Café Society
The story of a young man who arrives in Hollywood during the 1930s hoping to work in the film industry, falls in love, and finds himself swept up in the vibrant café society that defined the spirit of the age.
Working with a respectable budget of $30.0M, the film achieved a respectable showing with $43.8M in global revenue (+46% 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%)
Café Society (2016) exhibits deliberately positioned dramatic framework, characteristic of Woody Allen's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 37 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.3, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Bobby Dorfman
Vonnie
Phil Stern
Veronica
Ben Dorfman
Rose Dorfman
Marty Dorfman
Main Cast & Characters
Bobby Dorfman
Played by Jesse Eisenberg
A young Bronx native who moves to Hollywood to work for his uncle, falls in love with Vonnie, then returns to New York to run a nightclub.
Vonnie
Played by Kristen Stewart
A sophisticated secretary to a Hollywood agent who becomes romantically involved with Bobby while secretly seeing her married boss.
Phil Stern
Played by Steve Carell
Bobby's powerful Hollywood agent uncle who mentors him in the business and is secretly Vonnie's married lover.
Veronica
Played by Blake Lively
Bobby's wife, a sophisticated divorcée whom he marries after returning to New York and establishing his nightclub.
Ben Dorfman
Played by Corey Stoll
Bobby's gangster brother who helps him establish and run the exclusive New York nightclub.
Rose Dorfman
Played by Jeannie Berlin
Bobby's warm, traditional Jewish mother who worries about her sons and maintains the family's Bronx home.
Marty Dorfman
Played by Ken Stott
Bobby's intellectual, idealistic father who teaches and holds progressive political views.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Bobby Dorfman works in his father's jewelry store in the Bronx, feeling trapped in a mundane life with no prospects. His family gathers for dinner, discussing his older brother's successful religious career and his lack of direction.. Structural examination shows that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 11 minutes when Bobby arrives in Hollywood and calls Uncle Phil, who reluctantly agrees to help him. This invitation to glamorous Hollywood disrupts Bobby's ordinary Bronx existence and offers the life he's been dreaming of.. 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 23 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 24% of the runtime. This illustrates the protagonist's commitment to Vonnie reveals her boyfriend has broken up with her and she's now available. Bobby actively chooses to pursue a romantic relationship with her, fully committing to his new Hollywood life and leaving behind any thoughts of returning to New York., moving from reaction to action.
At 46 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 48% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. The analysis reveals that this crucial beat Vonnie reveals the devastating truth: her "ex-boyfriend" is actually Phil, Bobby's uncle, and Phil has left his wife to be with her. She chooses Phil over Bobby. This false defeat shatters Bobby's Hollywood dream and romantic happiness., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 72 minutes (74% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Vonnie and Phil visit New York and come to Bobby's nightclub. Bobby and Vonnie meet again, and the unresolved feelings between them surface. The dream of who they could have been together "dies" as they acknowledge they're both trapped in their choices., shows the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 78 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Bobby realizes that life requires accepting compromise and loss. He understands that both he and Vonnie made choices that gave them success and security but cost them authentic love. There is no going back., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Café Society'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 Café Society against these established plot points, we can identify how Woody Allen utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Café Society within the comedy genre.
Woody Allen's Structural Approach
Among the 42 Woody Allen films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.0, demonstrating varied approaches to story architecture. Café Society represents one of the director's most structurally precise works. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Woody Allen filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional comedy films include The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, The Bad Guys and Lake Placid. For more Woody Allen analyses, see Sleeper, Celebrity and Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex *But Were Afraid to Ask.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Bobby Dorfman works in his father's jewelry store in the Bronx, feeling trapped in a mundane life with no prospects. His family gathers for dinner, discussing his older brother's successful religious career and his lack of direction.
Theme
Bobby's mother remarks that "you have to know what you want in life" during family dinner conversation. This establishes the film's exploration of desire, identity, and the choices that define us.
Worldbuilding
Introduction to Bobby's working-class Jewish family in the Bronx, his desires for something more glamorous, and his decision to ask his successful Hollywood agent uncle Phil for help getting into the movie business.
Disruption
Bobby arrives in Hollywood and calls Uncle Phil, who reluctantly agrees to help him. This invitation to glamorous Hollywood disrupts Bobby's ordinary Bronx existence and offers the life he's been dreaming of.
Resistance
Bobby navigates Hollywood with Phil's secretary Vonnie as his guide. She shows him around LA while he works odd jobs for Phil. Bobby develops feelings for Vonnie, though she claims to have a boyfriend. He debates whether Hollywood is really for him.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Vonnie reveals her boyfriend has broken up with her and she's now available. Bobby actively chooses to pursue a romantic relationship with her, fully committing to his new Hollywood life and leaving behind any thoughts of returning to New York.
Mirror World
Bobby and Vonnie begin their romance, exploring Los Angeles together. She represents the thematic mirror: the choice between authentic love and social ambition, between who you are and who you pretend to be.
Premise
Bobby and Vonnie's romance blossoms as they explore Hollywood together. The "fun and games" of their relationship, punctuated by Bobby's growing integration into LA society and his happiness with Vonnie, even as she seems occasionally distracted.
Midpoint
Vonnie reveals the devastating truth: her "ex-boyfriend" is actually Phil, Bobby's uncle, and Phil has left his wife to be with her. She chooses Phil over Bobby. This false defeat shatters Bobby's Hollywood dream and romantic happiness.
Opposition
Heartbroken, Bobby returns to New York where his gangster brother Ben helps him open a successful nightclub. Bobby builds a new sophisticated life, marries a beautiful woman named Veronica, but remains emotionally hollow. Meanwhile, Vonnie marries Phil in Hollywood.
Collapse
Vonnie and Phil visit New York and come to Bobby's nightclub. Bobby and Vonnie meet again, and the unresolved feelings between them surface. The dream of who they could have been together "dies" as they acknowledge they're both trapped in their choices.
Crisis
Bobby and Vonnie steal a private moment to talk, nearly kiss, and confront what they've lost. Both acknowledge they think about each other constantly. They part ways, each returning to their respective marriages, trapped by their earlier choices.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Bobby realizes that life requires accepting compromise and loss. He understands that both he and Vonnie made choices that gave them success and security but cost them authentic love. There is no going back.
Synthesis
New Year's Eve. Bobby hosts his nightclub's celebration with his wife Veronica, playing the role of successful nightclub owner. In Hollywood, Vonnie and Phil attend a glamorous party. Both Bobby and Vonnie are surrounded by people yet utterly alone.
Transformation
As "Auld Lang Syne" plays, Bobby and Vonnie are shown in parallel: both in their respective gilded cages, both thinking of each other, both having achieved the sophisticated "café society" life but lost authentic connection. Bobby stares into the distance, trapped by his choices.