara. Desi Collings, who was issued to be obsessed and
attempted suicide when Amy decided to broke up with him during
their sophomore year and lastly with Tommy O Hara who was
physical with her according to Rand.

Build-up to the midpoint

While Nick found out the third clue and tried to solve it
the police investigated the house of Nick’s father for they had
thought how suspicious it was for him to visit there while his
wife was missing. When Detective Rhonda Boney and Officer Jim
Gilpin went to the basement part of the house they found out the
slightly burned out diary of Amy.

Win or Lose

Nick discovered the third clue that led to the woodshed

which then contained all the toys and things that Nick wanted
where Amy bought under Nick’s credit card. But outside the
wrapped up box was a letter attached to it which was read by
Margo and then everything fit in like a solved jigsaw puzzle
and had the realization of Amy framing up Nick to be the
murderer one who murdered her.

Falling out of Character

Nick went to New York to search for help from Tanner

Bolt, a famous and successful lawyer who he’d believed that
would help him with the case of Amy and prove him to be
innocent.

Go back to B-story

With the help of Tanner Bolt he discovered where Tommy

O’Hara was and decided to have a talk with him and discovered
that Tommy O’ Hara was also set up by Amy and later on tried
to talk out with Desi Collings but failed to have a decent
conversation.

Build Up for the Final Battle

Taught by his lawyer Tanner Bolt in responding in a

sympathetic way Nick then had a new positive image to the
society with his exposure into having an interview with Sharon
 Schneiber that then made Amy to change her mind and go back to
Nick. She then murdered Desi who she decided to stay with and
went back to Nick instead.

ACT 3 RESOLUTION

Final Battle

Things took for a change when Amy all covered in Desi’s

blood decided to come home and embraced Nick that was then
broadcasted on television and had the people rejoiced. Amy
then reported to the police during the interrogation that she
was kidnapped and raped by Desi Collings.

Win or Lose

Nick kept on telling Amy when everything would settled and

quiet down Nick would leave Amy but Amy had the upper hand
which led Nick to give in.

New normal life

Nick then felt obligated thus decided to follow his duties

as a husband and father and not leave Amy and stayed to
protect and take care of his child.

2. Who are the other characters in the film and how are they
significant to the plot?

Detective Rhonda Boney- The detective who helped with the

case of the disappearance

Margo “Go” Dunne- The twin sister of Nick who was always
there at his side and was the one who was with Nick in solving
out the clues Amy had left.

Bill Dunne- Nick’s Father, the one that Nick had to drive
back to the nursing home for he was found roaming around the same
police station where Nick was interrogated.

Rand Elliot- The father of Amy who was one of the people behind
the book “Amazing Amy”.

Marybeth Elliot- The mother of Amy who was also behind of the
book “Amazing Amy” where Amy was the inspiration from the book.
 Officer Jim Gilpin- the one partnered up with Detective Rhonda
Boney in the case of the disappearance of Amy Dunne.

Tanner Bolt- The successful and famous lawyer who helped Nick
into proving his innocence from all the accusations of him being
a murderer of his wife Amy.

Desi Collings- The rich boyfriend that Amy broke up with who
was issued to be obsessed and attempted suicide during their
sophomore year.

Noelle Hawthorne- The self proclaimed close friend of Amy in

the neighborhood of Missouri who was only used to help make Amy’s
plan successful of her being pregnant.

Andie Hardy- Nick’s student in creative writing and was the

lover of Nick.

Tommy O Hara- The one that also had issues with Amy in their
relationship which then he confessed that what happened between
also seemed like a set-up by Amy.

Ellen Abott- The newscaster who had made Nick’s image bad with
the issues they had broadcasted about him.

Sharon Schneiber- The one who interviewed Nick personally and had
it broadcasted on television which then helped shed light to
Nick’s image.

Greta and Jeff- The people Amy met in the hide-away cabins who
stole her money.

3. Difference with the books act 3 and the film’s act 3 which
is better?

The difference with the act 3 of the film and movie is

that everything entailed in the book written by Gillian
Flynn contained more of a specific and detailed structure
compared to the film. In the film everything ended abruptly
with no such complications and gave more focus with Nick and
Amy only. In the book it gave details to the other
characters such as Desi Collings. The mother of Desi
Collings was included in the book and that during the
interrogation of Amy when she came back it didn’t ended
 abruptly. Detective Rhonda Boney continued with coming up
questions because she felt that with Amy’s answer was
something not right. Also Nick decided to stay for he was
still in love with Amy and that he wanted to give it another
chance in their marriage but in the film Nick was already
fed up with Amy and was forced to stay for the sake of his
child. All in all I think the book is better than the film
with the way the film was projected it had missing gaps to
it and felt like an incomplete story whereas the book gave
away all its details that made more sense compared to the
film and that it gave more depth and impact to it.

4. Does Amy Dunne as a character shape her own destiny? Does

she actively try to change her situation and if not? Why
not?

As one of the characters Amy Dunne did shaped her own

destiny and actively tried to change her situation.
Everything that happened in the story evolved in Amy’s
actions and decisions. She became fed up with Nick so she
decided to make him suffer and then stepped up her game and
be one step ahead of him. With months long of patience and
strategy in her planning she made the perfect set up for
Nick. But then returned back to Nick with the plan of her
murdering Desi and setting it up as rape. From the very
start to the end of the story it was all according and
depending on Amy’s decisions and actions.

5. How did the 2+2 theory applied in the plot? Cite some
evidences and elaborate and explain. Determine the scenes
that created tension in the plot.

The 2+2 theory was applied in the plot with the way the
story didn’t gave out obvious clues and had the audience
come up with their own theories to it. In the first part
where everything was yet to be explained and was unclear it
was still doubted and questions came up if Nick ever did
killed his wife or did Amy got kidnapped or got murdered and
that the existence of Amy was still into question. No one
knew what happened to Amy and that answers were unforeseen
only until it was revealed in the part where Amy’s side was
 shown then did the viewers actually knew. The scenes that
created tension was when it was revealed that Amy planned up
everything to get Nick imprisoned. That she did months ahead
of planning, strategizing ways into getting her husband
imprisoned by framing him up with murder. Also there was a
part where it sort of shown a chase where Nick tried to get
a step ahead of Amy and get her to catch the bait.

6. Insights about Amy Dunne’s Cool Girl monologue. What do you

think about it? Why do you think the monologue was
significant to Amy and Nick’s relationship?

My insights on Amy Dunne’s Cool Girl monologue is that it

describes all the ideal characteristics that a man would like
for a woman to have. Amy stated how cool girls were hot and
understanding wherein they would just smile instead of getting
angry at their men. But then again it did also sort of debase
women of their kind to be one step lower on men. How a man in
contemporary wanted for women to be submissive and to be in
their utmost femininity to be more appreciated and valued. How
a cool girl would be a man’s ideal for they are more catching
and pleasing to the eyes and that they satisfy their needs
with no complications. The monologue is significant to Amy
and Nick’s relationship for at the start of their relationship
Amy did tried to portray herself as a “Cool Girl” for she knew
that was what Nick wanted Amy to be like. Despite being the
opposite Amy willingly forced herself to be someone else for
Nick’s sake and surprisingly at that time their relationship
went smooth but when Amy showed her true self where all the
cool girl façade was gone their relationship with into
turmoil.