The Big Bounce
Jack Ryan, a charming but mischievous kid with a history of small cons, never nasty, as he always approaches life from the pleasant side, goes to surfers paradise Hawai, where dodgy district judge Walter Crewes enlists him to get to real big criminals. Jack finds himself teaming up in bed and thieving 'business' with Nancy Hayes, the greedy mistress of evil hotel magnate Ray Ritchie and his dumb lieutenant Bob Rogers, Jr. and a real temptress gold-digger but is about the only one without an hidden agenda...
The film financial setback against its moderate budget of $50.0M, earning $6.8M globally (-86% loss). While initial box office returns were modest, the film has gained appreciation for its fresh perspective within the comedy 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%)
The Big Bounce (2004) reveals deliberately positioned narrative design, characteristic of George Armitage's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 28 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.1, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Jack Ryan
Nancy Hayes
Ray Ritchie
Alison
Bob Rogers Jr.
Lou Harris
Main Cast & Characters
Jack Ryan
Played by Owen Wilson
A drifter and small-time con artist who gets caught up in a heist scheme in Hawaii.
Nancy Hayes
Played by Sara Foster
A seductive and manipulative young woman who draws Jack into her dangerous schemes.
Ray Ritchie
Played by Gary Sinise
A corrupt local judge and developer who becomes the target of the heist.
Alison
Played by Morgan Freeman
A grounded assistant district attorney who offers Jack a more honest path.
Bob Rogers Jr.
Played by Charlie Sheen
A local surfer and petty criminal who befriends Jack and gets involved in schemes.
Lou Harris
Played by Vinnie Jones
A tough foreman at a construction site who has a violent confrontation with Jack.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Jack Ryan works construction in Hawaii, living as a drifter and small-time con artist with a short temper and no real direction in life.. Notably, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 11 minutes when Jack loses his construction job after assaulting his foreman, leaving him broke and desperate in Hawaii with limited options.. 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 22 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This demonstrates the protagonist's commitment to Jack actively chooses to pursue Nancy and agree to help her with a heist, crossing the line from passive drifter to active participant in a criminal scheme., moving from reaction to action.
At 44 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Structural examination shows that this crucial beat Jack and Nancy successfully break into Ray Ritchie's house and steal the money, believing they've pulled off the perfect heist. False victory - everything seems to be going according to plan., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 66 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Jack discovers he's been completely played - Nancy was working with Ray Ritchie all along, the money is gone, and he's been set up as the fall guy. His dream of the easy score 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 71 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 81% of the runtime. Jack gains clarity about Nancy's true scheme and realizes he can turn the tables. He synthesizes his con-artist skills with the honest values Walter represents to set things right., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
The Big Bounce's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs systematic plot point analysis that identifies crucial turning points. By mapping The Big Bounce against these established plot points, we can identify how George Armitage utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish The Big Bounce within the comedy genre.
George Armitage's Structural Approach
Among the 3 George Armitage films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 6.9, demonstrating varied approaches to story architecture. The Big Bounce represents one of the director's most structurally precise works. For comparative analysis, explore the complete George Armitage filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional comedy films include The Bad Guys, Ella Enchanted and The Evening Star. For more George Armitage analyses, see Grosse Pointe Blank, Miami Blues.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Jack Ryan works construction in Hawaii, living as a drifter and small-time con artist with a short temper and no real direction in life.
Theme
Walter Crewes warns Jack about getting involved with the wrong people and taking shortcuts, suggesting that quick scores always come with a price.
Worldbuilding
Introduction to Jack's world: his construction job, his temper that gets him fired after hitting his foreman, the Hawaiian resort community, and the wealthy tourists and locals who inhabit it.
Disruption
Jack loses his construction job after assaulting his foreman, leaving him broke and desperate in Hawaii with limited options.
Resistance
Walter Crewes offers Jack a job as a handyman at his bungalows. Jack meets the seductive Nancy Hayes and becomes drawn into her world, debating whether to get involved in her schemes.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Jack actively chooses to pursue Nancy and agree to help her with a heist, crossing the line from passive drifter to active participant in a criminal scheme.
Mirror World
Jack's deepening relationship with Nancy represents the thematic conflict between easy money/surface attraction and genuine connection/honest work, embodied by his friendship with Walter.
Premise
The fun and games of the heist caper: Jack and Nancy plan to steal $200,000 from Ray Ritchie, navigating the tropical paradise, flirting, scheming, and living the fantasy of the perfect crime in paradise.
Midpoint
Jack and Nancy successfully break into Ray Ritchie's house and steal the money, believing they've pulled off the perfect heist. False victory - everything seems to be going according to plan.
Opposition
Complications mount as Jack realizes Nancy may be playing him, Ray Ritchie and Lou Harris close in, and the local judge Bob Rogers Jr. becomes involved. Trust erodes and danger escalates.
Collapse
Jack discovers he's been completely played - Nancy was working with Ray Ritchie all along, the money is gone, and he's been set up as the fall guy. His dream of the easy score dies.
Crisis
Jack processes the betrayal and hits rock bottom, realizing his pattern of taking shortcuts has finally caught up with him. He must decide who he really wants to be.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Jack gains clarity about Nancy's true scheme and realizes he can turn the tables. He synthesizes his con-artist skills with the honest values Walter represents to set things right.
Synthesis
Jack confronts the conspirators, outmaneuvers Nancy and Ray, and resolves the situation, choosing integrity over the easy money he once craved.
Transformation
Jack remains in Hawaii working for Walter, transformed from a drifter seeking shortcuts into someone who values honest work and genuine relationships over easy scores.