The three-act structure is the most widely used formula for writing movies in American cinema. Some swear that this structure is the perfect formula for creating a successful film that will top the charts and bring in the most revenue. As the name states, it is composed of three distinct acts: the setup, the confrontation, and the resolution. Each of these three acts has their own partitions called beats. The beats are checkpoints for important events that screenwriter and film analyst Blake Snyder says are imperative for writing a screenplay that will both captivate and entertain it’s audience. Director Wes Anderson utilizes the three-act structure exceptionally in his movie Moonrise Kingdom, a film about two estranged, young lovers who flee their mundane lives for a taste of the adventures they both dream of. Act one begins with the “opening image”, this introduces the protagonist’s lives, touring the home of Suzie Bishop and her family who she has grown detached from. After a glimpse into the Bishop home, the audience is taken to Khaki Scout Camp Ivanhoe, where the “theme is stated”. The audience sees that the other young lover, Sam Shakusky, is discovered to have escaped the camp, where he is disliked and considered an outsider. This is all apart of the “set-up”, where the protagonists are introduced and the audience should be hooked in. The “catalyst” of the film, which is what sets off the rising …show more content…
Also, this beat marks the beginning of climax of the film, which takes place in the successive beat the “finale” where Sam and Suzie make the choice not to jump. Finally, the “final image” of the three-act structure gives the audience insight into what happens to the protagonists after the most dramatic event in the movie. In this case, it is a happy ending for both Sam and Suzie, who will continue to see each