Elizabethtown
Drew Baylor is fired after causing his shoe company to lose hundreds of millions of dollars. To make matters worse, he's also dumped by his girlfriend. On the verge of ending it all, Drew gets a new lease on life when he returns to his family's small Kentucky hometown after his father dies. Along the way, he meets a flight attendant with whom he falls in love.
The film disappointed at the box office against its moderate budget of $57.0M, earning $52.2M globally (-8% loss).
2 wins & 4 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%)
Elizabethtown (2005) reveals carefully calibrated narrative design, characteristic of Cameron Crowe's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 2 hours and 4 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 6.3, the film takes an unconventional approach to traditional narrative frameworks.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Drew Baylor
Claire Colburn
Hollie Baylor
Mitch Baylor
Heather Baylor
Phil DeVoss
Jessie Baylor
Main Cast & Characters
Drew Baylor
Played by Orlando Bloom
A shoe designer facing professional catastrophe and suicidal depression who finds redemption on a road trip to his father's funeral in Kentucky.
Claire Colburn
Played by Kirsten Dunst
A quirky, life-affirming flight attendant who becomes Drew's guide back to living, offering unconventional wisdom and a meticulously planned road trip.
Hollie Baylor
Played by Susan Sarandon
Drew's warm and grieving mother who struggles with her husband's death while trying to hold her eccentric Kentucky family together.
Mitch Baylor
Played by Tim Devitt
Drew's father whose death sets the story in motion; remembered as a beloved family man who connected Drew to his Kentucky roots.
Heather Baylor
Played by Judy Greer
Drew's sister who provides grounded support during the family crisis.
Phil DeVoss
Played by Alec Baldwin
Drew's demanding boss who fires him after his billion-dollar shoe design failure.
Jessie Baylor
Played by Paul Schneider
Drew's lovable and eccentric cousin who embraces him into the sprawling Kentucky family with open arms.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Drew Beland stands in his sleek apartment, a successful shoe designer at Mercury athletic company, narrating his rise to prominence. He's confident, accomplished, living the dream of being "an industry legend" at a young age.. Significantly, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 16 minutes when Drew receives a phone call from his sister Heather: their father Mitch has died suddenly in Elizabethtown, Kentucky. Drew must abandon his suicide plan and travel to Kentucky to bring his father's body back, a place and family he's been disconnected from.. 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 31 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This demonstrates the protagonist's commitment to Drew boards the red-eye flight to Kentucky, making the active choice to face his father's death and his family's past. This journey takes him away from his failed life and into a world that will transform him., moving from reaction to action.
At 62 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Structural examination shows that this crucial beat Drew and Claire meet in person for a long night together, wandering around Elizabethtown. They bond deeply—this false victory feels like Drew has found love and meaning. He's falling for her, feeling alive again, but hasn't yet dealt with his internal crisis., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 93 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, At the memorial service, Drew's carefully planned event falls apart as his father's friends and family turn it into a chaotic, authentic celebration. Drew loses control completely. Additionally, Claire pulls away emotionally, telling him she can't be his girlfriend. Drew faces the death of his illusions—about control, success, and easy romance., reveals the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 99 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Claire leaves Drew an elaborate road trip map with music and instructions—a final gift. Drew realizes that authentic connection and embracing life's messy journey (not controlling outcomes) is what matters. He chooses to follow her map and pursue genuine love and meaning., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Elizabethtown'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 Elizabethtown against these established plot points, we can identify how Cameron Crowe utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Elizabethtown within the comedy genre.
Cameron Crowe's Structural Approach
Among the 7 Cameron Crowe films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.0, demonstrating varied approaches to story architecture. Elizabethtown takes a more unconventional approach compared to the director's typical style. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Cameron Crowe filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional comedy films include The Bad Guys, Ella Enchanted and The Evening Star. For more Cameron Crowe analyses, see Singles, Aloha and We Bought a Zoo.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Drew Beland stands in his sleek apartment, a successful shoe designer at Mercury athletic company, narrating his rise to prominence. He's confident, accomplished, living the dream of being "an industry legend" at a young age.
Theme
Drew's colleague tells him about failure: "You failed... you really failed." The theme of failure, loss, and finding authentic success (versus hollow achievement) is introduced as Drew's billion-dollar shoe design catastrophically fails.
Worldbuilding
Drew's world is established: his obsessive design work, his strained relationship with girlfriend Ellen, his corporate success, and then the devastating failure of his Spasmodica shoe that costs the company nearly a billion dollars. Fired and humiliated, he contemplates suicide.
Disruption
Drew receives a phone call from his sister Heather: their father Mitch has died suddenly in Elizabethtown, Kentucky. Drew must abandon his suicide plan and travel to Kentucky to bring his father's body back, a place and family he's been disconnected from.
Resistance
Drew resists the responsibility, feeling overwhelmed by both his career failure and family obligation. His mother Hollie is hysterical, his sister pushes him to go. He reluctantly books a flight, feeling lost and purposeless, caught between his failed life in Oregon and the unfamiliar world of his father's Kentucky roots.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Drew boards the red-eye flight to Kentucky, making the active choice to face his father's death and his family's past. This journey takes him away from his failed life and into a world that will transform him.
Mirror World
Drew meets Claire Colburn, a quirky flight attendant, on the overnight flight. She engages him in conversation, offers him warmth and genuine human connection. Claire represents authenticity, spontaneity, and emotional openness—everything Drew's corporate life lacked.
Premise
Drew navigates the strange world of Elizabethtown: meeting his extended Kentucky family (who are warm, eccentric, and overwhelming), organizing his father's memorial, and continuing phone conversations with Claire. He experiences genuine connection, small-town authenticity, and begins to understand who his father really was beyond their estrangement.
Midpoint
Drew and Claire meet in person for a long night together, wandering around Elizabethtown. They bond deeply—this false victory feels like Drew has found love and meaning. He's falling for her, feeling alive again, but hasn't yet dealt with his internal crisis.
Opposition
Drew's mother and her demands intensify; family conflicts arise over the memorial service. His relationship with Claire becomes complicated as she reveals her own struggles. Drew must balance his growing feelings for Claire with his family obligations, grief, and unresolved career failure. The pressure of managing everyone's expectations builds.
Collapse
At the memorial service, Drew's carefully planned event falls apart as his father's friends and family turn it into a chaotic, authentic celebration. Drew loses control completely. Additionally, Claire pulls away emotionally, telling him she can't be his girlfriend. Drew faces the death of his illusions—about control, success, and easy romance.
Crisis
Drew sits with his grief and failure after the memorial. He scatters his father's ashes with his family, finally letting go. He processes the loss of Claire, the loss of his father, and the loss of his old identity as a successful designer. He's in the darkness but beginning to accept it.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Claire leaves Drew an elaborate road trip map with music and instructions—a final gift. Drew realizes that authentic connection and embracing life's messy journey (not controlling outcomes) is what matters. He chooses to follow her map and pursue genuine love and meaning.
Synthesis
Drew embarks on Claire's road trip, visiting Americana landmarks, listening to her curated soundtrack, experiencing joy and freedom. He learns to let go of control and embrace spontaneity. He tracks down Claire at her second cousin's wedding, ready to fight for the relationship with newfound authenticity and courage.
Transformation
Drew finds Claire at the wedding and they reunite. He's no longer the controlled, failed corporate designer or the overwhelmed son. He's open, authentic, ready for real connection. The final image shows Drew transformed—choosing love and life over success and control.