I'm So Excited!
Something has gone wrong with the landing gear of a plane en route from Madrid to Mexico City. The group of eccentric travelers on the flight, defenseless in the face of danger, indulge in colourful confessionals, while the outlandish crew attempts to find ways to entertain them.
Despite its limited budget of $5.0M, I'm So Excited! became a solid performer, earning $11.7M worldwide—a 134% 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%)
I'm So Excited! (2013) showcases carefully calibrated narrative design, characteristic of Pedro Almodóvar's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 11-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 30 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 6.8, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Peninsula Flight 2549 prepares for departure. Ground crew and flight attendants go through routine pre-flight procedures in Madrid, establishing the ordinary world of air travel.. Structural examination shows that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 10 minutes when The landing gear malfunctions after takeoff. The plane cannot land safely and must circle while ground control seeks a solution. The status quo of a routine flight is shattered.. 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 22 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 24% of the runtime. This indicates the protagonist's commitment to The crew and passengers collectively decide to acknowledge the crisis openly and face potential death together. They choose honesty over denial, entering a new world of radical truth-telling., moving from reaction to action.
The Collapse moment at 66 minutes (73% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, The darkest moment: fuel runs critically low and all solutions have failed. Death seems imminent. The whiff of death is literal—the plane will crash without a miracle., illustrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Synthesis at 72 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. The finale: the emergency landing is executed. All the honesty and connection forged in crisis comes together. The plane lands successfully through collective effort and courage., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
I'm So Excited!'s emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 11 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs structural analysis methodology used to understand storytelling architecture. By mapping I'm So Excited! against these established plot points, we can identify how Pedro Almodóvar utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish I'm So Excited! within the comedy genre.
Pedro Almodóvar's Structural Approach
Among the 13 Pedro Almodóvar films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.1, reflecting strong command of classical structure. I'm So Excited! takes a more unconventional approach compared to the director's typical style. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Pedro Almodóvar filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional comedy films include The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, The Bad Guys and Lake Placid. For more Pedro Almodóvar analyses, see Live Flesh, All About My Mother and Julieta.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Peninsula Flight 2549 prepares for departure. Ground crew and flight attendants go through routine pre-flight procedures in Madrid, establishing the ordinary world of air travel.
Theme
A character remarks about how crisis reveals people's true nature and what matters most. The theme of honesty in the face of mortality is introduced.
Worldbuilding
Introduction of the ensemble cast: the flamboyant flight attendants, the pilots, and the business class passengers. Each character's ordinary persona and secrets are established.
Disruption
The landing gear malfunctions after takeoff. The plane cannot land safely and must circle while ground control seeks a solution. The status quo of a routine flight is shattered.
Resistance
The crew debates how to handle the crisis. They drug the economy passengers to sleep and decide to keep business class awake. Characters resist facing the full implications of their situation.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
The crew and passengers collectively decide to acknowledge the crisis openly and face potential death together. They choose honesty over denial, entering a new world of radical truth-telling.
Premise
The promise of the premise: passengers and crew reveal their deepest secrets, desires, and fears. Affairs are confessed, sexual encounters happen, spiritual reckonings unfold. The fun and chaos of radical honesty.
Opposition
Complications mount. Personal conflicts intensify amid the crisis. Ground control struggles with solutions. The drug effects on economy passengers create additional chaos. Tensions between characters escalate.
Collapse
The darkest moment: fuel runs critically low and all solutions have failed. Death seems imminent. The whiff of death is literal—the plane will crash without a miracle.
Crisis
Characters face their mortality with final confessions and goodbyes. The emotional darkness of accepting death. Each person processes what their life has meant.
Act III
ResolutionSynthesis
The finale: the emergency landing is executed. All the honesty and connection forged in crisis comes together. The plane lands successfully through collective effort and courage.