Finding Your Feet
Approaching their senior years, British sisters Sandra and Bif have been estranged for ten years because of their differences. Sandra, newly minted Lady Abbott in her lawyer husband Mike Abbott having been knighted, does whatever needed to present a perfect upper crust life and marriage, including maintaining a proper decorum. Older Bif is the carefree one, living for the moment, including not caring that her council estate apartment in inner city London is a pigsty, just as long as she can find whatever she needs. While Sandra has no place for someone like Bif in her life, Bif laments what Sandra has become when she married Mike, Sandra once having had a real zest for life. When Sandra learns first hand that Mike has been having an affair for five years with one of her closest friends Pamela and eventually asks for a divorce in wanting to marry Pamela, Sandra, feeling like her planned retirement life with Mike has been pulled out from under her, turns to Bif for emotional support in not being able to turn to any of her friends in the shame. While Bif does whatever she can to accommodate Sandra, Sandra feels like a fish out of water in Bif's environs, which includes the adult community dance class she attends and which is populated by who are her closest friends. Among those is Charlie Glover, who, like Sandra, is going through a relationship crossroads in his marriage as his institutionalized wife Lilly is slowly slipping away from him with her Alzheimer's. In finally opening up to the joys of the dance and making connections with Bif's friends including Charlie, Sandra will have to evaluate her life in its entirety including if she is ready to put her upper crust life behind her and embrace a new life with someone caring like Charlie. Bif going through her own challenges may provide a deeper perspective for Sandra in what she really wants.
Despite its small-scale budget of $7.2M, Finding Your Feet became a commercial success, earning $15.5M worldwide—a 117% return.
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%)
Finding Your Feet (2017) showcases strategically placed narrative design, characteristic of Richard Loncraine's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 51 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.1, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Sandra at a formal ceremony receiving an award with her husband Mike, presenting the image of a perfect upper-class marriage and social standing.. Notably, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 13 minutes when Sandra discovers her husband Mike having an affair with her best friend Pamela. Her entire world of upper-class respectability crumbles instantly.. 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 27 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This indicates the protagonist's commitment to Sandra makes the active choice to attend the community dance class with Bif, stepping into a world completely foreign to her refined sensibilities., moving from reaction to action.
At 56 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. The analysis reveals that this crucial beat Sandra and Charlie share a romantic moment and dance performance success. False victory: Sandra feels she's found happiness, but hasn't dealt with her past or her judgmental attitudes, and Charlie's secret health issues loom., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 83 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Charlie reveals he has a serious illness and pushes Sandra away to protect her from pain. Sandra loses the relationship just as she was learning to open her heart, facing the "death" of this new love and possibility., reveals the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 88 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 79% of the runtime. Sandra realizes that love means being present for people in their darkest moments, not running away. She synthesizes her old determination with her new compassion and chooses to fight for Charlie and her new life., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Finding Your Feet's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs a 15-point narrative structure framework that maps key story moments. By mapping Finding Your Feet against these established plot points, we can identify how Richard Loncraine utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Finding Your Feet within the comedy genre.
Richard Loncraine's Structural Approach
Among the 4 Richard Loncraine films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.2, reflecting strong command of classical structure. Finding Your Feet takes a more unconventional approach compared to the director's typical style. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Richard Loncraine filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional comedy films include The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, The Bad Guys and Lake Placid. For more Richard Loncraine analyses, see The Missionary, Firewall and Wimbledon.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Sandra at a formal ceremony receiving an award with her husband Mike, presenting the image of a perfect upper-class marriage and social standing.
Theme
Bif tells Sandra: "You've got to find your feet." The theme of rediscovering oneself and finding joy in unexpected places after life disruption.
Worldbuilding
Introduction to Sandra's privileged life, her snobbish attitudes, her relationship with her bohemian sister Bif whom she hasn't seen in years, and the surface perfection of her marriage.
Disruption
Sandra discovers her husband Mike having an affair with her best friend Pamela. Her entire world of upper-class respectability crumbles instantly.
Resistance
Sandra resists accepting her new reality, struggles with pride and denial. She reluctantly goes to stay with her estranged sister Bif in London, clashing with Bif's free-spirited lifestyle and diverse community.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Sandra makes the active choice to attend the community dance class with Bif, stepping into a world completely foreign to her refined sensibilities.
Mirror World
Sandra meets Charlie, a kind widower at the dance class who shows genuine interest in her as a person, not for her social status. He represents the authentic connection she's been missing.
Premise
Sandra explores her new world: learning to dance, making friends with the diverse community, developing feelings for Charlie, and discovering joy in simple pleasures she previously looked down upon.
Midpoint
Sandra and Charlie share a romantic moment and dance performance success. False victory: Sandra feels she's found happiness, but hasn't dealt with her past or her judgmental attitudes, and Charlie's secret health issues loom.
Opposition
Sandra's daughter criticizes her new lifestyle. Charlie's health deteriorates. Sandra's old snobbish instincts resurface causing friction. Mike tries to win her back, complicating her emotions. The dance group faces challenges.
Collapse
Charlie reveals he has a serious illness and pushes Sandra away to protect her from pain. Sandra loses the relationship just as she was learning to open her heart, facing the "death" of this new love and possibility.
Crisis
Sandra wallows in the darkness of loss and uncertainty. She contemplates returning to her old life with Mike, questioning whether her transformation was real or just an escape.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Sandra realizes that love means being present for people in their darkest moments, not running away. She synthesizes her old determination with her new compassion and chooses to fight for Charlie and her new life.
Synthesis
Sandra confronts Charlie and refuses to let him push her away. She performs in the dance competition with the group. She makes peace with her daughter and definitively ends things with Mike, fully embracing her new authentic life.
Transformation
Sandra dancing freely and joyfully with Charlie and her community, fully integrated into a life of authentic connection. The refined, judgmental woman is gone, replaced by someone who has truly found her feet.