BASEketball
Two losers from Milwaukee, Coop & Remer, invent a new game playing basketball, using baseball rules. When the game becomes a huge success, they, along with a billionaire's help, form the Professional Baseketball League where everyone gets the same pay and no team can change cities. Coop & Remer's team, the Milwaukee Beers is the only team standing in the way of major rule changes that the owner of the Dallas Felons wants to institute.
The film financial setback against its mid-range budget of $25.0M, earning $7.0M globally (-72% 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%)
BASEketball (1998) demonstrates strategically placed dramatic framework, characteristic of David Zucker's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 43 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.3, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Joe Cooper
Doug Remer
Jenna Reed
Baxter Cain
Squeak Scolari
Coop's Mom
Main Cast & Characters
Joe Cooper
Played by Trey Parker
An underachieving slacker who co-invents BASEketball and becomes an unlikely sports hero while struggling to maintain his values.
Doug Remer
Played by Matt Stone
Joe's loyal best friend and BASEketball co-inventor, a goofy but good-hearted guy who helps build the league.
Jenna Reed
Played by Yasmine Bleeth
A compassionate woman running a children's hospital charity who becomes Joe's love interest and moral compass.
Baxter Cain
Played by Robert Vaughn
A ruthless businessman who takes over BASEketball and tries to commercialize and corrupt the sport for profit.
Squeak Scolari
Played by Dian Bachar
A pathetic, eager-to-please wannabe player who desperately seeks acceptance and becomes manipulated by Cain.
Coop's Mom
Played by Jenny McCarthy
Joe's overbearing, infantilizing mother who still treats him like a child despite his adulthood.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Joe Cooper and Doug Remer are unemployed slackers in their mid-twenties, watching their high school reunion happening without them, highlighting their lack of success and direction in life.. Of particular interest, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 12 minutes when Wealthy team owner Ted Denslow discovers the guys playing BASEketball and sees commercial potential. He offers to create a professional league with them as the Milwaukee Beers, disrupting their simple backyard game.. At 11% 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 Coop and Remer actively choose to join the National BASEketball League and become professional athletes, leaving their loser lives behind and entering the world of professional sports., moving from reaction to action.
At 51 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 49% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Notably, this crucial beat False defeat: Ted Denslow dies, and his will leaves control to Coop and Remer IF they win the championship. Villain Baxter Cain reveals his plan to take over the team and move it to another city, raising the stakes dramatically., 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 (72% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, All is lost: Coop's selfishness costs them a crucial game. Remer quits the team. Jenna rejects Coop, seeing through his shallow motives. The Beers are about to lose everything. Coop's dream of success has destroyed his friendship and integrity., reveals the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 81 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 78% of the runtime. Synthesis: Coop realizes he needs to win back Remer's friendship and save the team not for glory, but to honor Denslow's vision and do right by the people who believed in them. He apologizes and reunites with Remer., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
BASEketball'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 BASEketball against these established plot points, we can identify how David Zucker utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish BASEketball within the comedy genre.
David Zucker's Structural Approach
Among the 5 David Zucker films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.1, reflecting strong command of classical structure. BASEketball represents one of the director's most structurally precise works. For comparative analysis, explore the complete David Zucker filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional comedy films include The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, The Bad Guys and Lake Placid. For more David Zucker analyses, see Scary Movie 3, The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! and Scary Movie 4.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Joe Cooper and Doug Remer are unemployed slackers in their mid-twenties, watching their high school reunion happening without them, highlighting their lack of success and direction in life.
Theme
Coop's friend mentions how sports have become corrupted by money and corporate greed, stating the theme: true success comes from staying true to yourself and your friends, not selling out.
Worldbuilding
Establish Coop and Remer as losers who can't make it in real sports. They invent BASEketball in Coop's driveway as a combination of baseball and basketball with psychological warfare ("psych-outs"). Show their friendship and lack of ambition.
Disruption
Wealthy team owner Ted Denslow discovers the guys playing BASEketball and sees commercial potential. He offers to create a professional league with them as the Milwaukee Beers, disrupting their simple backyard game.
Resistance
Coop and Remer debate whether to go professional. Denslow mentors them, explaining his vision for a league without trades or greed. They resist at first but are gradually convinced this could work while staying true to the spirit of the game.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Coop and Remer actively choose to join the National BASEketball League and become professional athletes, leaving their loser lives behind and entering the world of professional sports.
Mirror World
Jenna Reed, Denslow's charitable daughter, is introduced. She represents integrity and caring about things bigger than yourself. Her subplot will teach Coop what truly matters beyond fame and success.
Premise
The promise of the premise: BASEketball becomes wildly successful. Montage of the league growing, Coop and Remer becoming famous, outrageous psych-outs, partying, celebrity lifestyle. They're living the dream while maintaining their goofy friendship.
Midpoint
False defeat: Ted Denslow dies, and his will leaves control to Coop and Remer IF they win the championship. Villain Baxter Cain reveals his plan to take over the team and move it to another city, raising the stakes dramatically.
Opposition
Baxter Cain manipulates the situation, creating division between Coop and Remer. Coop gets seduced by fame and Baxter's promises. Remer feels betrayed. Their friendship fractures. Coop pursues Jenna but for selfish reasons. The team struggles.
Collapse
All is lost: Coop's selfishness costs them a crucial game. Remer quits the team. Jenna rejects Coop, seeing through his shallow motives. The Beers are about to lose everything. Coop's dream of success has destroyed his friendship and integrity.
Crisis
Coop hits rock bottom, realizing he's become everything they created BASEketball to oppose. He reflects on what he's lost - his best friend, genuine love, and the pure fun of the game - in exchange for empty fame.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Synthesis: Coop realizes he needs to win back Remer's friendship and save the team not for glory, but to honor Denslow's vision and do right by the people who believed in them. He apologizes and reunites with Remer.
Synthesis
The finale: Coop and Remer reunite the team and compete in the championship game. They defeat Baxter Cain's schemes using their original friendship and love of the game. Final showdown combines their skills with renewed purpose and integrity.
Transformation
Coop and Remer win the championship, save the team, and preserve Denslow's vision. Unlike the opening where they were directionless losers, they're now successful but have maintained their friendship and integrity - proving you don't have to sell out to win.