The Beach Bum
An irreverent comedy about the misadventures of Moondog, a rebellious stoner and lovable rogue who lives large.
The film disappointed at the box office against its modest budget of $5.0M, earning $4.6M globally (-9% 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%)
The Beach Bum (2019) exemplifies carefully calibrated narrative design, characteristic of Harmony Korine's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 35 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.3, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Moondog performs poetry drunk at a club in Key West, fully embodying his persona as a hedonistic, free-spirited poet living a consequence-free life funded by his wealthy wife Minnie.. Significantly, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 12 minutes when Minnie dies in a car accident while driving drunk with her lover Lingerie, shattering Moondog's carefree existence and removing his financial safety net.. 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 23 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This reveals the protagonist's commitment to Moondog is arrested and court-ordered to rehab, forcibly removed from his hedonistic lifestyle and placed in a structured environment where he must confront sobriety and responsibility., moving from reaction to action.
At 48 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 51% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Significantly, this crucial beat Flicker dies in a sudden accident, the second significant death that mirrors Minnie's loss. Moondog is once again alone, forced to continue his journey solo., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 70 minutes (74% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Moondog's manuscript is destroyed in a fire, representing the death of all his work and the potential loss of his inheritance and identity as a writer., indicates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 76 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Moondog commits to rewriting his novel from memory and inspiration, channeling his grief and experiences into creative output, finally embracing the work Minnie wanted him to complete., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
The Beach Bum'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 The Beach Bum against these established plot points, we can identify how Harmony Korine utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish The Beach Bum within the comedy genre.
Harmony Korine's Structural Approach
Among the 2 Harmony Korine films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.2, reflecting strong command of classical structure. The Beach Bum represents one of the director's most structurally precise works. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Harmony Korine filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional comedy films include The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, The Bad Guys and Lake Placid. For more Harmony Korine analyses, see Spring Breakers.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Moondog performs poetry drunk at a club in Key West, fully embodying his persona as a hedonistic, free-spirited poet living a consequence-free life funded by his wealthy wife Minnie.
Theme
Minnie tells Moondog "You're going to finish that novel" - establishing the central tension between artistic creation and self-destructive pleasure-seeking.
Worldbuilding
Introduction to Moondog's world: his loving relationship with wealthy wife Minnie, their daughter's wedding, his friendship with Lingerie (Snoop Dogg), and his lifestyle of constant partying, drugs, and avoiding responsibility for his unfinished novel.
Disruption
Minnie dies in a car accident while driving drunk with her lover Lingerie, shattering Moondog's carefree existence and removing his financial safety net.
Resistance
Moondog spirals deeper into drugs and alcohol, refusing to face reality. He learns Minnie's fortune is in trust until he completes his novel, creating external pressure to change his ways.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Moondog is arrested and court-ordered to rehab, forcibly removed from his hedonistic lifestyle and placed in a structured environment where he must confront sobriety and responsibility.
Mirror World
Moondog meets Flicker (Zac Efron) in rehab, a fellow rule-breaker who becomes a temporary companion, representing both enablement and connection outside Moondog's usual world.
Premise
Moondog's journey through rehab and escape: he briefly attempts sobriety, escapes with Flicker, experiences more wild adventures including a dolphin tour operation, continues avoiding writing while exploring Florida's margins.
Midpoint
Flicker dies in a sudden accident, the second significant death that mirrors Minnie's loss. Moondog is once again alone, forced to continue his journey solo.
Opposition
Moondog struggles to make progress on his novel while continuing his substance-fueled lifestyle. He encounters Captain Wack, takes odd jobs, and faces increasing pressure from his daughter and lawyer to complete the book and claim his inheritance.
Collapse
Moondog's manuscript is destroyed in a fire, representing the death of all his work and the potential loss of his inheritance and identity as a writer.
Crisis
Moondog faces his darkest moment: no manuscript, no money, seemingly no way forward. He must decide whether to give up or find a way to recreate his work.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Moondog commits to rewriting his novel from memory and inspiration, channeling his grief and experiences into creative output, finally embracing the work Minnie wanted him to complete.
Synthesis
Moondog completes his novel, publishes it to great acclaim, receives his inheritance, and celebrates his success. He validates his lifestyle while also proving he could accomplish what was asked of him.
Transformation
Moondog sails away on a boat filled with money, which catches fire and explodes. He floats peacefully in the ocean, having achieved everything and lost everything, returning to pure freedom - transformed yet unchanged, suggesting his true nature cannot be bound by success or failure.