Love Story
EST V ACT domestic box office revenue
$80 – 98MM V $107MM
Mythosis universal quests used
3
Audience appeal
25.38 – 31.02%
Script Score
0.67
Love Story released in 1970 is a passionate and tragic movie directed by Arthur Hiller. The story follows a couple who navigate family conflicts, their own egos and life’s hardships.
1. The invisible plot structure of Love Story
1A. The script of Love Story borrows 96% of its events from 3 mythological tales
Barrett’s quest mirrors the tale of Kaikeyi from Hindu mythology. The quest is driven by the desire for social standing & respect. Kaikeyi retains her position in the kingdom by forcing her step son into exile. Similarly, Barrett cuts off Oliver from the family for marrying Jenny.
Oliver’s quest is driven by the desire to find love. The quest borrows events from the tale of Savitri from Hindu mythology. Both Savitri and Oliver go against their family to pursue their love.
Jenny’s quest is driven by the desire to be in a peaceful environment. The quest borrows events from the tale of Sita in Hindu mythology. Both Sita and Jenny yearn for tranquillity but their suffering keeps mounting.
NOTE: Detailed mirroring of each character’s primary quest to their respective mythological tales is in section “3A. Quests of characters and their mythological counterparts”
Mythosis plot structure
# 20,491
Tales interweaved
Savitri, Sita & Kaikeyi
I. How does interweaving mythological tales lead to infinite story plots?
II. Can the pursuit of a Desire have more than one quest?
2. The potential of Love Story's plot structure: $80 – 98MM
The interweaving of 32 mythological tales can generate a billion unique stories. By using these 32 tales, we can extract the plot structure of any story across various genres. Our study of blockbuster, hit, and flop plot structures led to the discovery of the Mythosis Code, a set of principles for creating compelling stories. The plot structure of a story is analyzed to see how well it adheres to these storytelling principles.
2A. Plot structure evaluation of Love Story
- All Blockbusters have at least 3 universal quests. Love Story has 3 universal quests of Romance, Tranquillity & Status.
- In Blockbusters, each universal quest is mirrored by ONLY ONE character. Oliver mirrors the universal quest of Romance. Barrett mirrors the quest of Status & Jenny mirrors the quest of Tranquillity.
- Every Blockbuster character borrows at least 35% of the universal quest. Oliver borrows 60% events from the universal quest for Romance. Barrett borrows 32% events from the quest of Status. Jenny borrows 56% events from the quest of Tranquillity.
- Blockbusters have a quest interweaving threshold of 0.5. Interweaving occurs when events of 2 quests occur simultaneously in the story. Love Story’s quest interweaving score is 0.67 and is above par.
An example of interweaving the quests of Oliver & Barrett:
2B. Box office revenue estimation of Love Story
A compelling romantic story where the plot structure is made from 3 universal quests of Romance, Status & Tranquillity. And, very different from the classical plot structure of Romeo & Juliet which is made from 4 universal quests of Romance, Social contact, Status & Family.
The Script Score measures a plot structure’s adherence to the four principles of Mythosis Code. We use the Script Score to estimate a movie’s audience appeal & revenues. Blockbuster plot structures have a score of at least 0.64 and appeal to 20% of the audiences.
Script Score
0.67
Audience appeal
25.38 – 31.02%
I. How is Mythosis Code used to estimate revenues?
II. Aren’t box-office revenues influenced by several factors beyond just the story plot?
3. The ideal plot structure of Love Story
We have identified 32 mythological tales, the superset of all tales across cultures. The quests of these tales have also recurred over time periods. They represent human behaviours that are deeply embedded in our shared memories. Each tale is the richest expression of the pursuit of a human desire. The tales have a unique pattern of events spread over 5 major arcs.
Mapping a character’s quest to the relevant mythological tale reveals the gaps in their quest, if any. Plugging these gaps with the missing events deepens the character quest. The missing events also provide an opportunity for interweaving the various quests. These events strengthen the story and unlock its hidden potential.
3A.Quest of characters and their mythological counterparts
Quest 1: Oliver mirrors the universal quest for Romance
Oliver’s desire for Romance stems from the need for sex & courtship. The tale of Savitri from Hindu mythology is the universal quest for Romance.
Quest 2: Jenny mirrors the universal quest for Tranquillity
Jenny’s desire for Tranquillity stems from the need to be in secure surroundings. The tale of Sita from Hindu mythology is the universal quest for Tranquillity.
Quest 3: Barrett mirrors the universal quest for Status
Barrett’s desire for Status stems from the need for social standing & respect. The tale of Kaikeyi from Hindu mythology is the universal quest for Status.
3B.Gaps in the current plot structure
The plot structure could have a deeper 3rd quest.
3C.Unlocking the hidden potential
The plot of Love Story is a subset of Mythosis plot structure # 20,491. It emerges from interweaving the tales of Savitri, Sita & Kaikeyi.
Contact us for Mythosis plot structure # 20,491.
Tags: Savitri, Kaikeyi, Sita, Romance, Status, Tranquillity, Arthur Hiller, Paramount Pictures, 1970