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) reveals meticulously timed narrative design, characteristic of Jonathan Kaplan's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-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 girls in a rough frontier town, trapped in a world where they have no agency or freedom.. Significantly, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 12 minutes when Cody kills a man in self-defense when he tries to rape Anita. The killing forces them to flee, as they know the law won't protect prostitutes against a wealthy man.. 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 25 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This shows the protagonist's commitment to The four women make the active choice to leave town together, stealing horses and supplies. They commit to the journey to Oregon and to forging their own destiny as outlaws., moving from reaction to action.
At 50 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 51% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Notably, this crucial beat Anita is captured and arrested, raising the stakes. The women realize they can't simply run away—they must fight back against the system that oppresses them., 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 (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, The rescue attempt goes wrong, leading to a devastating confrontation. One of their allies is killed, and the women are separated, seemingly defeated with Anita still captive and facing hanging., indicates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 79 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. The women realize they must rely on each other and their own skills, not men. They formulate a final plan to rescue Anita, synthesizing everything they've learned about survival and solidarity., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Bad Girls'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 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 Bad Guys, Puss in Boots and Venom: The Last Dance. For more Jonathan Kaplan analyses, see Unlawful Entry, Brokedown Palace and Project X.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
The four women—Cody, Anita, Eileen, and Lilly—work as saloon girls in a rough frontier town, trapped in a world where they have no agency or freedom.
Theme
A character mentions that "a woman's got to make her own way in this world," establishing the theme of female independence and self-determination in the Old West.
Worldbuilding
Establishment of the women's lives in the saloon, their dreams of escape, the harsh realities of frontier life, and the violent, male-dominated society they navigate daily.
Disruption
Cody kills a man in self-defense when he tries to rape Anita. The killing forces them to flee, as they know the law won't protect prostitutes against a wealthy man.
Resistance
The women debate their options and plan their escape. They decide to head to Oregon where Cody has inherited land, arguing about whether they can survive on their own in the wilderness.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
The four women make the active choice to leave town together, stealing horses and supplies. They commit to the journey to Oregon and to forging their own destiny as outlaws.
Mirror World
The women meet Kid Jarrett and his gang. Romantic tension develops, particularly between Cody and Kid, representing the possibility of partnership rather than subjugation.
Premise
The women navigate the frontier as outlaws, learning to shoot, rob, and survive. They experience both the thrill of freedom and the challenges of life outside society's protection.
Midpoint
Anita is captured and arrested, raising the stakes. The women realize they can't simply run away—they must fight back against the system that oppresses them.
Opposition
The women struggle to rescue Anita while being hunted by Pinkerton detectives and bounty hunters. Their bonds are tested, trust issues emerge, and the full force of patriarchal law closes in.
Collapse
The rescue attempt goes wrong, leading to a devastating confrontation. One of their allies is killed, and the women are separated, seemingly defeated with Anita still captive and facing hanging.
Crisis
The women face their darkest moment of doubt and despair, questioning whether their fight for freedom is worth the cost, and whether they can truly survive without men's protection.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
The women realize they must rely on each other and their own skills, not men. They formulate a final plan to rescue Anita, synthesizing everything they've learned about survival and solidarity.
Synthesis
The women execute a daring rescue, confronting their pursuers in a climactic shootout. They demonstrate their transformation from victims to warriors, saving Anita and defeating those who hunted them.
Transformation
The women ride off together toward Oregon, free and independent. They are no longer saloon girls but self-determined women who've claimed their own destiny, embodying the transformation from powerless to empowered.