Package Tour
Stig-Helmer and Ole Bramserud on a trip to the Canary Islands for Christmas.
The film earned $5.0M at the global box office.
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%)
Package Tour (1980) exhibits carefully calibrated narrative design, characteristic of Lasse Åberg's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 47 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 We meet our ordinary Soviet citizens in their everyday lives, going through mundane routines in their respective workplaces and homes, showing a world of repetitive predictability.. The analysis reveals that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 13 minutes when The characters learn they've been selected for a package tour abroad - an exciting and rare opportunity that disrupts their ordinary existence and fills them with anticipation.. 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 First Threshold at 27 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This illustrates the protagonist's commitment to The group boards the bus/plane and departs, actively choosing to embark on this journey. They cross the literal threshold into foreign territory, leaving the familiar Soviet world behind., moving from reaction to action.
At 54 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Notably, this crucial beat A major conflict erupts: someone breaks the rules, gets lost, or a romantic triangle creates tension. What seemed like carefree fun now has real consequences. The stakes are raised., 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, The tour faces disaster: someone might be left behind, a serious cultural offense is committed, or relationships shatter. The dream vacation has become a nightmare, and the group's unity dies., shows the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 86 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Armed with new understanding, the characters devise a plan to fix the crisis. They realize that by working together and being authentic rather than playing tourists, they can resolve their problems., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Package Tour'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 Package Tour against these established plot points, we can identify how Lasse Åberg utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Package Tour within the comedy genre.
Lasse Åberg's Structural Approach
Among the 3 Lasse Åberg films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.3, reflecting strong command of classical structure. Package Tour takes a more unconventional approach compared to the director's typical style. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Lasse Åberg filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional comedy films include The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, The Bad Guys and Lake Placid. For more Lasse Åberg analyses, see The Call-up, Snowroller.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
We meet our ordinary Soviet citizens in their everyday lives, going through mundane routines in their respective workplaces and homes, showing a world of repetitive predictability.
Theme
A travel agent or colleague remarks that "real life begins when you step outside your comfort zone" or similar statement about adventure and self-discovery through travel.
Worldbuilding
Introduction to the ensemble cast of tourists: their jobs, relationships, quirks, and motivations. We see the constraints of Soviet life and their dreams of adventure abroad.
Disruption
The characters learn they've been selected for a package tour abroad - an exciting and rare opportunity that disrupts their ordinary existence and fills them with anticipation.
Resistance
Preparations for the trip: bureaucratic hurdles, packing, family concerns, excitement mixed with anxiety. The tour guide explains rules and expectations, establishing boundaries for their adventure.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
The group boards the bus/plane and departs, actively choosing to embark on this journey. They cross the literal threshold into foreign territory, leaving the familiar Soviet world behind.
Mirror World
The tourists encounter the foreign culture and form unexpected relationships with fellow travelers or locals, introducing romantic or mentorship subplots that will carry the film's themes about human connection.
Premise
The "fun and games" of tourism: sightseeing, comic misunderstandings, cultural clashes, romance blooming, characters revealing themselves in new contexts. The promise of a comedy about tourists abroad is delivered.
Midpoint
A major conflict erupts: someone breaks the rules, gets lost, or a romantic triangle creates tension. What seemed like carefree fun now has real consequences. The stakes are raised.
Opposition
Tensions escalate within the group. Cultural misunderstandings deepen, romantic complications intensify, and the characters' flaws cause problems. The tour guide struggles to maintain control as chaos builds.
Collapse
The tour faces disaster: someone might be left behind, a serious cultural offense is committed, or relationships shatter. The dream vacation has become a nightmare, and the group's unity dies.
Crisis
In the aftermath, characters reflect on their behavior and what they've learned. They process their mistakes and confront what really matters - not the tourist sites, but human connection and personal growth.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Armed with new understanding, the characters devise a plan to fix the crisis. They realize that by working together and being authentic rather than playing tourists, they can resolve their problems.
Synthesis
The group executes their plan, reconciling relationships, solving the crisis, and demonstrating their growth. They apply lessons learned to save the day, showing they've become better versions of themselves.
Transformation
The tourists return home transformed, no longer the ordinary people we met at the start. They carry their experiences and relationships forward, having discovered that adventure changes those who embrace it.