The Boss Baby
A suit-wearing, briefcase-carrying baby pairs up with his 7-year old brother to stop the dastardly plot of the CEO of Puppy Co.
Despite a considerable budget of $125.0M, The Boss Baby became a financial success, earning $528.0M worldwide—a 322% return.
Nominated for 1 Oscar. 4 wins & 22 nominations
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Tim Templeton
Boss Baby / Theodore Templeton
Ted Templeton
Janice Templeton
Francis E. Francis
Main Cast & Characters
Tim Templeton
Played by Miles Bakshi
A 7-year-old boy with an active imagination who must adjust to having a new baby brother while uncovering a corporate conspiracy.
Boss Baby / Theodore Templeton
Played by Alec Baldwin
A suit-wearing infant who works for Baby Corp and reluctantly teams up with Tim to stop Puppy Co from taking over.
Ted Templeton
Played by Jimmy Kimmel
Tim's loving father who works at Puppy Co and remains oblivious to the baby conspiracy.
Janice Templeton
Played by Lisa Kudrow
Tim's caring mother who works at Puppy Co and tries to maintain family harmony.
Francis E. Francis
Played by Steve Buscemi
The villainous CEO of Puppy Co who plans to launch the Forever Puppy to make babies obsolete.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Seven-year-old Tim Templeton lives an idyllic only-child life with loving parents who give him their complete attention. His imagination runs wild as they play together in their perfect world.. Structural examination shows that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 11 minutes when The Boss Baby arrives in a taxi wearing a suit and carrying a briefcase. Tim's parents are instantly smitten, and Tim's perfect world is shattered as he must now share their love and attention.. At 11% 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 23 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 24% of the runtime. This shows the protagonist's commitment to Tim and Boss Baby make a deal: Tim will help Boss Baby complete his mission so the baby can leave faster. Tim actively chooses to enter this partnership and the adventure begins., moving from reaction to action.
At 47 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 49% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Of particular interest, this crucial beat Tim and Boss Baby infiltrate the Puppy Co presentation in Las Vegas but are discovered. They learn the Forever Puppy will launch soon, threatening Baby Corp. Stakes raise significantly - false defeat as their cover is blown., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 69 minutes (71% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Tim and Boss Baby have their worst fight. Boss Baby will lose his intelligence and become a normal baby, essentially "dying" as who he was. They're separated, broken, and have lost everything including each other., shows the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 75 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 77% of the runtime. Tim chooses to save his brother and his parents. He uses his imagination (his original strength) combined with what he learned about teamwork and love (from Boss Baby) to formulate a rescue plan., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
The Boss Baby'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 The Boss Baby against these established plot points, we can identify how Tom McGrath utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish The Boss Baby within the animation genre.
Tom McGrath's Structural Approach
Among the 3 Tom McGrath films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.3, reflecting strong command of classical structure. The Boss Baby exemplifies the director's characteristic narrative technique. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Tom McGrath filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional animation films include The Bad Guys, Puss in Boots and Violet Evergarden: Eternity and the Auto Memory Doll. For more Tom McGrath analyses, see Megamind, The Boss Baby: Family Business.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Seven-year-old Tim Templeton lives an idyllic only-child life with loving parents who give him their complete attention. His imagination runs wild as they play together in their perfect world.
Theme
Tim's parents tell him, "There's enough love for everyone" - the core theme about sharing love and family not being a finite resource.
Worldbuilding
Establishment of Tim's paradise: his relationship with his parents, his vivid imagination, his bedroom kingdom. We see hisRoutineWorld where he is the center of everything.
Disruption
The Boss Baby arrives in a taxi wearing a suit and carrying a briefcase. Tim's parents are instantly smitten, and Tim's perfect world is shattered as he must now share their love and attention.
Resistance
Tim struggles with the new arrival, tries to expose the Boss Baby as abnormal, and resists accepting him. He discovers Boss Baby can talk and is on a secret mission. Tim debates whether to help or sabotage.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Tim and Boss Baby make a deal: Tim will help Boss Baby complete his mission so the baby can leave faster. Tim actively chooses to enter this partnership and the adventure begins.
Mirror World
Boss Baby explains Baby Corp and the war between puppies and babies for love. This mission partnership becomes the relationship that will teach Tim about cooperation, sharing, and brotherhood.
Premise
Tim and Boss Baby work together on the mission - sneaking into Puppy Co, conducting surveillance on Tim's parents' company, and investigating the new Forever Puppy. The "fun and games" of an unlikely buddy comedy.
Midpoint
Tim and Boss Baby infiltrate the Puppy Co presentation in Las Vegas but are discovered. They learn the Forever Puppy will launch soon, threatening Baby Corp. Stakes raise significantly - false defeat as their cover is blown.
Opposition
Francis Francis (the villain) pursues them. Tim and Boss Baby are fired by Baby Corp. The brothers fight and blame each other. Their parents are in danger as they're being taken to the Forever Puppy launch. Everything intensifies.
Collapse
Tim and Boss Baby have their worst fight. Boss Baby will lose his intelligence and become a normal baby, essentially "dying" as who he was. They're separated, broken, and have lost everything including each other.
Crisis
Tim realizes he's lost his brother and that he actually loves him. Boss Baby becomes a regular baby, losing his edge. The darkest emotional moment as Tim processes what brotherhood really means.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Tim chooses to save his brother and his parents. He uses his imagination (his original strength) combined with what he learned about teamwork and love (from Boss Baby) to formulate a rescue plan.
Synthesis
Tim and Boss Baby execute an elaborate rescue using Tim's imagination and teamwork. They stop the Forever Puppy launch, defeat Francis, save their parents, and save Baby Corp. Boss Baby must choose between his career and family.
Transformation
Tim, now older, plays with his own children including his daughter and his younger brother (Boss Baby, now grown). The closing image mirrors the opening but shows Tim has learned to share love - there truly is enough for everyone.