The script potential score of American Hustle is 0.16 (predicted 122-148MM; actual 151MM)
The script of American Hustle will appeal to 4.7 – 5.72 % of the population
85% events in American Hustle are borrowed from 4 mythological tales
The script of American Hustle will appeal to 4.7 – 5.72 % of the population
Any story is the quest to fulfil a human desire. We have identified universal quests for every human desire. These universal quests reveal the invisible plot structure of stories. An analysis of Blockbuster, Hit & Flop plots led to the discovery of Mythosis Code. The Code reveals the story principles shared by all Blockbusters. We use the Code to estimate and unlock a story’s Blockbuster potential.
All Blockbusters have at least 3 universal quests. American Hustle has 4 universal quests of Idealism, Status, Power & Accumulation.
In Blockbusters, each universal quest is mirrored by ONLY ONE character. Irving mirrors the universal quest of Idealism. Sydney mirrors the quest of Accumulation. Richie mirrors the quest of Power & Rosalyn mirrors the quest of Status.
Every Blockbuster character borrows at least 35% of the universal quest. Irving’s character borrows 28% of the universal quest of Idealism. Sydney borrows 19% of the quest of Accumulation. Richie borrows 37% of the quest of Power. Rosalyn’s character borrows 13% of the quest of Status.
Blockbusters interweave different quests to create a tight plot structure. Interweaving occurs when events of 2 quests occur simultaneously in the story. Blockbusters have a quest interweaving threshold of 0.5. American Hustle’s quest interweaving score is 0.33 and is below par. An example of interweaving of Irving’s & Sydney’s quests:
Blockbusters have a script score of at least 0.64 whereas American Hustle’s script score is 0.16. Based on the script score we estimate that the movie will appeal to 4.70 – 5.72 % of the population.
Though the plot structure of American Hustle borrows from 4 universal quests, the plot is weak due to non-interweaving of the character quests & weak character development. Rosalyn’s quest isn’t interwoven with any other quest. Richie is the only well-developed character in the plot.
85% events in American Hustle are borrowed from 4 mythological tales
At Mythosis, we have identified 32 mythological tales. Each mythological tale uniquely represents a human quest to fulfil a desire. These tales are the super set of thousands of tales across cultures.
We have codified the events of each mythological tale. Every tale has 5 major arcs. Each arc has a sequence of events. These events culminate into a major event. Here is the mapping of each character’s quest to the major events in their respective mythological tale.
Quest 1: Irving mirrors 28% of Prometheus’ quest for Idealism (below threshold of 35%)
Irving’s desire for Idealism stems from the need for fairness & justice. The tale of Prometheus from Greek mythology is the universal quest for Idealism.
Quest 2: Sydney mirrors 19% of Valmiki’s quest for Accumulation (below threshold of 35%)
Sydney’s desire for Accumulation stems from the need to collect & own. The tale of Valmiki from Hindu mythology has a robust expression in Dicken’s character of Scrooge which is the universal quest for Accumulation.
Quest 3: Richie mirrors 37% of Circe’s quest for Power (above threshold of 35%)
Richie's desire for Power stems from the need to dominate others. The tale of Circe from Greek mythology is the universal quest for Power.
Quest 4: Rosalyn mirrors 13% of Kaikeyi’s quest for Status (below threshold of 35%)
Rosalyn’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.
Tags:2013, Accumulation, Annapurna Pictures, Atlas Entertainment, Box office, Character development, Circe, Columbia Pictures, David O. Russell, Idealism, Kaikeyi, Movie Review, Mythology, Power, Prometheus, Script, Sony Pictures Releasing, Status, Story plot, Valmiki
