Biloxi Blues
A Jewish teenager sets three goals: lose his virginity, become a writer, and survive World War II.
Despite a respectable budget of $20.0M, Biloxi Blues became a commercial success, earning $51.7M worldwide—a 158% return.
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%)
Biloxi Blues (1988) exemplifies carefully calibrated plot construction, characteristic of Mike Nichols's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 46 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 6.8, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Eugene Morris Jerome
Sergeant Merwin J. Toomey
Arnold Epstein
Daisy Hannigan
Don Carney
Joseph Wykowski
Roy Selridge
Rowena
Main Cast & Characters
Eugene Morris Jerome
Played by Matthew Broderick
An aspiring writer from Brooklyn undergoing basic training in Biloxi, Mississippi, who chronicles his experiences and coming-of-age journey through WWII boot camp.
Sergeant Merwin J. Toomey
Played by Christopher Walken
A tough, psychologically unstable drill instructor who torments the recruits while battling his own inner demons and alcoholism.
Arnold Epstein
Played by Corey Parker
An intellectual, neurotic Jewish recruit from New York who refuses to compromise his principles and frequently clashes with authority.
Daisy Hannigan
Played by Penelope Ann Miller
A beautiful, intelligent Catholic girl from a good family whom Eugene meets and pursues romantically during his time in Biloxi.
Don Carney
Played by Matt Mulhern
A womanizing, confident recruit from Eugene's platoon who serves as the alpha male and ladies' man of the group.
Joseph Wykowski
Played by Markus Flanagan
A simple-minded, good-natured recruit who struggles with the demands of basic training but maintains his friendly disposition.
Roy Selridge
Played by Casey Siemaszko
A bigoted, crude recruit who particularly targets Epstein with anti-Semitic remarks and represents the prejudices of the era.
Rowena
Played by Park Overall
A prostitute whom the recruits visit, providing Eugene with his awkward first sexual experience.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Eugene and other recruits arrive on the train to Biloxi, Mississippi. Eugene narrates his hopes and fears as an aspiring writer heading into Army basic training, establishing his naive, bookish character who dreams of losing his virginity and surviving the war.. Significantly, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 12 minutes when Sergeant Toomey singles out Eugene and Epstein for particularly harsh treatment, dumping their footlockers and forcing them to do push-ups. The antagonistic relationship with authority is established, disrupting any hope of an easy ride through basic training.. 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 26 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 24% of the runtime. This demonstrates the protagonist's commitment to Eugene makes the active choice to go into town on his weekend pass and pursue his goals of experiencing life beyond the barracks. He decides to seek out Rowena, a prostitute, to lose his virginity—crossing from the closed world of the Army into the adult world of relationships and sexuality., moving from reaction to action.
At 54 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Of particular interest, this crucial beat Eugene's journal is discovered and read aloud by Toomey, revealing Eugene's private thoughts about everyone in the platoon, including unflattering observations about his bunkmates. This public humiliation is a false defeat that raises the stakes—Eugene has betrayed his friends' trust and faces complete social isolation. The fun and games are over., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 79 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Epstein, unable to bear the constant anti-Semitic abuse and feeling unsupported, suffers a breakdown and is hospitalized for mental health issues. Eugene realizes his silence and cowardice contributed to his friend's collapse. This "death" of Epstein's spirit and removal from the platoon represents Eugene's lowest point and the consequence of his failure to stand up for what's right., demonstrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 85 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 81% of the runtime. Eugene decides to testify against Sergeant Toomey in the official inquiry into Epstein's breakdown. This is an active choice to stand up to authority and tell the truth, risking his military career and safety. He synthesizes his writer's observational skills with newfound moral courage, becoming the man Daisy believed he could be., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Biloxi Blues'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 Biloxi Blues against these established plot points, we can identify how Mike Nichols utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Biloxi Blues within the comedy genre.
Mike Nichols's Structural Approach
Among the 15 Mike Nichols films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.0, demonstrating varied approaches to story architecture. Biloxi Blues takes a more unconventional approach compared to the director's typical style. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Mike Nichols filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional comedy films include The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, The Bad Guys and Lake Placid. For more Mike Nichols analyses, see Carnal Knowledge, Primary Colors and Closer.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Eugene and other recruits arrive on the train to Biloxi, Mississippi. Eugene narrates his hopes and fears as an aspiring writer heading into Army basic training, establishing his naive, bookish character who dreams of losing his virginity and surviving the war.
