American Graffiti
EST V ACT domestic box office revenue
$34 – 42MM V $55MM
Mythosis universal quests used
6
Audience appeal
9.06 – 11.31%
Script Score
0.31
American Graffiti released in 1973 was directed by George Lucas and produced by Francis Ford Coppola. The story revolves around a group of friends and their own thrilling adventure during one unforgettable night.
1. The invisible plot structure of American Graffiti
1A. The script of American Graffiti borrows 96% of its events from 6 mythological tales
Curt’s quest is driven by the desire to explore and discover. The quest borrows events from the tale of Eve in Abrahamic mythology. Both Eve and Curt are unable to resist temptation.
Steve’s quest is driven by the desire for companionship. The quest borrows events from the tale of Psyche in Greek mythology. Both Psyche and Steve, sacrifice to win back their loved ones.
Terry’s quest is driven by selfish ambition. The quest borrows events from the tale of Valmiki in Hindu mythology. Both Valmiki & Terry lie to further their ambition but eventually have a change of heart.
John’s quest is driven by the desire for honour & loyalty. The quest borrows events from the tale of Hanuman in Hindu mythology. Both Hanuman & John demonstrate unquestioned loyalty, showing a willingness to sacrifice themselves to protect their friends.
Carol’s quest is driven by the desire to gain approval of others. The quest borrows events from the tale of Karn in Hindu mythology. Both Karn and Carol find acceptance after being ridiculed and swear loyalty.
Falfa has an under developed quest driven by the desire to dominate others.
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
# 5,232,510
Tales interweaved
Eve, Psyche, Valmiki, Hanuman & Karn
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 American Graffiti's plot structure: $34 – 42MM
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 American Graffiti
- All Blockbusters have at least 3 universal quests. American Graffiti uses 5 universal quests of Curiosity, Social contact, Honour, Acceptance & Accumulation.
- In Blockbusters, each universal quest is mirrored by ONLY ONE character. Curt mirrors the universal quest of Curiosity, Steve mirrors the quest of Social contact & Terry mirrors Accumulation. John mirrors the quest of Honour & Carol mirrors Acceptance.
- Every Blockbuster character borrows at least 35% of the universal quest. Curt borrows 36% events from the quest for Curiosity. Steve borrows 44% from Social contact & Terry borrows 40% from Curiosity. John borrows 31% events from the quest for Honour & Carol borrows 20% from Acceptance.
- Blockbusters have a quest interweaving threshold of 0.5. Interweaving occurs when events of 2 quests occur simultaneously in the story. American Graffiti’s quest interweaving of 0.3 is below par.
An example of interweaving the quests of John & Carol:
2B. Box office revenue estimation of American Graffiti
The plot structure of American Graffiti reveals 4 unrelated stories emerging from 5 quests since not all the quests are interwoven.
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
0.31
Audience appeal
9.06 – 11.31%
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 American Graffiti
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: Curt mirrors the universal quest for Curiosity
Curt’s desire for Curiosity stems from the need to explore. The tale of Eve from Abrahamic mythology is the universal quest for Curiosity.
Quest 2: Steve mirrors the universal quest for Social contact
Steve’s desire for Social contact stems from the need for companionship. The tale of Psyche from Greek mythology is the universal quest for Social contact.
Quest 3: Terry mirrors the universal quest for Accumulation
Terry’s desire for Accumulation stems from the need to collect & own. The tale of Valimiki from Hindu mythology has a robust expression in Dicken’s character of Scrooge which is the unfulfilled universal quest for Accumulation.
Quest 4: John mirrors the universal quest for Honour
John’s desire for Honour stems from the need to be loyal to ones clan/order. The tale of Hanuman from Hindu mythology is the universal quest for Honour.
Quest 5: Carol mirrors the universal quest for Acceptance
Carol’s desire for Acceptance stems from the need for approval from others. The tale of Karn from Hindu mythology is the universal quest for Acceptance.
3B.Gaps in the current plot structure
All the 4 stories are well-developed but not interwoven.
3C.Unlocking the hidden potential
The plot of American Graffiti is a subset of Mythosis plot structure # 5,232,510. It emerges from interweaving the tales of Eve, Psyche, Valmiki, Hanuman & Karn.
Contact us for Mythosis plot structure # 5,232,510
Tags: Valmiki, Eve, Hanuman, Karn, Psyche, Social contact, Curiosity, Acceptance, Accumulation, Honour, George Lucas, Lucasfilm Ltd., The Coppola Company, Universal Pictures, 1973