Mary Reilly
Somewhere in England in the nineteenth century. A pretty housemaid works in a nice house, which is Dr. Henry Jekyll's (John Malkovich's) house. Mary Reilly (Julia Roberts) think she found her best job, because she is poor and the doctor is well-known and rich. This movie tells the "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" story as a woman sees the two men, one of them is good and the other is evil. And she loves them.
The film commercial failure against its moderate budget of $47.0M, earning $12.4M globally (-74% loss). While initial box office returns were modest, the film has gained appreciation for its fresh perspective within the drama 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%)
Mary Reilly (1996) exemplifies precise dramatic framework, characteristic of Stephen Frears's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 14-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 48 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.2, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Mary wakes from a nightmare of childhood abuse, locked in darkness by her father. Her scarred hands tremble as she lights a candle, establishing her traumatized state and servile position in Dr. Jekyll's household.. Structural examination shows that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 14 minutes when Dr. Jekyll introduces his new assistant, Mr. Edward Hyde, to the household. Hyde's crude manner and predatory gaze toward Mary immediately create unease. Jekyll explains Hyde will assist with his private scientific experiments, requiring access at all hours.. At 13% through the film, this Disruption is delayed, allowing extended setup of the story world. 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 reveals the protagonist's commitment to Mary chooses to actively investigate the connection between Jekyll and Hyde rather than remain willfully ignorant. After witnessing Hyde's brutality toward a street vendor, she commits to uncovering the truth about what's happening in Jekyll's laboratory, crossing from passive servant to active participant., moving from reaction to action.
At 54 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Significantly, this crucial beat Mary discovers evidence that Jekyll and Hyde are the same person - perhaps seeing them in transition or finding proof in the laboratory. This false defeat crystallizes her worst fear: the man she respects and the monster she fears are one. The stakes escalate as Hyde's control grows stronger and more violent., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 81 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Hyde commits murder, and Jekyll realizes he can no longer control the transformations - Hyde is taking over permanently. Jekyll, in a moment of tragic clarity, tells Mary to leave and save herself. This is the "whiff of death" - Jekyll's identity is dying, consumed by Hyde. Mary's hope of saving him dies as well., demonstrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Synthesis at 86 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. The finale: Mary's confrontation with the fully transformed Hyde. The final violent encounter in Jekyll's laboratory. Hyde's death or destruction (whether by his own hand, Mary's action, or the formula's failure). Mary survives by facing rather than fleeing the darkness. The authorities arrive. The household's secrets are exposed. Resolution of the Jekyll/Hyde tragedy., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Mary Reilly's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 14 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs structural analysis methodology used to understand storytelling architecture. By mapping Mary Reilly against these established plot points, we can identify how Stephen Frears utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Mary Reilly within the drama genre.
Stephen Frears's Structural Approach
Among the 9 Stephen Frears films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.1, reflecting strong command of classical structure. Mary Reilly represents one of the director's most structurally precise works. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Stephen Frears filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional drama films include Eye for an Eye, South Pacific and Kiss of the Spider Woman. For more Stephen Frears analyses, see Chéri, Philomena and The Queen.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Mary wakes from a nightmare of childhood abuse, locked in darkness by her father. Her scarred hands tremble as she lights a candle, establishing her traumatized state and servile position in Dr. Jekyll's household.
Theme
Mrs. Farraday, the housekeeper, warns Mary: "There's a darkness in all of us, girl. The difference is whether we let it out or keep it locked away." This articulates the film's central theme of duality and repression.
Worldbuilding
Mary's daily routine as head housemaid in Dr. Jekyll's Victorian London household. We see the strict class hierarchy, her competence and dedication, the respect Jekyll shows her (unusual for the era), and the household staff dynamics. Her trauma surfaces in nightmares and her fearful reactions to confined spaces.
Disruption
Dr. Jekyll introduces his new assistant, Mr. Edward Hyde, to the household. Hyde's crude manner and predatory gaze toward Mary immediately create unease. Jekyll explains Hyde will assist with his private scientific experiments, requiring access at all hours.
Resistance
Mary struggles with her conflicting reactions to Jekyll's kindness and Hyde's disturbing presence. Jekyll treats her almost as an equal, discussing his theories about human nature. Mary debates whether to trust her instincts about Hyde or defer to Jekyll's authority. Strange occurrences begin: nocturnal disturbances, Hyde's violent temper, Jekyll's exhaustion.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Mary chooses to actively investigate the connection between Jekyll and Hyde rather than remain willfully ignorant. After witnessing Hyde's brutality toward a street vendor, she commits to uncovering the truth about what's happening in Jekyll's laboratory, crossing from passive servant to active participant.
Mirror World
Jekyll confides in Mary about his loneliness and his scientific quest to separate good from evil in human nature. Their relationship deepens beyond employer-servant, becoming the emotional core that will reflect the film's theme: Mary must choose between denial and confronting darkness, both in others and herself.
Premise
Mary navigates the increasingly dangerous household, drawn into Jekyll's world of secrets. She experiences confusing moments of attraction to both Jekyll's tenderness and Hyde's raw intensity. The "fun and games" of gothic mystery: secret observations, forbidden areas explored, strange chemical odors, Hyde's night visits, and Mary's growing suspicion that Jekyll and Hyde are never seen together.
Midpoint
Mary discovers evidence that Jekyll and Hyde are the same person - perhaps seeing them in transition or finding proof in the laboratory. This false defeat crystallizes her worst fear: the man she respects and the monster she fears are one. The stakes escalate as Hyde's control grows stronger and more violent.
Opposition
Hyde's dominance increases as Jekyll loses control of the transformations. Violence escalates: attacks on staff, destruction of property, and ultimately murder. Mary is trapped between loyalty to Jekyll, fear of Hyde, and her moral duty. The other servants flee or are dismissed. Jekyll's desperate attempts to reverse his condition fail. Mary confronts the parallel between Jekyll's loss of control and her father's abusive violence.
Collapse
Hyde commits murder, and Jekyll realizes he can no longer control the transformations - Hyde is taking over permanently. Jekyll, in a moment of tragic clarity, tells Mary to leave and save herself. This is the "whiff of death" - Jekyll's identity is dying, consumed by Hyde. Mary's hope of saving him dies as well.
Crisis
Mary's dark night: she must process that the gentle man she cared for is inseparable from the monster. She confronts her own trauma - her father's duality, her pattern of serving dangerous men, her fear of darkness both literal and metaphorical. She faces the choice: flee to safety or confront the evil directly.
Act III
ResolutionSynthesis
The finale: Mary's confrontation with the fully transformed Hyde. The final violent encounter in Jekyll's laboratory. Hyde's death or destruction (whether by his own hand, Mary's action, or the formula's failure). Mary survives by facing rather than fleeing the darkness. The authorities arrive. The household's secrets are exposed. Resolution of the Jekyll/Hyde tragedy.
Transformation
Mary, having survived, stands in daylight - a stark contrast to the opening nightmare of being locked in darkness. Her hands, still scarred, are steady. She has confronted the darkness in others and herself, no longer a victim but a survivor who faced evil and endured. She walks forward into an uncertain but self-determined future.