Bad Girls
When saloon prostitute Cody Zamora rescues her friend Anita from an abusive customer by killing him, she is sentenced to hang. However, Anita and their two friends Eileen and Lilly rescue Cody and the four make a run for Texas, pursued by Graves and O'Brady, two Pinkerton detectives hired to track them. When Cody withdraws her savings from a Texas bank, the women believe they can now start a new life in Oregon. But Cody's old partner Kid Jarrett takes Cody's money when his gang robs the bank, and so the four so-called "Honky- Tonk Harlots" set out to recover the money, with the Pinkertons hot on their trail.
The film earned $15.2M at the global box office.
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%)
Bad Girls (1994) demonstrates meticulously timed plot construction, characteristic of Jonathan Kaplan's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 11-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 39 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.0, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes The four women—Cody, Anita, Eileen, and Lilly—work as saloon prostitutes in a small Oregon town, trapped in a life of servitude and degradation under male control.. Structural examination shows that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 12 minutes when Cody shoots and kills a client who is violently abusing Anita, an act of protection that transforms them from victims into fugitives. This violent act makes their old lives impossible to continue.. 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.
At 49 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 49% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Notably, this crucial beat The women are swindled out of their money by a conman, losing the funds they need to buy land and start new lives. This false defeat raises stakes and shows they cannot escape their past so easily., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 74 minutes (74% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, One of the women is captured and faces execution, representing the "death" of their dream and their unity. The group is splintered, hunted, and seemingly defeated. Their hope for freedom appears lost., shows the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Synthesis at 79 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. The finale: the women execute a daring rescue, confront their pursuers in a climactic shootout, and fight for their freedom and each other. They prove they are no longer victims but warriors who control their own destinies., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Bad Girls's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 11 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs a 15-point narrative structure framework that maps key story moments. By mapping Bad Girls against these established plot points, we can identify how Jonathan Kaplan utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Bad Girls within the action genre.
Jonathan Kaplan's Structural Approach
Among the 4 Jonathan Kaplan films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.3, reflecting strong command of classical structure. Bad Girls takes a more unconventional approach compared to the director's typical style. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Jonathan Kaplan filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional action films include The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, The Bad Guys and Lake Placid. For more Jonathan Kaplan analyses, see Project X, Unlawful Entry and Brokedown Palace.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
The four women—Cody, Anita, Eileen, and Lilly—work as saloon prostitutes in a small Oregon town, trapped in a life of servitude and degradation under male control.
Theme
A character mentions that women in the West must either submit or fight for their freedom—establishing the theme of female autonomy and self-determination in a male-dominated world.
Worldbuilding
Introduction to the harsh reality of frontier prostitution, the bond between the four women, their dreams of escape, and the violent, lawless environment they navigate. Shows their daily humiliations and small acts of resistance.
Disruption
Cody shoots and kills a client who is violently abusing Anita, an act of protection that transforms them from victims into fugitives. This violent act makes their old lives impossible to continue.
Resistance
The women debate whether to stay and face hanging or flee. They struggle with fear, gather resources, and prepare to escape. Cody is scheduled to hang, forcing the others to break her out of jail before fleeing together.
Act II
ConfrontationPremise
The "fun and games" of being free women in the West: they acquire horses, learn to shoot, travel toward their dreams of land ownership, and experience the exhilaration of autonomy. They begin to see themselves as more than victims.
Midpoint
The women are swindled out of their money by a conman, losing the funds they need to buy land and start new lives. This false defeat raises stakes and shows they cannot escape their past so easily.
Opposition
The women are pursued by lawmen and Pinkerton detectives. Tensions rise within the group as they argue over direction and strategy. They attempt a bank robbery to recoup their losses, deepening their outlaw status. External and internal pressures mount.
Collapse
One of the women is captured and faces execution, representing the "death" of their dream and their unity. The group is splintered, hunted, and seemingly defeated. Their hope for freedom appears lost.
Crisis
The remaining women face their darkest emotional moment, questioning whether their fight for freedom is worth the cost. They process grief, fear, and the possibility of giving up.
Act III
ResolutionSynthesis
The finale: the women execute a daring rescue, confront their pursuers in a climactic shootout, and fight for their freedom and each other. They prove they are no longer victims but warriors who control their own destinies.