Material Girls
Two wealthy sisters, both heiresses to their family's cosmetics fortune, are given a wake-up call when a scandal and ensuing investigation strip them of their wealth.
The film disappointed at the box office against its respectable budget of $15.0M, earning $11.4M globally (-24% loss).
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%)
Material Girls (2006) exhibits precise dramatic framework, characteristic of Martha Coolidge's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 37 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 Tanzie and Ava Marchetta live their glamorous celebrity lifestyle as wealthy cosmetics heiresses, attending parties, doing photoshoots, and enjoying their privileged status without any real responsibilities.. Notably, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 13 minutes when A scandal erupts when contaminated Marchetta cosmetics allegedly cause skin reactions. The media turns against the sisters, their company faces investigation, and their assets are frozen pending the probe.. 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 25 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 26% of the runtime. This shows the protagonist's commitment to Tanzie and Ava make the active choice to investigate the scandal themselves and save their family company, moving into a rundown apartment and taking jobs to support themselves while they search for the truth., moving from reaction to action.
At 49 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Structural examination shows that this crucial beat The sisters discover a major clue about the contamination being sabotage and gain confidence in their investigation abilities. They seem to be making real progress toward clearing their company's name., 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 (74% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, The sisters' investigation appears to fail completely, they lose their jobs, their case seems hopeless, and they face losing their parents' company forever. Their relationship with Rick is also damaged by a misunderstanding., shows the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 78 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. The sisters have a breakthrough realization about who the real saboteur is, synthesizing clues they've gathered with their newfound understanding of business and their family legacy. They formulate a plan to expose the truth., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Material Girls'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 Material Girls against these established plot points, we can identify how Martha Coolidge utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Material Girls within the comedy genre.
Martha Coolidge's Structural Approach
Among the 6 Martha Coolidge films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.1, reflecting strong command of classical structure. Material Girls represents one of the director's most structurally precise works. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Martha Coolidge filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional comedy films include The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, The Bad Guys and Lake Placid. For more Martha Coolidge analyses, see Valley Girl, Three Wishes and Real Genius.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Tanzie and Ava Marchetta live their glamorous celebrity lifestyle as wealthy cosmetics heiresses, attending parties, doing photoshoots, and enjoying their privileged status without any real responsibilities.
Theme
A character mentions what really matters in life isn't material wealth but substance and character - foreshadowing the sisters' journey from superficiality to authenticity.
Worldbuilding
Introduction to the Marchetta cosmetics empire, the sisters' pampered existence, their deceased parents' legacy, their shallow priorities, and the contrast between their public image and lack of real-world skills.
Disruption
A scandal erupts when contaminated Marchetta cosmetics allegedly cause skin reactions. The media turns against the sisters, their company faces investigation, and their assets are frozen pending the probe.
Resistance
The sisters resist accepting their new reality, attempt to maintain their lifestyle without money, lose their mansion and possessions, and struggle with basic survival tasks they've never had to handle before.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Tanzie and Ava make the active choice to investigate the scandal themselves and save their family company, moving into a rundown apartment and taking jobs to support themselves while they search for the truth.
Mirror World
The sisters meet Rick, a genuine and hardworking young man who becomes Tanzie's love interest and represents the authentic values and work ethic they need to learn.
Premise
The fish-out-of-water comedy as the sisters navigate working-class life: taking jobs at a cosmetics counter, dealing with difficult customers, learning to budget, and beginning their amateur investigation into the sabotage.
Midpoint
The sisters discover a major clue about the contamination being sabotage and gain confidence in their investigation abilities. They seem to be making real progress toward clearing their company's name.
Opposition
The saboteur works to undermine the sisters' investigation, they face setbacks and false leads, their personal relationships are tested, and they struggle between their old superficial instincts and their newfound values.
Collapse
The sisters' investigation appears to fail completely, they lose their jobs, their case seems hopeless, and they face losing their parents' company forever. Their relationship with Rick is also damaged by a misunderstanding.
Crisis
In their darkest moment, the sisters reflect on how much they've changed and grown, realizing they've gained something more valuable than wealth - integrity, skills, and authentic relationships - even if they lose everything else.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
The sisters have a breakthrough realization about who the real saboteur is, synthesizing clues they've gathered with their newfound understanding of business and their family legacy. They formulate a plan to expose the truth.
Synthesis
The finale where the sisters execute their plan to expose the saboteur, publicly clear their company's name, use both their original charisma and their newly developed skills to win, and restore their family's reputation through their own merit.
Transformation
Tanzie and Ava are shown running their company with genuine competence and purpose, maintaining some style but now grounded in substance. They're in authentic relationships and have earned their success rather than inherited it, mirroring the opening but transformed.