Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
An alcoholic ex-football player drinks his days away, having failed to come to terms with his sexuality and his real feelings for his football buddy who died after an ambiguous accident. His wife is crucified by her desperation to make him desire her: but he resists the affections of his wife. His reunion with his father—who is dying of cancer—jogs a host of memories and revelations for both father and son.
Despite its modest budget of $3.0M, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof became a solid performer, earning $17.6M worldwide—a 486% return. The film's bold vision engaged audiences, illustrating how strong storytelling can transcend budget limitations.
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%)
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958) demonstrates strategically placed plot construction, characteristic of Richard Brooks's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 11-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 48 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.0, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Maggie Pollitt
Brick Pollitt
Big Daddy Pollitt
Big Mama Pollitt
Gooper Pollitt
Mae Pollitt
Main Cast & Characters
Maggie Pollitt
Played by Elizabeth Taylor
Brick's passionate wife desperate to save her marriage and secure her inheritance while surrounded by family mendacity.
Brick Pollitt
Played by Paul Newman
An alcoholic ex-football player emotionally withdrawn from life after the death of his best friend Skipper.
Big Daddy Pollitt
Played by Burl Ives
A wealthy plantation owner dying of cancer who seeks truth and connection with his son Brick on his 65th birthday.
Big Mama Pollitt
Played by Judith Anderson
Big Daddy's devoted wife who clings to denial about her husband's condition and family dysfunction.
Gooper Pollitt
Played by Jack Carson
Brick's scheming older brother, a lawyer maneuvering to inherit the family estate.
Mae Pollitt
Played by Madeleine Sherwood
Gooper's calculating wife who uses her five children as leverage to secure the inheritance.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Brick Pollitt, drunk and bitter, attempts to recreate his high school athletic glory on a rainy football field at night, injuring his ankle when he fails to jump hurdles - establishing his broken state and inability to face reality.. Of particular interest, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 13 minutes when Big Daddy arrives home believing he's been given a clean bill of health, not knowing he's dying of cancer. This false hope disrupts the careful plans of Gooper and Mae while intensifying Maggie's urgency to secure Brick's inheritance by producing an heir.. 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.
At 54 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Notably, this crucial beat Big Daddy forces Brick to finally speak the truth about Skipper's death and Brick's guilt. Brick explodes, revealing that Skipper called him drunk, confessed his love, and Brick hung up on him - after which Skipper killed himself. The truth is finally out, but it devastates Brick rather than freeing him., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 81 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Big Daddy, confronting his mortality, stumbles through the basement in anguish among the remnants of his life - the "whiff of death" both literal (his cancer) and symbolic (the death of all illusions). Upstairs, Brick sits broken and empty, his emotional numbness shattered but with nothing to replace it., shows the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Synthesis at 86 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Brick, finally cracking through his numbness, responds to Maggie's love and authenticity. In the finale, he moves toward her and their bed, choosing life and truth over death and lies. The act of conception becomes an act of rebirth - Brick choosing to live and love rather than remaining frozen in guilt and alcohol., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 11 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs proven narrative structure principles that track dramatic progression. By mapping Cat on a Hot Tin Roof against these established plot points, we can identify how Richard Brooks utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Cat on a Hot Tin Roof within the drama genre.
Richard Brooks's Structural Approach
Among the 4 Richard Brooks films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 6.6, demonstrating varied approaches to story architecture. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof represents one of the director's most structurally precise works. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Richard Brooks filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional drama films include Eye for an Eye, South Pacific and Kiss of the Spider Woman. For more Richard Brooks analyses, see Looking for Mr. Goodbar, In Cold Blood and Elmer Gantry.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Brick Pollitt, drunk and bitter, attempts to recreate his high school athletic glory on a rainy football field at night, injuring his ankle when he fails to jump hurdles - establishing his broken state and inability to face reality.
Theme
Big Daddy tells Brick, "Mendacity. You know what that is? It's a system of lies that we live in," introducing the central theme of truth versus deception that permeates every relationship in the Pollitt family.
Worldbuilding
The Pollitt family gathers at the Mississippi plantation for Big Daddy's 65th birthday. We meet Maggie desperately trying to save her marriage to the alcoholic Brick, the scheming Gooper and Mae with their "no-neck monsters," and learn of Big Daddy's cancer diagnosis (which he doesn't know about). The family dynamics of greed, competition, and dysfunction are established.
Disruption
Big Daddy arrives home believing he's been given a clean bill of health, not knowing he's dying of cancer. This false hope disrupts the careful plans of Gooper and Mae while intensifying Maggie's urgency to secure Brick's inheritance by producing an heir.
Resistance
Maggie attempts to break through Brick's emotional wall, confronting him about his drinking and their dead bedroom. She explains the stakes: if they don't produce a child, Gooper and Mae will inherit everything. Brick remains resistant, drinking to achieve his "click" of peace and refusing to face the truth about his friendship with Skipper.
Act II
ConfrontationPremise
The promise of the premise: intense confrontations about truth and lies. Big Daddy interrogates Brick about his drinking and marriage, while Brick deflects. Mae and Gooper scheme to prove Maggie's lie and secure the inheritance. The family's mendacity is on full display as everyone performs their roles while hiding their true motivations.
Midpoint
Big Daddy forces Brick to finally speak the truth about Skipper's death and Brick's guilt. Brick explodes, revealing that Skipper called him drunk, confessed his love, and Brick hung up on him - after which Skipper killed himself. The truth is finally out, but it devastates Brick rather than freeing him.
Opposition
Brick, raw from his confession, retaliates by telling Big Daddy the truth about his cancer diagnosis. Big Daddy rages through the house in existential despair. Gooper and Mae intensify their campaign against Brick and Maggie, producing legal documents. The lies have all collapsed and everyone is left with brutal truths they can't handle.
Collapse
Big Daddy, confronting his mortality, stumbles through the basement in anguish among the remnants of his life - the "whiff of death" both literal (his cancer) and symbolic (the death of all illusions). Upstairs, Brick sits broken and empty, his emotional numbness shattered but with nothing to replace it.
Crisis
Brick retreats to his room in dark despair while Maggie tends to him. The family war over inheritance continues around them, but Brick is hollowed out, having finally faced the truth about Skipper and himself. Maggie remains by his side, her love unwavering despite his emotional absence.
Act III
ResolutionSynthesis
Brick, finally cracking through his numbness, responds to Maggie's love and authenticity. In the finale, he moves toward her and their bed, choosing life and truth over death and lies. The act of conception becomes an act of rebirth - Brick choosing to live and love rather than remaining frozen in guilt and alcohol.