The script potential score of Her is 0.03 (predicted 23 – 25MM; actual 26MM)
The script of Her will appeal to 0.87 – 0.97 % of the population
86% events in Her are borrowed from 3 mythological tales
The script of Her will appeal to 0.87 – 0.97 % 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. Her has 3 universal quests of Tranquillity, Acceptance & Social Contact.
In Blockbusters, each universal quest is mirrored by ONLY ONE character. Theo mirrors the quest of Social Contact. Amy mirrors the universal quest of Tranquillity whereas Samantha/OS mirrors the quest of Acceptance.
Every Blockbuster character borrows at least 35% of the universal quest. Theo borrows 32% of the quest of Social Contact. Samantha/OS’s character borrows 26% of the quest of Acceptance. Amy borrows 8% of the universal quest of Tranquillity.
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. Her has a quest interweaving score of 0.33 and is below par. An example of interweaving Theo’s & Samantha/OS’ quests:
Blockbusters have a script score of at least 0.64 whereas Her’s script score is 0.03. Based on the script score we estimate that the movie will appeal to 0.87 – 0.97% of the population.
The plot structure of Her interweaves only 2 quests (Amy’s quest is in isolation) thereby limiting the audience appeal. Moreover, both Theo & Samantha don’t have sufficient depth since they borrow inadequately from their respective quests.
86% events in Her are borrowed from 3 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: Theo mirrors 32% of Psyche’s quest for Social Contact (marginally below threshold)
Theo’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 2: Samantha/OS mirrors 26% of Karn’s quest for Acceptance (below threshold of 35%)
Samantha/OS’s desire for Acceptance stems from the need for approval by others. The tale of Karn from Hindu mythology is the universal quest for Acceptance.
Quest 3: Amy mirrors 8% of Odysseus’ quest for Tranquillity (below threshold of 35%)
Amy’s desire for Tranquillity stems from the need to be in secure surroundings. The tale of Odysseus from Greek mythology is the universal quest for Tranquillity.
Tags:2013, Acceptance, Annapurna Pictures, Box office, Character development, Karn, Movie Review, Mythology, Odysseus, Psyche, Script, Social Contact, Spike Jonze, Story plot, Tranquillity, Warner Bros. Pictures
