Stay
A thought-provoking and haunting exploration of how reality and dream-states may combine to form complex interactions. The line between the imagination and reality blurs when an accomplished Psychiatrist takes on a patient that appears to be suicidal.
The film financial setback against its mid-range budget of $50.0M, earning $8.3M globally (-83% loss). While initial box office returns were modest, the film has gained appreciation for its unique voice within the drama genre.
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%)
Stay (2005) exhibits strategically placed narrative architecture, characteristic of Marc Forster's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 39 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.1, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Henry Letham
Dr. Sam Foster
Lila Culpepper
Dr. Beth Levy
Dr. Leon Patterson
Main Cast & Characters
Henry Letham
Played by Ryan Gosling
A suicidal art student who claims he will die on Saturday at midnight, experiencing fragmented reality and confusion about his identity.
Dr. Sam Foster
Played by Ewan McGregor
A psychiatrist who becomes obsessed with saving Henry while his own grip on reality begins to slip.
Lila Culpepper
Played by Naomi Watts
Sam's girlfriend and former patient, an artist who attempted suicide and struggles with her past trauma.
Dr. Beth Levy
Played by Janeane Garofalo
Sam's colleague who previously treated Henry before having a mental breakdown.
Dr. Leon Patterson
Played by Bob Hoskins
A psychiatrist colleague who provides insight into Henry's case.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes The Brooklyn Bridge at night; a violent car crash occurs as Henry Letham's vehicle collides with another, establishing the traumatic event that will shape the entire dreamlike narrative.. Notably, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 13 minutes when Henry reveals his specific suicide deadline—Saturday at midnight, his 21st birthday. Sam realizes he has only three days to save his patient, transforming his professional obligation into an urgent race against time.. At 13% through the film, this Disruption is delayed, allowing extended setup of the story world. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 25 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This illustrates the protagonist's commitment to Sam commits to finding Henry's truth at any cost. He ventures into Henry's fractured reality, choosing to follow the impossible clues—meeting Henry's supposedly dead mother, descending deeper into the surreal investigation., moving from reaction to action.
At 50 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 51% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Significantly, this crucial beat Sam discovers that Henry caused the car accident that killed his parents and his girlfriend. Henry's guilt is the engine of his suicidal ideation—he doesn't just want to die, he believes he deserves to die. The false defeat: saving Henry may be impossible., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 75 minutes (76% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Sam realizes he cannot find Henry anywhere—the young man has disappeared into the fractured dreamscape. Lila confronts Sam about his obsession, and Sam fears he has failed completely. Saturday midnight approaches and all avenues to save Henry have closed., reveals the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 80 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 81% of the runtime. Sam realizes Henry is at the Brooklyn Bridge—the site of the original accident. Armed with understanding of Henry's guilt and trauma, Sam races to confront him at the moment of decision, synthesizing everything he's learned about the young man's fractured psyche., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Stay's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs a 15-point narrative structure framework that maps key story moments. By mapping Stay against these established plot points, we can identify how Marc Forster utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Stay within the drama genre.
Marc Forster's Structural Approach
Among the 10 Marc Forster films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.3, reflecting strong command of classical structure. Stay takes a more unconventional approach compared to the director's typical style. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Marc Forster filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional drama films include After Thomas, South Pacific and Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights. For more Marc Forster analyses, see Finding Neverland, Christopher Robin and Stranger Than Fiction.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
The Brooklyn Bridge at night; a violent car crash occurs as Henry Letham's vehicle collides with another, establishing the traumatic event that will shape the entire dreamlike narrative.
Theme
Henry tells Sam, "I'm going to kill myself on Saturday." The theme of guilt, death, and the blurred line between reality and illusion is established—can we truly save those determined to die?
Worldbuilding
Sam Foster, a psychiatrist, takes over Henry's case from colleague Beth Levy. We meet Sam's girlfriend Lila, a former suicide attempt survivor. The world is established as slightly off—reality seems unstable with visual discontinuities and strange repetitions.
Disruption
Henry reveals his specific suicide deadline—Saturday at midnight, his 21st birthday. Sam realizes he has only three days to save his patient, transforming his professional obligation into an urgent race against time.
Resistance
Sam debates how to help Henry, consulting with colleagues and his girlfriend Lila about suicide intervention. He visits Henry's listed address and finds inconsistencies—people claim Henry's parents died in a car accident, yet Henry insists they're alive.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Sam commits to finding Henry's truth at any cost. He ventures into Henry's fractured reality, choosing to follow the impossible clues—meeting Henry's supposedly dead mother, descending deeper into the surreal investigation.
Mirror World
Lila's role as a suicide survivor deepens. She shares her own experience with wanting to die, paralleling Henry's despair. Her scars become a visual motif—she represents what Henry could become if he survives.
Premise
Sam navigates an increasingly unstable reality pursuing Henry's story. He meets characters who shouldn't exist—Henry's dead father, a blind psychiatrist who predicts the future. Visual motifs repeat and morph. The line between Sam's reality and Henry's delusion blurs completely.
Midpoint
Sam discovers that Henry caused the car accident that killed his parents and his girlfriend. Henry's guilt is the engine of his suicidal ideation—he doesn't just want to die, he believes he deserves to die. The false defeat: saving Henry may be impossible.
Opposition
Reality fractures completely. Sam experiences impossible events—people appearing and disappearing, conversations that loop, locations that shift. Henry evades Sam's attempts to reach him. Lila becomes increasingly worried as Sam himself seems to be losing his grip on reality.
Collapse
Sam realizes he cannot find Henry anywhere—the young man has disappeared into the fractured dreamscape. Lila confronts Sam about his obsession, and Sam fears he has failed completely. Saturday midnight approaches and all avenues to save Henry have closed.
Crisis
Sam spirals through the dark night of the soul. Everything he believed about reality, his ability to help patients, and his own sanity is questioned. The visual style becomes increasingly chaotic as the dream approaches its terminal point.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Sam realizes Henry is at the Brooklyn Bridge—the site of the original accident. Armed with understanding of Henry's guilt and trauma, Sam races to confront him at the moment of decision, synthesizing everything he's learned about the young man's fractured psyche.
Synthesis
The finale unfolds on the Brooklyn Bridge. Sam confronts Henry as midnight strikes. The dreamscape collapses—we see the car accident again. The truth is revealed: the entire film has been Henry's dying hallucination, with Sam and Lila being strangers who stopped to help at the accident scene.
Transformation
Henry dies on the bridge in the arms of real-world strangers Sam and Lila, who were simply passersby at the accident. His dying mind created an entire world trying to find forgiveness. The tragedy is complete—he could not be saved, but he was not alone.