My Old Lady
Mathias Gold (Kevin Kline), a penniless fifty-odd-year-old New Yorker, lands in Paris. Cynical, and at the end of his tether, he looks forward to selling the mansion house his late father owned in the Marais district. But what he finds out there just appalls him: his secretive dad had never told him he had acquired the property as a life lease, a typically French custom of which he never heard. As a consequence, not only will poor Mathias be unable to sell the house into cash (at least as long as Mathilde Girard (Dame Maggie Smith) stays alive), but he will have to pay the old lady a pension as part of the bargain.
Working with a tight budget of $5.0M, the film achieved a respectable showing with $7.5M in global revenue (+51% profit margin).
1 win & 1 nomination
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%)
My Old Lady (2014) showcases precise narrative design, characteristic of Israel Horovitz's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 13-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 47 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 6.9, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Mathias Gold arrives at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, visibly broke and desperate, carrying only a small bag. His demeanor shows a man at the end of his rope, expecting this inheritance to be his salvation.. Structural examination shows that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 12 minutes when Mathias learns he must pay Mathilde 2,400 euros monthly as part of the viager contract, money he absolutely doesn't have. His dream of a quick sale to solve his financial crisis 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 26 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This indicates the protagonist's commitment to Mathias chooses to stay in Paris and live in the apartment rather than immediately flee back to America. He commits to confronting this situation and understanding the connection between Mathilde and his father., moving from reaction to action.
At 52 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 49% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Notably, this crucial beat The devastating revelation: Chloé is Mathias's half-sister, fathered by the same man who abandoned both of them emotionally. This false defeat reframes everything—the inheritance isn't just property, it's family he never knew he had., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 80 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Mathias reveals his own suicide attempt and contemplates ending his life in Paris, confronting the same despair that killed his mother. The whiff of death is literal—he stands at the edge of repeating the family's darkest pattern., indicates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Synthesis at 85 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 79% of the runtime. Mathias reconciles with his newfound family, making peace with the viager arrangement and his father's complicated legacy. The three resolve the financial and emotional debts, choosing to build something new together rather than remaining prisoners of the past., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
My Old Lady's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 13 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs a 15-point narrative structure framework that maps key story moments. By mapping My Old Lady against these established plot points, we can identify how Israel Horovitz utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish My Old Lady 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
Mathias Gold arrives at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, visibly broke and desperate, carrying only a small bag. His demeanor shows a man at the end of his rope, expecting this inheritance to be his salvation.
Theme
Mathilde tells Mathias, "We are all prisoners of our parents' choices." This encapsulates the film's central theme about inherited trauma and the inescapable legacy of family secrets.
Worldbuilding
Mathias discovers the grand Parisian apartment he inherited, meets the elderly Mathilde Girard and her hostile daughter Chloé, and learns about the viager arrangement that prevents him from selling the property. His financial desperation and disconnection from his late father are established.
Disruption
Mathias learns he must pay Mathilde 2,400 euros monthly as part of the viager contract, money he absolutely doesn't have. His dream of a quick sale to solve his financial crisis is shattered.
Resistance
Mathias debates his options, consulting a notary about breaking the contract and exploring ways to pressure Mathilde to leave. He reluctantly accepts temporary accommodation in the apartment's maid's quarters while plotting his next move. Tension builds with Chloé.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Mathias chooses to stay in Paris and live in the apartment rather than immediately flee back to America. He commits to confronting this situation and understanding the connection between Mathilde and his father.
Mirror World
Mathias begins meaningful conversations with Chloé, who serves as his mirror—someone equally damaged by the same absent father. Their budding relationship will force him to examine his own wounds.
Premise
Mathias explores Paris and his father's hidden life through conversations with Mathilde and Chloé. The apartment becomes a space of revelation as stories emerge about decades of secrets, the affair between Mathilde and his father, and the parallel families kept hidden from each other.
Midpoint
The devastating revelation: Chloé is Mathias's half-sister, fathered by the same man who abandoned both of them emotionally. This false defeat reframes everything—the inheritance isn't just property, it's family he never knew he had.
Opposition
The weight of family secrets intensifies. Mathias and Chloé struggle with anger at their father and the revelation of their relationship. Mathias's own suicidal tendencies surface, mirroring his mother's suicide. The walls close in emotionally as unresolved trauma from both families converges.
Collapse
Mathias reveals his own suicide attempt and contemplates ending his life in Paris, confronting the same despair that killed his mother. The whiff of death is literal—he stands at the edge of repeating the family's darkest pattern.
Crisis
In the dark night following his confession, Mathias processes decades of pain and abandonment. Mathilde and Chloé respond with their own vulnerabilities, creating a space for mutual recognition of shared suffering.
Act III
ResolutionSynthesis
Mathias reconciles with his newfound family, making peace with the viager arrangement and his father's complicated legacy. The three resolve the financial and emotional debts, choosing to build something new together rather than remaining prisoners of the past.