Great Expectations
A series of events change the orphaned Pip's life forever as he eagerly abandons his humble origins to begin a new life as a gentleman.
The film earned $6.2M at the global box office.
Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award1 win & 8 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%)
Great Expectations (2012) reveals deliberately positioned story structure, characteristic of Mike Newell's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 2 hours and 8 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.2, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Pip
Estella
Miss Havisham
Magwitch
Joe Gargery
Jaggers
Herbert Pocket
Mrs. Joe Gargery
Main Cast & Characters
Pip
Played by Jeremy Irvine
A young orphan who dreams of becoming a gentleman and winning Estella's heart through his mysterious benefactor's fortune.
Estella
Played by Holliday Grainger
A beautiful but emotionally cold young woman raised by Miss Havisham to break men's hearts.
Miss Havisham
Played by Helena Bonham Carter
A wealthy, embittered spinster who was jilted on her wedding day and now lives in her decaying mansion, frozen in time.
Magwitch
Played by Ralph Fiennes
An escaped convict who Pip helps as a child and who becomes his secret benefactor, seeking redemption through Pip's success.
Joe Gargery
Played by Jason Flemyng
Pip's kind-hearted brother-in-law, a blacksmith who represents humble goodness and unconditional love.
Jaggers
Played by Robbie Coltrane
A powerful and morally ambiguous lawyer who manages Pip's expectations and knows the secrets of multiple characters.
Herbert Pocket
Played by David Walliams
Pip's cheerful roommate and loyal friend in London who helps ground him despite his gentlemanly aspirations.
Mrs. Joe Gargery
Played by Sally Hawkins
Pip's harsh and resentful older sister who raises him "by hand" with little affection.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Young Pip lives as a poor orphan in the marshes with his sister and Joe Gargery, the blacksmith. He visits his parents' graves in the desolate churchyard, establishing his lonely, humble origins.. Of particular interest, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 15 minutes when Pip becomes obsessed with Estella and ashamed of his common upbringing after visiting Satis House. His contentment with Joe and the forge is shattered; he now yearns to become a gentleman worthy of Estella.. 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 31 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 24% of the runtime. This indicates the protagonist's commitment to Jaggers announces that Pip has "great expectations" - an anonymous benefactor will make him a gentleman with a large fortune. Pip chooses to leave Joe and the forge to go to London, convinced Miss Havisham is his patron grooming him for Estella., moving from reaction to action.
At 65 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Of particular interest, this crucial beat Estella announces she will marry Drummle, a brutal aristocrat. Pip confronts Miss Havisham, who reveals she never intended him for Estella - she only used him to practice breaking hearts. Pip's assumptions about his future crumble; false victory becomes false defeat., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 95 minutes (74% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, The plan to smuggle Magwitch out of England fails. Magwitch is captured, wounded, and dying. Compeyson (Magwitch's enemy and Miss Havisham's betrayer) drowns in the struggle. Pip loses his fortune, his expectations, and faces the death of the man who loved him selflessly., reveals the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 102 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Pip tells the dying Magwitch that his daughter (Estella) lives and that he (Pip) loves her. Pip finally shows gratitude and love without shame. He synthesizes his humble origins with his hard-won understanding: true gentility is character, not class., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Great Expectations'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 Great Expectations against these established plot points, we can identify how Mike Newell utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Great Expectations within the drama genre.
Mike Newell's Structural Approach
Among the 11 Mike Newell films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 6.9, demonstrating varied approaches to story architecture. Great Expectations represents one of the director's most structurally precise works. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Mike Newell filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional drama films include After Thomas, South Pacific and Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights. For more Mike Newell analyses, see Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, Mona Lisa Smile and Four Weddings and a Funeral.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Young Pip lives as a poor orphan in the marshes with his sister and Joe Gargery, the blacksmith. He visits his parents' graves in the desolate churchyard, establishing his lonely, humble origins.
Theme
Magwitch, the convict, tells young Pip: "A boy who is ungrateful to those who have loved him is no better than a wild animal." This establishes the central theme about loyalty, gratitude, and true gentility versus inherited wealth.
Worldbuilding
Pip helps the escaped convict Magwitch. He is apprenticed to Joe. Miss Havisham summons him to Satis House where he meets the beautiful, cruel Estella. His world of the forge and marshes is established alongside his first glimpse of wealth and refinement.
Disruption
Pip becomes obsessed with Estella and ashamed of his common upbringing after visiting Satis House. His contentment with Joe and the forge is shattered; he now yearns to become a gentleman worthy of Estella.
Resistance
Years pass. Pip works unhappily as Joe's apprentice, continuing to visit Miss Havisham and endure Estella's disdain. He struggles between his humble reality and his dreams of gentility. Jaggers, the lawyer, appears with mysterious news.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Jaggers announces that Pip has "great expectations" - an anonymous benefactor will make him a gentleman with a large fortune. Pip chooses to leave Joe and the forge to go to London, convinced Miss Havisham is his patron grooming him for Estella.
Mirror World
Pip arrives in London and meets Herbert Pocket, who becomes his loyal friend and moral compass. Herbert represents genuine goodness and friendship untainted by wealth or class - the antithesis of Pip's superficial aspirations.
Premise
Pip enjoys life as a gentleman in London, learning manners and spending money freely. He pursues Estella, who has returned from abroad. He becomes increasingly ashamed of Joe and his past, even snubbing Joe when he visits London. Pip lives the promise of becoming worthy of Estella.
Midpoint
Estella announces she will marry Drummle, a brutal aristocrat. Pip confronts Miss Havisham, who reveals she never intended him for Estella - she only used him to practice breaking hearts. Pip's assumptions about his future crumble; false victory becomes false defeat.
Opposition
Magwitch, the convict from Pip's childhood, appears and reveals HE is Pip's benefactor, not Miss Havisham. Pip is horrified - his fortune comes from a criminal, not genteel society. He must hide Magwitch from the police while grappling with shame and the destruction of his illusions.
Collapse
The plan to smuggle Magwitch out of England fails. Magwitch is captured, wounded, and dying. Compeyson (Magwitch's enemy and Miss Havisham's betrayer) drowns in the struggle. Pip loses his fortune, his expectations, and faces the death of the man who loved him selflessly.
Crisis
Pip sits with the dying Magwitch, processing his shame and regret. He realizes Magwitch's love was real and unconditional, while his own pursuit of wealth and status made him cruel to those who truly cared for him - Joe, Biddy, and Magwitch.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Pip tells the dying Magwitch that his daughter (Estella) lives and that he (Pip) loves her. Pip finally shows gratitude and love without shame. He synthesizes his humble origins with his hard-won understanding: true gentility is character, not class.
Synthesis
Pip falls ill and is nursed back to health by Joe, who forgives him completely. Pip returns to the forge to seek forgiveness and reconciliation. Years pass. He becomes a humble, honest clerk, working for Herbert's firm. He lets go of his false expectations.
Transformation
Pip returns to the ruins of Satis House and encounters Estella, now widowed and humbled by suffering. Both have been transformed by loss. They acknowledge their connection with wisdom and maturity, walking away together from the ruins of their past - no longer driven by expectations but by understanding.