Greenberg
We like Florence: she's considerate, sweet, pretty, and terrific with kids and dogs. She's twenty-five, personal assistant to an L.A. family that's off on vacation. Her boss's brother comes in from New York City, fresh from a stay at an asylum, to take care of the house. He's Roger, a forty-year-old carpenter, gone from L.A. for fifteen years. He arrives, doesn't drive, and needs Florence's help, especially with the family's dog. He's also connecting with former band-mates - two men and one woman with whom he has a history. He over-analyzes, has a short fuse, and doesn't laugh at himself easily. As he navigates past and present, he's his own saboteur. And what of Florence? is Roger one more responsibility for her or something else?
The film box office disappointment against its moderate budget of $25.0M, earning $6.3M globally (-75% loss). While initial box office returns were modest, the film has gained appreciation for its fresh perspective within the comedy genre.
2 wins & 16 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%)
Greenberg (2010) exemplifies strategically placed narrative design, characteristic of Noah Baumbach's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 47 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.8, the film showcases strong structural fundamentals.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Roger Greenberg
Florence Marr
Ivan Schrank
Beth
Main Cast & Characters
Roger Greenberg
Played by Ben Stiller
A 40-year-old carpenter recovering from a nervous breakdown, house-sitting for his brother while writing complaint letters and reconnecting with old friends.
Florence Marr
Played by Greta Gerwig
A personal assistant working for Greenberg's brother, insecure and searching for connection, who becomes romantically involved with Roger.
Ivan Schrank
Played by Rhys Ifans
Greenberg's former bandmate and longtime friend, now a married family man trying to maintain their friendship despite Roger's difficult personality.
Beth
Played by Jennifer Jason Leigh
An old flame of Greenberg's who has moved on with her life, representing the past he cannot reclaim.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Florence runs errands for the Greenberg family in Los Angeles, driving through the city in a borrowed car, establishing her role as the accommodating assistant navigating other people's lives while deferring her own.. The analysis reveals that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 12 minutes when Roger Greenberg arrives at his brother's empty house to house-sit, immediately revealing his anxious, combative personality as he begins writing complaint letters and struggling with basic tasks like building a dog house.. At 11% 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 24 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 22% of the runtime. This shows the protagonist's commitment to Roger invites Florence to stay for a drink after she brings the dog home from the vet, choosing to engage with another person rather than remain isolated. This begins their awkward, tentative relationship., moving from reaction to action.
At 48 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 45% of the runtime—arriving early, accelerating into Act IIb complications. Of particular interest, this crucial beat Roger runs into his ex-girlfriend Beth at Ivan's birthday gathering and spirals. His interaction with Beth reveals how deeply he's still affected by past failures, and he begins pushing Florence away more aggressively, revealing his inability to accept good things., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 72 minutes (67% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Florence tells Roger she's pregnant and is going to have an abortion. Roger, characteristically, makes it about himself and fails to support her. She finally calls him out on his cruelty and self-absorption, and he's left completely alone—having pushed everyone away., indicates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 77 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 72% of the runtime. After his panic attack, Roger finally calls Florence. He goes to be with her during and after her abortion procedure—the first time he shows up for someone else without making it about himself. He chooses care over self-protection., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Greenberg's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs proven narrative structure principles that track dramatic progression. By mapping Greenberg against these established plot points, we can identify how Noah Baumbach utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Greenberg within the comedy genre.
Noah Baumbach's Structural Approach
Among the 8 Noah Baumbach films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 6.5, demonstrating varied approaches to story architecture. Greenberg represents one of the director's most structurally precise works. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Noah Baumbach filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional comedy films include The Bad Guys, Ella Enchanted and The Evening Star. For more Noah Baumbach analyses, see Mistress America, The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) and Marriage Story.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Florence runs errands for the Greenberg family in Los Angeles, driving through the city in a borrowed car, establishing her role as the accommodating assistant navigating other people's lives while deferring her own.
Theme
Roger's brother Phillip mentions that Roger is coming to house-sit after a breakdown, noting that Roger 'had a lot of promise' but always found ways to sabotage himself—establishing the film's exploration of self-destruction and wasted potential.
Worldbuilding
We meet Florence in her unfulfilling daily routine, learn about Roger's recent mental breakdown in New York, see the Greenberg family preparing to leave for Vietnam, and establish the disconnected, lonely landscape of contemporary Los Angeles.
Disruption
Roger Greenberg arrives at his brother's empty house to house-sit, immediately revealing his anxious, combative personality as he begins writing complaint letters and struggling with basic tasks like building a dog house.
Resistance
Roger reconnects with his old friend Ivan, who he betrayed years ago when he torpedoed their band's record deal. Roger resists engaging with life, writing complaint letters instead of connecting, while Florence keeps appearing to help with the dog Mahler.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Roger invites Florence to stay for a drink after she brings the dog home from the vet, choosing to engage with another person rather than remain isolated. This begins their awkward, tentative relationship.
Mirror World
Roger and Florence have their first sexual encounter—clumsy and somewhat selfish on Roger's part—but Florence's openness and lack of pretense begins to crack Roger's defensive shell, offering him a model of vulnerability he can't access himself.
Premise
Roger and Florence circle each other in an awkward courtship. Roger reconnects with old friends, attends a party where he feels ancient and out of place, and continues his neurotic behavior—writing complaint letters, criticizing everything, pushing people away while desperately wanting connection.
Midpoint
Roger runs into his ex-girlfriend Beth at Ivan's birthday gathering and spirals. His interaction with Beth reveals how deeply he's still affected by past failures, and he begins pushing Florence away more aggressively, revealing his inability to accept good things.
Opposition
Roger's self-sabotage accelerates. He treats Florence cruelly, blowing hot and cold. He confronts Ivan about their past and the band, alienating his only real friend. His complaint letters become more absurd. Every attempt at connection is followed by withdrawal and cruelty.
Collapse
Florence tells Roger she's pregnant and is going to have an abortion. Roger, characteristically, makes it about himself and fails to support her. She finally calls him out on his cruelty and self-absorption, and he's left completely alone—having pushed everyone away.
Crisis
Roger sits alone in his brother's empty house, having alienated Florence, damaged his friendship with Ivan, and confirmed everyone's low expectations of him. He takes cocaine at a young person's party and has a panic attack, his isolation now complete.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
After his panic attack, Roger finally calls Florence. He goes to be with her during and after her abortion procedure—the first time he shows up for someone else without making it about himself. He chooses care over self-protection.
Synthesis
Roger takes care of Florence post-procedure. They have a real conversation about expectations and vulnerability. Roger apologizes to Ivan. When his brother's family returns, Roger must decide whether to retreat to New York or stay and try to build something real with Florence.
Transformation
Roger stands with Florence, having chosen to stay. Unlike the opening where Florence navigated the world alone and Roger was arriving fresh from a breakdown, they now face the uncertain future together—Roger finally accepting connection rather than fleeing from it.