Daddy's Dyin'... Who's Got the Will?
Bickering siblings are reunited at their Texas home as their father lies on his deathbed.
The film earned $1.4M at the global box office.
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%)
Daddy's Dyin'... Who's Got the Will? (1990) showcases meticulously timed narrative architecture, characteristic of Jack Fisk's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 35 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.1, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Evalita Turnover
Sara Lee Turnover
Lurlene Turnover
Orville Turnover
Buford Turnover
Harmony Rhodes
Main Cast & Characters
Evalita Turnover
Played by Beverly D'Angelo
The oldest daughter who returns home to manage the family crisis when their father falls ill. A responsible caretaker who holds the family together.
Sara Lee Turnover
Played by Tess Harper
The glamorous, self-centered daughter who returns from Hollywood. Vain and melodramatic, concerned primarily with her acting career.
Lurlene Turnover
Played by Amy Wright
The bitter, unhappily married daughter who harbors resentment about her life choices. Sharp-tongued and confrontational.
Orville Turnover
Played by Keith Carradine
The only son, a gentle soul who stayed close to home. Kind-hearted but struggles with assertiveness in family conflicts.
Buford Turnover
Played by Beau Bridges
The dying patriarch whose illness brings the family together. A cantankerous Texas rancher with a mysterious will.
Harmony Rhodes
Played by Patrika Darbo
The eccentric neighbor and Buford's companion. A free-spirited woman who has her own designs on the family estate.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes The Turnover family scattered across different lives: Evalita trapped in her unfulfilling marriage in Lowake, Texas; Orville struggling with his Hollywood acting career; Sara Lee managing her beauty salon; Lurlene living her wild lifestyle. The status quo shows a fractured family avoiding each other.. Of particular interest, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 12 minutes when Buford "Daddy" Turnover suffers a major stroke. Mama Wheelis calls to summon all the children home, disrupting their separate lives and forcing a family reunion none of them want.. At 13% through the film, this Disruption is delayed, allowing extended setup of the story world. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 24 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This shows the protagonist's commitment to The siblings arrive at the family home, crossing back into the world they'd all tried to escape. They must now confront each other, their past, and their dying father., moving from reaction to action.
At 48 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 51% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. The analysis reveals that this crucial beat The family discovers Buford may have changed his will to favor Evalita for staying and caring for him, creating a false defeat. Resentments explode as siblings accuse each other of greed and selfishness. The family fractures further just when they should unite., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 71 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Buford dies. The literal death occurs, but also the death of any hope that he could bring the family together or validate their worth to him. The siblings hit their emotional bottom, realizing they've wasted his final days fighting., shows the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 76 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. The siblings realize that their father's approval or the inheritance doesn't matter - what matters is each other. They choose to forgive and reconnect, synthesizing the theme stated earlier about family being what remains when everything else falls apart., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Daddy's Dyin'... Who's Got the Will?'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 Daddy's Dyin'... Who's Got the Will? against these established plot points, we can identify how Jack Fisk utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Daddy's Dyin'... Who's Got the Will? within the comedy genre.
Comparative Analysis
Additional comedy films include The Bad Guys, Ella Enchanted and The Evening Star.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
The Turnover family scattered across different lives: Evalita trapped in her unfulfilling marriage in Lowake, Texas; Orville struggling with his Hollywood acting career; Sara Lee managing her beauty salon; Lurlene living her wild lifestyle. The status quo shows a fractured family avoiding each other.
Theme
Mama Wheelis tells Evalita, "Family's all you got when everything else falls apart." This establishes the central theme: the value of family connections despite dysfunction and past resentments.
Worldbuilding
We meet the dysfunctional Turnover siblings in their separate lives, learn about their father Buford's declining health, establish the family tensions and resentments, and see Evalita's role as the dutiful daughter still living near the family home while her siblings escaped.
Disruption
Buford "Daddy" Turnover suffers a major stroke. Mama Wheelis calls to summon all the children home, disrupting their separate lives and forcing a family reunion none of them want.
Resistance
The siblings resist and debate coming home. Each struggles with their own reasons to avoid the family. Orville worries about his career, Sara Lee about her business, Lurlene about facing judgment. They reluctantly make arrangements to return to Lowake.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
The siblings arrive at the family home, crossing back into the world they'd all tried to escape. They must now confront each other, their past, and their dying father.
Mirror World
Evalita's relationship with her sisters and brother becomes the B-story that will teach about family loyalty versus personal identity. The siblings' interactions mirror the theme of reconnection and forgiveness.
Premise
The fun and games of the dysfunctional family reunion: old rivalries resurface, secrets are revealed, personalities clash. The will becomes a source of tension. Comic moments arise from their differences - Orville's Hollywood pretensions, Lurlene's multiple marriages, Sara Lee's bossy nature. The premise delivers on family chaos.
Midpoint
The family discovers Buford may have changed his will to favor Evalita for staying and caring for him, creating a false defeat. Resentments explode as siblings accuse each other of greed and selfishness. The family fractures further just when they should unite.
Opposition
Tensions escalate as the siblings fight over the will and air decades of grievances. Evalita faces pressure from all sides. Marriages strain under the stress. The children's worst qualities emerge as greed and old wounds poison any chance of reconciliation. The family home becomes a battleground.
Collapse
Buford dies. The literal death occurs, but also the death of any hope that he could bring the family together or validate their worth to him. The siblings hit their emotional bottom, realizing they've wasted his final days fighting.
Crisis
In the dark night following Buford's death, the siblings sit with their grief, guilt, and regret. They confront what they've become and how they've treated each other. The darkness forces honest reflection on their behavior.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
The siblings realize that their father's approval or the inheritance doesn't matter - what matters is each other. They choose to forgive and reconnect, synthesizing the theme stated earlier about family being what remains when everything else falls apart.
Synthesis
The family comes together for the funeral and will reading. They support each other through the final rituals, let go of their resentments, and begin to rebuild their relationships. The will becomes irrelevant as they discover their true inheritance is each other.
Transformation
The siblings part ways with genuine affection and promises to stay connected. Evalita, once trapped and dutiful, now has her family's love and support to build her own life. The closing image mirrors the opening but shows a united family instead of a fractured one.