Gone Fishin'
Two fishing fanatics get in trouble when their fishing boat gets stolen while on a trip.
The film box office disappointment against its respectable budget of $53.0M, earning $19.7M globally (-63% loss). While initial box office returns were modest, the film has gained appreciation for its compelling narrative within the comedy genre.
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%)
Gone Fishin' (1997) exhibits meticulously timed dramatic framework, characteristic of Christopher Cain's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 34 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.0, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Joe Waters
Gus Green
Rita
Angie
Cookie
Billy 'Catch' Pooler
Main Cast & Characters
Joe Waters
Played by Joe Pesci
An optimistic, accident-prone fishing enthusiast who drags his best friend into a disastrous Florida fishing trip.
Gus Green
Played by Danny Glover
Joe's long-suffering, more cautious best friend who reluctantly joins the ill-fated fishing adventure.
Rita
Played by Rosanna Arquette
A con artist and femme fatale who manipulates Joe and Gus while on the run with stolen money.
Angie
Played by Lynn Whitfield
Gus's supportive wife who worries about her husband's safety on the fishing trip.
Cookie
Played by Carol Kane
Joe's wife who is accustomed to her husband's chaotic misadventures.
Billy 'Catch' Pooler
Played by Willie Nelson
A cunning criminal pursuing Rita and the stolen money, creating danger for Joe and Gus.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Joe and Gus are shown in their ordinary lives as working-class friends in their neighborhood, dreaming about their annual fishing trip that never seems to happen due to bad luck and responsibilities.. Notably, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 11 minutes when Joe and Gus finally win a fishing trip to the Florida Everglades, making their lifelong dream suddenly possible after years of disappointment.. 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 23 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 24% of the runtime. This indicates the protagonist's commitment to Joe and Gus depart for Florida, actively choosing to go on their adventure despite all the obstacles and leaving their ordinary world behind for the Everglades., moving from reaction to action.
At 47 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Significantly, this crucial beat The stakes escalate as Joe and Gus realize they're in serious danger - they're not just on a fishing trip anymore, but caught in a real criminal situation with Dekker, and people are after them., 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 (76% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Everything falls apart - Joe and Gus are separated, their friendship seems broken, they're in maximum danger from Dekker and his associates, and their dream trip has become a complete nightmare., illustrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 75 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Joe and Gus reunite and decide to work together to outsmart Dekker, using their friendship and the bumbling chaos that defines them as their unexpected strength., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Gone Fishin''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 Gone Fishin' against these established plot points, we can identify how Christopher Cain utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Gone Fishin' within the comedy genre.
Christopher Cain's Structural Approach
Among the 5 Christopher Cain films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.3, reflecting strong command of classical structure. Gone Fishin' takes a more unconventional approach compared to the director's typical style. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Christopher Cain filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional comedy films include The Bad Guys, Ella Enchanted and The Evening Star. For more Christopher Cain analyses, see The Amazing Panda Adventure, Young Guns and The Next Karate Kid.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Joe and Gus are shown in their ordinary lives as working-class friends in their neighborhood, dreaming about their annual fishing trip that never seems to happen due to bad luck and responsibilities.
Theme
A character mentions that sometimes you have to take a chance and go for what you really want, or you'll never get it - establishing the theme about seizing opportunities and friendship.
Worldbuilding
Introduction to Joe and Gus's long friendship, their families, their blue-collar lives, and their shared dream of a fishing trip to Florida. Shows their bumbling nature and the chaos that follows them.
Disruption
Joe and Gus finally win a fishing trip to the Florida Everglades, making their lifelong dream suddenly possible after years of disappointment.
Resistance
Joe and Gus prepare for the trip despite objections from their wives and families. They debate whether they can actually pull this off and deal with domestic resistance to their adventure.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Joe and Gus depart for Florida, actively choosing to go on their adventure despite all the obstacles and leaving their ordinary world behind for the Everglades.
Mirror World
Joe and Gus encounter con man Dekker Massey and accidentally become entangled in his criminal scheme, introducing the subplot that will test their friendship and character.
Premise
Joe and Gus bumble through the Everglades, experiencing fishing mishaps, encounters with wildlife, run-ins with locals, and increasingly complicated entanglements with Dekker's criminal plot - the comedy chaos the audience came for.
Midpoint
The stakes escalate as Joe and Gus realize they're in serious danger - they're not just on a fishing trip anymore, but caught in a real criminal situation with Dekker, and people are after them.
Opposition
The criminal complications intensify, Joe and Gus's bumbling makes things worse, their friendship is tested by stress and blame, and Dekker's schemes tighten around them as multiple parties close in.
Collapse
Everything falls apart - Joe and Gus are separated, their friendship seems broken, they're in maximum danger from Dekker and his associates, and their dream trip has become a complete nightmare.
Crisis
Joe and Gus separately reflect on their friendship and what really matters. They realize that their bond is more important than the fishing trip or getting out of trouble unscathed.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Joe and Gus reunite and decide to work together to outsmart Dekker, using their friendship and the bumbling chaos that defines them as their unexpected strength.
Synthesis
Joe and Gus execute their plan to stop Dekker, using their unique brand of chaotic problem-solving. The finale involves chase sequences, comedic confrontations, and the resolution of the criminal plot.
Transformation
Joe and Gus return home, having survived their adventure. They're back in their ordinary world but transformed - they finally took their trip, proved their friendship, and learned that the journey together matters more than the destination.