Theme
Sergeant Toomey tells the recruits: "You're gonna learn what it means to be a man." The theme of maturity, moral courage, and what truly defines manhood is stated, setting up Eugene's journey from boyhood to principled adulthood.
Worldbuilding
Eugene and his fellow recruits meet Sergeant Toomey, their volatile and possibly unstable drill instructor. We meet the barracks mates: Epstein (the intellectual), Carney (the tough guy), Wykowski (the anti-Semite), and Hennesey. The harsh realities of boot camp are established through humiliating inspections, grueling drills, and Toomey's psychological warfare.
Disruption
Sergeant Toomey singles out Eugene and Epstein for particularly harsh treatment, dumping their footlockers and forcing them to do push-ups. The antagonistic relationship with authority is established, disrupting any hope of an easy ride through basic training.
Resistance
Eugene navigates the brutal world of boot camp, bonding with his bunkmates while dealing with Toomey's increasingly erratic behavior. The platoon debates how to handle the situation. Eugene gets a weekend pass and debates whether to pursue his goal of losing his virginity. Tensions rise between Wykowski and Epstein over anti-Semitic remarks.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Eugene makes the active choice to go into town on his weekend pass and pursue his goals of experiencing life beyond the barracks. He decides to seek out Rowena, a prostitute, to lose his virginity—crossing from the closed world of the Army into the adult world of relationships and sexuality.
Mirror World
Eugene meets Daisy Hannigan at a USO dance. Unlike Rowena the prostitute, Daisy represents genuine connection and romance. She's intelligent, challenging, and treats Eugene as more than a soldier—she sees the writer and thinker inside. This relationship will teach Eugene about authentic intimacy versus physical conquest.
Premise
Eugene explores both relationships—the physical with Rowena and the emotional with Daisy. Meanwhile, back at camp, tensions escalate: Toomey's behavior becomes more unstable, Wykowski's anti-Semitism intensifies, and Eugene fills his journal with observations. The platoon experiences the promised "fun" of weekend passes and the growing camaraderie among the recruits, even as underlying conflicts simmer.
Midpoint
Eugene's journal is discovered and read aloud by Toomey, revealing Eugene's private thoughts about everyone in the platoon, including unflattering observations about his bunkmates. This public humiliation is a false defeat that raises the stakes—Eugene has betrayed his friends' trust and faces complete social isolation. The fun and games are over.
Opposition
The barracks turns against Eugene after the journal incident. Simultaneously, Wykowski's persecution of Epstein intensifies, and Eugene must decide whether to stay silent or defend his friend. Toomey becomes increasingly unhinged. Eugene's relationship with Daisy deepens but is complicated by his moral cowardice. Multiple conflicts close in: social ostracism, the Epstein-Wykowski confrontation, Toomey's mental breakdown, and Eugene's own moral crisis.
Collapse
Epstein, unable to bear the constant anti-Semitic abuse and feeling unsupported, suffers a breakdown and is hospitalized for mental health issues. Eugene realizes his silence and cowardice contributed to his friend's collapse. This "death" of Epstein's spirit and removal from the platoon represents Eugene's lowest point and the consequence of his failure to stand up for what's right.
Crisis
Eugene wrestles with guilt over Epstein's breakdown and his own moral failure. He reflects on what kind of man he wants to be—the theme stated at the beginning now becomes a personal reckoning. He realizes that being a man isn't about losing virginity or surviving boot camp; it's about having the courage to do what's right even when it's difficult.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Eugene decides to testify against Sergeant Toomey in the official inquiry into Epstein's breakdown. This is an active choice to stand up to authority and tell the truth, risking his military career and safety. He synthesizes his writer's observational skills with newfound moral courage, becoming the man Daisy believed he could be.
Synthesis
Eugene testifies honestly about Toomey's abuse and instability. The platoon graduates from basic training. Eugene says goodbye to Daisy, having grown through their relationship. Toomey is reassigned. The recruits prepare to ship out to the war, transformed by their experiences. Eugene reconciles with his bunkmates, having earned their respect through his moral courage.
Transformation
Eugene narrates his final journal entry as the recruits board the train to ship out. Unlike the naive boy who arrived in Biloxi, he's now a man who understands that courage means standing up for others. He's experienced love, faced moral challenges, and chosen principle over safety. The writer has found his voice and his values.