Now and Then
Four childhood friends, now in their thirties, are having a reunion. Their lives have gone separate and very different ways. Together again they reminisce about their younger years, especially the eventful period when they were 12 years old.
Despite its modest budget of $12.0M, Now and Then became a commercial success, earning $27.4M worldwide—a 128% return.
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%)
Now and Then (1995) exhibits carefully calibrated narrative architecture, characteristic of Lesli Linka Glatter's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 10-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 40 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 Adult Chrissy drives through the night, heavily pregnant, establishing the present-day frame before flashing back to the four girls' summer of 1970 in Shelby, Indiana.. Notably, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 12 minutes when The girls discover a newspaper article about "Dear Johnny," a boy who died in the woods in 1945, sparking their obsession to solve the mystery of his death.. 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.
The Collapse moment at 76 minutes (76% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Roberta nearly drowns after falling into the lake during a storm, a brush with death that shatters the girls' sense of invincibility and forces them to confront genuine loss and mortality., demonstrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Synthesis at 81 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 81% of the runtime. The girls honor Dear Johnny, say goodbye to their treehouse and childhood, then reunite as adults to support Chrissy through childbirth, demonstrating that while everything changes, true friendship endures., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Now and Then's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 10 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs systematic plot point analysis that identifies crucial turning points. By mapping Now and Then against these established plot points, we can identify how Lesli Linka Glatter utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Now and Then 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
Adult Chrissy drives through the night, heavily pregnant, establishing the present-day frame before flashing back to the four girls' summer of 1970 in Shelby, Indiana.
Theme
Crazy Pete warns the girls that if they don't appreciate the present, one day they'll look back and realize "now" has become "then" - the film's central theme about cherishing childhood and friendship.
Worldbuilding
The summer of 1970: Samantha, Roberta, Chrissy, and Teeny navigate their small-town lives. Sam pines for older boys, Roberta deals with her mother's death, Chrissy is sheltered by her overprotective mother, and Teeny dreams of Hollywood glamour.
Disruption
The girls discover a newspaper article about "Dear Johnny," a boy who died in the woods in 1945, sparking their obsession to solve the mystery of his death.
Resistance
The girls debate how to investigate the mystery, conduct séances, research at the library, and prepare for their quest while dealing with typical coming-of-age challenges like first kisses and changing bodies.
Act II
ConfrontationPremise
The fun of summer 1970: the girls bond in their treehouse, play Truth or Dare, have séances, navigate first crushes, deal with puberty, and pursue clues about Dear Johnny while experiencing the bittersweet magic of their last innocent summer.
Opposition
Tensions rise as the girls face harsh realities: Roberta's anger about her mother intensifies, Sam's parents' marriage crumbles, supernatural scares in the cemetery escalate, and their childhood innocence begins cracking under the weight of adolescence.
Collapse
Roberta nearly drowns after falling into the lake during a storm, a brush with death that shatters the girls' sense of invincibility and forces them to confront genuine loss and mortality.
Crisis
In the aftermath of Roberta's near-drowning, the girls process their fear and grief. They realize their summer - and their childhood - is ending, and they face the dark reality that they may drift apart.
Act III
ResolutionSynthesis
The girls honor Dear Johnny, say goodbye to their treehouse and childhood, then reunite as adults to support Chrissy through childbirth, demonstrating that while everything changes, true friendship endures.