Can You Ever Forgive Me?
In the early 1990s, Lee Israel, a biographer with a modicum of writing success, has fallen on hard times largely of her own doing. Her choice of subjects is in general not of interest to today's book buying public, and she, in her only true friends being her aged cat Jersey and a scotch and soda in not really liking people and people in turn not really liking her, has burned bridges with everyone her agent Marjorie has built for her. She will have to start from the ground up again if she wants a writing career, as, hiding behind her subjects, the book buying public will not buy a "Lee Israel" on the strength of her name in not knowing who she is as a writer or person. This situation has led to her being months behind in rent as she spends whatever little money she has on alcohol and Jersey's medical needs. In doing research for her latest book on Fanny Brice - with no advance from Marjorie - and selling a cherished personal memento of a handwritten letter from Katharine Hepburn in needing the money, Lee discovers there is a market for such celebrity memorabilia, and in the process decides, with her writing talent, to go into the fraudulent business of creating and selling fake personal documents purportedly by dead celebrities, especially of writers with strong public personas, such as Dorothy Parker and Noël Coward. She ends up befriending a gay past acquaintance from her literary circles, Jack Hock, also having fallen on hard times, Jack, not only becoming her drinking buddy, but her partner in crime. As they are able to get out of their financial holes in this business, Lee may begin to have second thoughts in also befriending Anna, one of the rare bookstore owners who likes Lee for Lee, an unusual position for her. But as the fraud looks like it may catch up specifically to Lee, she, feeling like these fakes are at least stretching her writing muscles, only becomes more resolute in at least the creative pursuit of what she's doing.
The film earned $8.6M at the global box office.
Nominated for 3 Oscars. 54 wins & 101 nominations
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%)
Can You Ever Forgive Me? (2018) showcases precise narrative architecture, characteristic of Marielle Heller'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 6.4, the film takes an unconventional approach to traditional narrative frameworks.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Lee Israel
Jack Hock
Marjorie
Anna
Main Cast & Characters
Lee Israel
Played by Melissa McCarthy
A struggling, alcoholic biographer who turns to literary forgery to make ends meet. Bitter, talented, and isolated from the publishing world.
Jack Hock
Played by Richard E. Grant
Lee's flamboyant, homeless friend and eventual partner in crime. A charming con artist with drug problems who enables and participates in her forgery scheme.
Marjorie
Played by Jane Curtin
A bookstore owner and antiquarian who becomes Lee's fence for the forged letters. Professional and cautious in her dealings.
Anna
Played by Dolly Wells
A woman Lee develops romantic feelings for. Represents a potential connection to normalcy and intimacy that Lee struggles to maintain.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Lee Israel sits alone in a dingy apartment with her sick cat, struggling to write. She's broke, bitter, and isolated—a once-successful biographer now forgotten by the literary world.. Significantly, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 12 minutes when Lee steals a letter from a library archive while researching Fanny Brice. Desperate for money to pay her cat's vet bills, she sells the stolen letter to a bookstore dealer for $75.. 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 25% of the runtime. This indicates the protagonist's commitment to Lee makes the active choice to fully commit to forgery. She begins systematically creating fake letters from literary figures like Dorothy Parker and Noël Coward, embedding them with her own wit and personality., moving from reaction to action.
At 52 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 49% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Significantly, this crucial beat False victory: Lee sells a major Dorothy Parker forgery for $1,900. She's making more money than she has in years. But dealer Anna starts asking questions, raising the stakes. The game is getting dangerous., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 78 minutes (74% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Lee is confronted by the FBI. Her forgery scheme is exposed. She faces federal charges. The one relationship that mattered—her friendship with Jack—is shattered when she learns he betrayed her. She's more alone than ever., reveals the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 84 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 79% of the runtime. Lee decides to write her true story—a memoir confessing everything. For the first time, she chooses authenticity over deception. She reaches out to Jack in the hospital, attempting reconciliation and genuine connection., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Can You Ever Forgive Me?'s emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs systematic plot point analysis that identifies crucial turning points. By mapping Can You Ever Forgive Me? against these established plot points, we can identify how Marielle Heller utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Can You Ever Forgive Me? within the biography genre.
Marielle Heller's Structural Approach
Among the 3 Marielle Heller films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 6.6, demonstrating varied approaches to story architecture. Can You Ever Forgive Me? takes a more unconventional approach compared to the director's typical style. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Marielle Heller filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional biography films include Lords of Dogtown, Ip Man 2 and A Complete Unknown. For more Marielle Heller analyses, see The Diary of a Teenage Girl, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Lee Israel sits alone in a dingy apartment with her sick cat, struggling to write. She's broke, bitter, and isolated—a once-successful biographer now forgotten by the literary world.
Theme
Lee's agent Marjorie tells her that her writing lacks warmth and connection. The unspoken theme: Can someone who has always been an outsider find authentic connection, or must they fake it?
Worldbuilding
Lee's desperate circumstances unfold: she's fired from her copywriting job for drunkenness and hostility, can't pay her bills, and her book proposal is rejected. We see her abrasive personality alienates everyone around her.
Disruption
Lee steals a letter from a library archive while researching Fanny Brice. Desperate for money to pay her cat's vet bills, she sells the stolen letter to a bookstore dealer for $75.
Resistance
Lee discovers the letter isn't valuable enough. She debates whether to forge. She adds witty content to another stolen letter, making it "better." The forgery sells for more. She meets Jack Hock, a charming homeless con artist, who becomes her unlikely friend.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Lee makes the active choice to fully commit to forgery. She begins systematically creating fake letters from literary figures like Dorothy Parker and Noël Coward, embedding them with her own wit and personality.
Mirror World
Lee's friendship with Jack Hock deepens. Jack is everything Lee isn't—warm, social, charming—but he's also a fellow outcast. Their friendship becomes the emotional heart of the story, showing Lee what genuine connection could feel like.
Premise
The "fun and games" of literary forgery. Lee perfects her craft—aging paper, matching typewriters, studying her subjects' voices. Money flows in. She and Jack enjoy nights out. For the first time in years, Lee feels successful and less alone.
Midpoint
False victory: Lee sells a major Dorothy Parker forgery for $1,900. She's making more money than she has in years. But dealer Anna starts asking questions, raising the stakes. The game is getting dangerous.
Opposition
The walls close in. Jack, desperate for money, steals some of Lee's forged letters and sells them himself, breaking her trust. Dealers become suspicious. The FBI begins investigating. Lee's paranoia grows, and her friendship with Jack deteriorates.
Collapse
Lee is confronted by the FBI. Her forgery scheme is exposed. She faces federal charges. The one relationship that mattered—her friendship with Jack—is shattered when she learns he betrayed her. She's more alone than ever.
Crisis
Lee sits in her dark apartment, facing prosecution and complete isolation. She must reckon with what she's done and who she's become. The forgeries were her voice, but they were lies. Her only real connection was with Jack, and she drove him away.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Lee decides to write her true story—a memoir confessing everything. For the first time, she chooses authenticity over deception. She reaches out to Jack in the hospital, attempting reconciliation and genuine connection.
Synthesis
Lee faces the consequences: she pleads guilty, accepts house arrest and probation. She visits Jack, and they share a tentative, genuine moment of friendship. She completes her memoir, finally writing something true about herself.
Transformation
Lee sits at a book reading for her published memoir, "Can You Ever Forgive Me?" She's still prickly, still herself, but she's told her truth. The image mirrors the opening—she's alone with her cat—but now she's found her authentic voice.