Miss March
A young man awakens from a four-year coma to hear that his once virginal high-school sweetheart has since become a centerfold in one of the world's most famous men's magazines. He and his sex-crazed best friend decide to take a cross-country road trip in order to crash a party at the magazine's legendary mansion headquarters and win back the girl.
The film underperformed commercially against its small-scale budget of $6.0M, earning $4.6M globally (-23% 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%)
Miss March (2009) exemplifies carefully calibrated story structure, characteristic of Trevor Moore's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 33 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.1, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes High school prom night 2004. Eugene and Tucker are best friends with opposing views on sex - Eugene wants to wait for true love with girlfriend Cindi, while Tucker is promiscuous and reckless.. Notably, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 10 minutes when Eugene falls down the stairs at prom and goes into a coma for four years, disrupting his planned first time with Cindi and his entire life trajectory.. 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 shows the protagonist's commitment to Eugene decides to go to the Playboy Mansion during a party to find Cindi and reconnect with her, actively choosing to pursue his lost love despite the circumstances., moving from reaction to action.
At 45 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 48% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Notably, this crucial beat Eugene and Tucker successfully infiltrate the Playboy Mansion party. They're inside and close to finding Cindi - a false victory as complications still await., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 67 minutes (72% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Eugene finally confronts Cindi, but she rejects him. She's moved on, has a new life, and the Eugene she knew is gone. His four-year quest ends in humiliation and heartbreak., reveals the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 73 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 78% of the runtime. Eugene realizes that his friendship with Tucker and accepting himself in the present is more important than chasing a fantasy from the past. He chooses to move forward rather than backward., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Miss March'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 Miss March against these established plot points, we can identify how Trevor Moore utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Miss March within the comedy genre.
Comparative Analysis
Additional comedy films include The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, The Bad Guys and Lake Placid.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
High school prom night 2004. Eugene and Tucker are best friends with opposing views on sex - Eugene wants to wait for true love with girlfriend Cindi, while Tucker is promiscuous and reckless.
Theme
Tucker tells Eugene that sex and love don't have to be the same thing, introducing the thematic tension between physical desire and emotional connection that will drive the story.
Worldbuilding
Establishment of Eugene's abstinence pledge, his relationship with Cindi, Tucker's wild lifestyle, and the prom night where Eugene and Cindi plan to lose their virginity together.
Disruption
Eugene falls down the stairs at prom and goes into a coma for four years, disrupting his planned first time with Cindi and his entire life trajectory.
Resistance
Eugene wakes up in 2008 to a changed world. Tucker reveals that Cindi is now a Playboy centerfold known as "Miss March." Eugene debates whether to contact her, struggling with his feelings and the lost time.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Eugene decides to go to the Playboy Mansion during a party to find Cindi and reconnect with her, actively choosing to pursue his lost love despite the circumstances.
Mirror World
Eugene and Tucker meet Horsedick.MPEG, a crude rapper who becomes an unlikely ally. He represents the crass sexuality Eugene has been sheltered from and will teach him about the real world.
Premise
The road trip comedy unfolds with outrageous situations: stolen fire trucks, encounters with the Playboy bus, strip clubs, and escalating chaos as Eugene and Tucker make their way toward the mansion.
Midpoint
Eugene and Tucker successfully infiltrate the Playboy Mansion party. They're inside and close to finding Cindi - a false victory as complications still await.
Opposition
At the mansion, Eugene struggles to find Cindi among the chaos. Tucker's recklessness causes problems. Cindi's new boyfriend and security threats intensify. Eugene's innocence is increasingly out of place in this world.
Collapse
Eugene finally confronts Cindi, but she rejects him. She's moved on, has a new life, and the Eugene she knew is gone. His four-year quest ends in humiliation and heartbreak.
Crisis
Eugene processes the loss of his idealized romance and the reality that you can't go back in time. He contemplates who he is now versus who he was before the coma.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Eugene realizes that his friendship with Tucker and accepting himself in the present is more important than chasing a fantasy from the past. He chooses to move forward rather than backward.
Synthesis
Eugene and Tucker escape the mansion chaos together, reaffirming their friendship. Final confrontations are resolved with humor. Eugene accepts his new reality and who he's become.
Transformation
Eugene, no longer the naive virgin waiting for perfect love, embraces his friendship with Tucker and a more mature, realistic view of relationships. He's finally living in the present instead of the past.