Another Stakeout
Chris and Bill are called upon for their excellent surveillance record to stakeout a lakeside home where a Mafia trial witness is believed to be heading or already hiding. Unlike their earlier _Stakeout_, this time they are accompanied by Gina Garret from the DA's office and her pet rottweiler 'Archie'; their cover, husband and wife with son Bill.
Working with a mid-range budget of $30.0M, the film achieved a modest success with $30.0M in global revenue (+0% profit margin).
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%)
Another Stakeout (1993) reveals carefully calibrated narrative architecture, characteristic of John Badham's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 10-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 49 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 6.9, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Chris Lecce
Bill Reimers
Gina Garrett
Maria McGuire
Brian O'Hara
Lu Delano
Tony Castellano
Main Cast & Characters
Chris Lecce
Played by Richard Dreyfuss
Wisecracking Seattle detective on another stakeout assignment with his partner.
Bill Reimers
Played by Emilio Estevez
Chris's straight-laced partner who balances his antics with discipline.
Gina Garrett
Played by Rosie O'Donnell
Tough assistant DA assigned to the stakeout who becomes romantically involved.
Maria McGuire
Played by Marcia Strassman
Woman under witness protection whose home becomes the stakeout base.
Brian O'Hara
Played by Dennis Farina
Mobster witness who escaped protection and is being hunted.
Lu Delano
Played by Miguel Ferrer
Dangerous mob enforcer hunting down Brian O'Hara.
Tony Castellano
Played by Cathy Moriarty
Mob boss seeking revenge on the escaped witness.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Chris and Bill are established as bickering partners on surveillance duty, stuck in a cramped surveillance van. Their dynamic is contentious but familiar, showing the strained professional relationship that defines their everyday work life.. Structural examination shows that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 14 minutes when Chris and Bill are assigned to another stakeout to find a key witness who has disappeared. They learn they'll be working with Gina Garrett, a tough assistant DA, creating an unwanted complication. This assignment disrupts their familiar two-person dynamic and forces them into an uncomfortable situation.. 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 Collapse moment at 82 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Their cover is blown or the witness is captured by the criminals. The stakeout falls apart catastrophically. Someone may be injured or the witness appears to be lost forever. Everything they've worked for seems destroyed, and the team faces their darkest moment of failure and danger., indicates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Synthesis at 87 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. The finale action sequence where Chris, Bill, and Gina execute their plan to rescue the witness and capture the criminals. They work together seamlessly, each using their unique skills. The team confronts the antagonists in a climactic showdown, saving the witness and bringing the criminals to justice through their combined efforts., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Another Stakeout's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 10 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs proven narrative structure principles that track dramatic progression. By mapping Another Stakeout against these established plot points, we can identify how John Badham utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Another Stakeout within the comedy genre.
John Badham's Structural Approach
Among the 11 John Badham films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.1, reflecting strong command of classical structure. Another Stakeout takes a more unconventional approach compared to the director's typical style. For comparative analysis, explore the complete John Badham filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional comedy films include The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, The Bad Guys and Lake Placid. For more John Badham analyses, see Saturday Night Fever, Bird on a Wire and Point of No Return.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Chris and Bill are established as bickering partners on surveillance duty, stuck in a cramped surveillance van. Their dynamic is contentious but familiar, showing the strained professional relationship that defines their everyday work life.
Theme
During their initial briefing, a superior or colleague mentions something about teamwork and trust being essential, or comments on their inability to work with others. This plants the thematic seed about partnership and learning to trust people who are different from you.
Worldbuilding
We meet Chris Lecce and Bill Reimers, Seattle detectives with a contentious partnership. Their world of stakeouts, bickering, and police procedure is established. We learn about their previous stakeout experience and see their contrasting personalities - Chris is impulsive and rule-bending while Bill is more cautious.
Disruption
Chris and Bill are assigned to another stakeout to find a key witness who has disappeared. They learn they'll be working with Gina Garrett, a tough assistant DA, creating an unwanted complication. This assignment disrupts their familiar two-person dynamic and forces them into an uncomfortable situation.
Resistance
Chris and Bill resist working with Gina, complaining about having a civilian on their stakeout. They debate how to handle the assignment and try to establish ground rules. The trio travels to the lakeside community where they must go undercover, with tensions rising as they prepare for the mission.
Act II
ConfrontationPremise
The fun of the premise: the trio pretends to be a family while conducting surveillance on their neighbors. Comic situations arise from maintaining their cover, dealing with nosy neighbors, and the clash of personalities. They gather clues, surveil suspects, and navigate the challenges of undercover domestic life while searching for the missing witness.
Opposition
The criminals hunting the witness get closer, threatening both the mission and the team's safety. Tensions increase within the trio as the pressure mounts. Their cover is threatened by suspicious neighbors or near-discoveries. Chris and Gina's growing relationship complicates the professional dynamics, while Bill feels like the third wheel.
Collapse
Their cover is blown or the witness is captured by the criminals. The stakeout falls apart catastrophically. Someone may be injured or the witness appears to be lost forever. Everything they've worked for seems destroyed, and the team faces their darkest moment of failure and danger.
Crisis
The team regroups in the aftermath of their failure. Chris, Bill, and Gina must confront their mistakes and shortcomings. There's a moment of despair where they consider giving up, but they process what went wrong and what really matters - protecting the witness and working together as a true team.
Act III
ResolutionSynthesis
The finale action sequence where Chris, Bill, and Gina execute their plan to rescue the witness and capture the criminals. They work together seamlessly, each using their unique skills. The team confronts the antagonists in a climactic showdown, saving the witness and bringing the criminals to justice through their combined efforts.