Mercury Rising
Renegade FBI agent Art Jeffries protects a nine-year-old autistic boy who has cracked the government's new "unbreakable" code.
Working with a respectable budget of $60.0M, the film achieved a modest success with $93.1M in global revenue (+55% profit margin).
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%)
Mercury Rising (1998) exemplifies precise narrative design, characteristic of Harold Becker's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 11-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 51 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 6.7, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Art Jeffries' failed undercover operation results in the deaths of suspects. He's a capable but troubled FBI agent, demoted and isolated after the botched South Dakota bank robbery case.. Significantly, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 13 minutes when NSA assassins murder Simon's parents. The boy escapes and hides. Art Jeffries is assigned to the crime scene, unknowingly stepping into a government conspiracy.. 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.
At 56 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Structural examination shows that this crucial beat False defeat: Kudrow's assassins nearly capture Simon. Art realizes the conspiracy goes higher than he thought - this is sanctioned at the highest NSA levels. The stakes raise dramatically; nowhere is safe., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 83 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Simon is captured by Kudrow's men. Art is separated from the boy he swore to protect. The mission appears to have failed completely - Simon will be killed, and Art is powerless and alone., reveals the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Synthesis at 89 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 81% of the runtime. Art infiltrates Kudrow's operation, rescues Simon, and confronts Kudrow. Final showdown where Art uses both his FBI training and his newfound protective instinct. He exposes the conspiracy and eliminates Kudrow, saving Simon and bringing justice., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Mercury Rising's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 11 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs a 15-point narrative structure framework that maps key story moments. By mapping Mercury Rising against these established plot points, we can identify how Harold Becker utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Mercury Rising within the action genre.
Harold Becker's Structural Approach
Among the 6 Harold Becker films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.0, demonstrating varied approaches to story architecture. Mercury Rising takes a more unconventional approach compared to the director's typical style. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Harold Becker filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional action films include The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, The Bad Guys and Lake Placid. For more Harold Becker analyses, see Taps, Malice and City Hall.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Art Jeffries' failed undercover operation results in the deaths of suspects. He's a capable but troubled FBI agent, demoted and isolated after the botched South Dakota bank robbery case.
Theme
Simon's parents discuss his autism and inability to connect with the world. "He lives in his own world" - establishing the theme of connection, protection, and seeing value in those society overlooks.
Worldbuilding
Two parallel worlds established: Art Jeffries doing menial FBI work after his demotion, and Simon Lynch, an autistic 9-year-old who cracks the NSA's "Mercury" code hidden in a puzzle magazine. NSA realizes the code has been broken.
Disruption
NSA assassins murder Simon's parents. The boy escapes and hides. Art Jeffries is assigned to the crime scene, unknowingly stepping into a government conspiracy.
Resistance
Art finds Simon hiding and tries to understand the boy's autism and what happened. He investigates the murders, gradually realizing this wasn't a random crime. Simon's autistic behaviors puzzle Art, but he begins to protect the boy.
Act II
ConfrontationPremise
Art and Simon on the run from NSA assassins. Cat-and-mouse chase through Chicago. Art uses his FBI skills to evade capture while protecting Simon. They hide in safe houses, Art learns about the Mercury code, and the bond between protector and child deepens.
Midpoint
False defeat: Kudrow's assassins nearly capture Simon. Art realizes the conspiracy goes higher than he thought - this is sanctioned at the highest NSA levels. The stakes raise dramatically; nowhere is safe.
Opposition
The NSA closes in from all sides. Art's FBI colleagues are forced to hunt him. Kudrow manipulates the situation, making Art look like a kidnapper. Simon's safety becomes increasingly precarious as Art runs out of options and allies.
Collapse
Simon is captured by Kudrow's men. Art is separated from the boy he swore to protect. The mission appears to have failed completely - Simon will be killed, and Art is powerless and alone.
Crisis
Art's dark moment of despair. He's failed another operation, failed to protect an innocent child. He must decide whether to give up or find a way to beat the system that's hunting them both.
Act III
ResolutionSynthesis
Art infiltrates Kudrow's operation, rescues Simon, and confronts Kudrow. Final showdown where Art uses both his FBI training and his newfound protective instinct. He exposes the conspiracy and eliminates Kudrow, saving Simon and bringing justice.