About My Father
Encouraged by his girlfriend Ellie, Sebastian and his Italian immigrant father, Salvo, spend the 4th of July weekend with her wealthy and exceedingly eccentric family. The gathering soon develops into a culture clash, allowing father and son to discover the true meaning of family.
The film underperformed commercially against its mid-range budget of $29.1M, earning $18.2M globally (-38% loss). While initial box office returns were modest, the film has gained appreciation for its innovative storytelling within the comedy genre.
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
About My Father (2023) reveals precise story structure, characteristic of Laura Terruso's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 30 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.7, the film showcases strong structural fundamentals.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Sebastian
Salvo
Ellie
Bill
Tigger
Lucky
Main Cast & Characters
Sebastian
Played by Sebastian Maniscalco
A stand-up comedian bringing his old-school immigrant father to meet his fiancée's wealthy family for the first time.
Salvo
Played by Robert De Niro
Sebastian's traditional Italian-American father who clashes with his son's fiancée's WASP family during a holiday weekend.
Ellie
Played by Leslie Bibb
Sebastian's sophisticated fiancée from a wealthy family who tries to bridge the cultural gap between her family and his father.
Bill
Played by David Rasche
Ellie's wealthy, politically-minded father who represents upper-class American values.
Tigger
Played by Kim Cattrall
Ellie's free-spirited mother who tries to be welcoming despite cultural differences.
Lucky
Played by Leslie Bibb
Sebastian's supportive and understanding fiancée who navigates family tensions.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Sebastian is a successful hotel manager living in Chicago, torn between his upscale lifestyle with girlfriend Ellie and his traditional Italian-American working-class roots with his father Salvo.. Structural examination shows that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 11 minutes when Ellie invites Sebastian to her family's estate for the Fourth of July weekend, where he plans to propose. The invitation forces Sebastian to confront his two worlds colliding when Ellie insists his father must come along.. At 13% through the film, this Disruption is delayed, allowing extended setup of the story world. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 23 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This shows the protagonist's commitment to Sebastian and Salvo arrive at the Collins family's luxurious estate. Sebastian commits to navigating the weekend, hoping to keep Salvo in check long enough to successfully propose to Ellie., moving from reaction to action.
At 46 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 51% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Notably, this crucial beat A major embarrassment occurs when Salvo's behavior goes too far at a formal event or dinner, causing Sebastian to explode at his father. The false defeat: it seems Sebastian's two worlds are completely incompatible and his relationship is doomed., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 67 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, The relationship between Sebastian and Salvo reaches breaking point. Sebastian says hurtful things that cut deep, rejecting his father and his roots. Salvo, wounded, prepares to leave, and Sebastian faces losing both his father's respect and his authentic self., indicates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 72 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Sebastian has a realization or receives advice that helps him understand he must embrace his heritage and his father rather than hide from it. He gains clarity that real love means acceptance of his whole self, including where he came from., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
About My Father's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs structural analysis methodology used to understand storytelling architecture. By mapping About My Father against these established plot points, we can identify how Laura Terruso utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish About My Father within the comedy genre.
Comparative Analysis
Additional comedy films include The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, The Bad Guys and Lake Placid.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Sebastian is a successful hotel manager living in Chicago, torn between his upscale lifestyle with girlfriend Ellie and his traditional Italian-American working-class roots with his father Salvo.
Theme
Salvo expresses his old-world view that family loyalty and staying true to your roots matters more than assimilating into high society, foreshadowing Sebastian's central conflict between two worlds.
Worldbuilding
Sebastian's dual life is established: his relationship with wealthy Ellie and her WASP family, his plan to propose, and his embarrassment about his loud, traditional father Salvo who runs a small salon and clings to old-country ways.
Disruption
Ellie invites Sebastian to her family's estate for the Fourth of July weekend, where he plans to propose. The invitation forces Sebastian to confront his two worlds colliding when Ellie insists his father must come along.
Resistance
Sebastian reluctantly invites Salvo and debates how to manage his father's behavior. He tries to prep Salvo on etiquette and worries about the culture clash, while Salvo remains stubbornly himself, resistant to changing his ways.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Sebastian and Salvo arrive at the Collins family's luxurious estate. Sebastian commits to navigating the weekend, hoping to keep Salvo in check long enough to successfully propose to Ellie.
Mirror World
Salvo begins bonding with Ellie's father Bill and mother Tigger in unexpected ways, while also charming others with his authenticity. This relationship becomes the thematic mirror showing that being genuine matters more than pretense.
Premise
The culture clash comedy: Salvo's uncouth behavior creates awkward moments (bringing inappropriate gifts, crude language, wild stories), but his warmth and authenticity begin winning people over while Sebastian grows increasingly anxious and embarrassed.
Midpoint
A major embarrassment occurs when Salvo's behavior goes too far at a formal event or dinner, causing Sebastian to explode at his father. The false defeat: it seems Sebastian's two worlds are completely incompatible and his relationship is doomed.
Opposition
Tension escalates between Sebastian and Salvo. Sebastian tries harder to control situations and distance himself from his father's behavior. Meanwhile, Ellie's family's true snobbish colors show, and cracks appear in what seemed like the perfect upper-class world.
Collapse
The relationship between Sebastian and Salvo reaches breaking point. Sebastian says hurtful things that cut deep, rejecting his father and his roots. Salvo, wounded, prepares to leave, and Sebastian faces losing both his father's respect and his authentic self.
Crisis
Sebastian reflects on what he's done and who he's become. He realizes he's been ashamed of the wrong things—his father's authenticity is a strength, not a weakness, and the Collins family's polished surface hides shallow values.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Sebastian has a realization or receives advice that helps him understand he must embrace his heritage and his father rather than hide from it. He gains clarity that real love means acceptance of his whole self, including where he came from.
Synthesis
Sebastian publicly reconciles with Salvo, embracing his Italian-American identity. He confronts the Collins family's pretensions and stands up for his father and his values. Sebastian proposes to Ellie on his own terms, as his authentic self.
Transformation
Sebastian is shown having successfully integrated both worlds—confident in his heritage, close with his father, and in a relationship where he can be his true self. The family celebrates together, old world and new world united.