Alaska
Jake Barnes and his two kids, Sean and Jessie, have moved to Alaska after his wife died. He is a former airline pilot now delivering toilet paper across the mountains. During an emergency delivery in a storm his plane goes down somewhere in the mountains. Annoyed that the authorities aren't doing enough, Jessie and Sean set out on an adventure to find their father with the help of a polar bear which they have saved from a ferocious poacher. Conflict ensues.
The film disappointed at the box office against its mid-range budget of $23.0M, earning $11.8M globally (-49% loss). While initial box office returns were modest, the film has gained appreciation for its innovative storytelling within the family 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%)
Alaska (1996) showcases strategically placed narrative architecture, characteristic of Fraser Clarke Heston's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 49 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.3, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Jessie Barnes
Sean Barnes
Jake Barnes
Cubby
Perry
Ben
Main Cast & Characters
Jessie Barnes
Played by Thora Birch
A resourceful 14-year-old girl who leads the search for her missing father across the Alaskan wilderness.
Sean Barnes
Played by Vincent Kartheiser
Jessie's younger brother who joins her on the dangerous journey to find their father.
Jake Barnes
Played by Dirk Benedict
The children's father, a bush pilot who crashes in the wilderness and must survive while his kids search for him.
Cubby
Played by Bart the Bear
A polar bear cub who befriends the children and becomes central to their adventure.
Perry
Played by Charlton Heston
An unscrupulous poacher who hunts the polar bear and serves as the main antagonist.
Ben
Played by Duncan Fraser
Perry's reluctant partner in poaching who shows some moral conflict.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes The Barnes family arrives in Alaska to start their new life. Jessie and Sean are reluctant teenagers adjusting to the remote wilderness after losing their mother, while their father Jake pursues his bush pilot work.. Notably, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 13 minutes when Jake's plane goes down during a storm in the remote Alaskan wilderness. The family receives word that he is missing and presumed lost, shattering their fragile new life.. At 12% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 27 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This indicates the protagonist's commitment to Jessie and Sean make the active decision to set out into the Alaskan wilderness on their own to find their father, defying the adults who have given up. They cross into the dangerous wild., moving from reaction to action.
At 54 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. The analysis reveals that this crucial beat The kids discover evidence that their father survived the crash and is alive. This false victory raises stakes - he's out there, but injured and in danger. The search becomes a race against time., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 81 minutes (74% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Perry captures Cubby and the kids are separated from their only companion. They face the wilderness alone, seemingly too late to save either the bear or their father. The mission appears to have failed completely., demonstrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 87 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. The kids realize they have the skills and courage they've developed during their journey. They synthesize their wilderness knowledge with their determination to save both Cubby and their father. They make a final plan., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Alaska's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs proven narrative structure principles that track dramatic progression. By mapping Alaska against these established plot points, we can identify how Fraser Clarke Heston utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Alaska within the family genre.
Fraser Clarke Heston's Structural Approach
Among the 2 Fraser Clarke Heston films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.5, reflecting strong command of classical structure. Alaska takes a more unconventional approach compared to the director's typical style. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Fraser Clarke Heston filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional family films include The Bad Guys, Like A Rolling Stone and Cats Don't Dance. For more Fraser Clarke Heston analyses, see Needful Things.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
The Barnes family arrives in Alaska to start their new life. Jessie and Sean are reluctant teenagers adjusting to the remote wilderness after losing their mother, while their father Jake pursues his bush pilot work.
Theme
Jake tells the kids that family sticks together and takes care of each other, especially in the wilderness. This establishes the theme of family bonds and self-reliance in the face of adversity.
Worldbuilding
Establishing the family dynamics, the Alaskan setting, and Jake's work as a bush pilot. The kids struggle to adapt while dealing with their grief. Jessie and Sean encounter a polar bear cub and its protective mother.
Disruption
Jake's plane goes down during a storm in the remote Alaskan wilderness. The family receives word that he is missing and presumed lost, shattering their fragile new life.
Resistance
Officials begin a search but prepare to call it off due to harsh conditions. Jessie and Sean debate whether to accept their father's likely death or take action themselves. They resist adult authority and make plans.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Jessie and Sean make the active decision to set out into the Alaskan wilderness on their own to find their father, defying the adults who have given up. They cross into the dangerous wild.
Mirror World
The kids encounter the orphaned polar bear cub (Cubby) whose mother was killed by poacher Perry. The cub becomes their companion, representing innocence, survival, and the family bond they're fighting to preserve.
Premise
The adventure the audience came for: two kids and a polar bear cub surviving in the Alaskan wilderness. They navigate terrain, avoid the poacher Perry, learn survival skills, and follow clues to find their father.
Midpoint
The kids discover evidence that their father survived the crash and is alive. This false victory raises stakes - he's out there, but injured and in danger. The search becomes a race against time.
Opposition
The wilderness becomes more dangerous. Poacher Perry actively pursues them to capture the valuable polar bear cub. Weather worsens. The kids' supplies dwindle. Jake's condition deteriorates. Everything gets harder.
Collapse
Perry captures Cubby and the kids are separated from their only companion. They face the wilderness alone, seemingly too late to save either the bear or their father. The mission appears to have failed completely.
Crisis
Jessie and Sean face their darkest moment emotionally. They process the loss and their apparent failure, but find resolve in their bond as siblings and their father's earlier words about family sticking together.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
The kids realize they have the skills and courage they've developed during their journey. They synthesize their wilderness knowledge with their determination to save both Cubby and their father. They make a final plan.
Synthesis
The finale: Jessie and Sean rescue Cubby from Perry, confront the poacher, find their injured father, and signal for rescue. They use everything they've learned to survive and succeed where adults failed.
Transformation
The family is reunited and whole again. Jessie and Sean, once reluctant and grieving city kids, have become confident, capable survivors. Cubby is released back to the wild. The family has found their place in Alaska together.