The Getaway
Doc McCoy is put in prison because his partners chickened out and flew off without him after exchanging a prisoner with a lot of money. Doc knows Jack Benyon, a rich "business"-man, is up to something big, so he tells his wife (Carol McCoy) to tell him that he's for sale if Benyon can get him out of prison. Benyon pulls some strings and Doc McCoy is released again. Unfortunately he has to cooperate with the same person that got him to prison.
The film earned $30.1M 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%)
The Getaway (1994) exhibits precise narrative architecture, characteristic of Roger Donaldson's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 55 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.4, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Carter "Doc" McCoy
Carol McCoy
Jack Benyon
Rudy Butler
Fran Carvey
Harold Carvey
Main Cast & Characters
Carter "Doc" McCoy
Played by Alec Baldwin
A professional thief who gets double-crossed after a prison release, forced to flee with his wife while pursued by criminals and law enforcement.
Carol McCoy
Played by Kim Basinger
Doc's wife who makes a morally compromising deal to secure his release, then accompanies him on a desperate run for the border.
Jack Benyon
Played by James Woods
A corrupt businessman and power broker who arranges Doc's release in exchange for a heist, then betrays the McCoys.
Rudy Butler
Played by Michael Madsen
Doc's treacherous partner in the heist who becomes a violent pursuer after the job goes wrong.
Fran Carvey
Played by Jennifer Tilly
A veterinarian's wife who becomes Rudy's hostage and develops a twisted Stockholm syndrome relationship with her captor.
Harold Carvey
Played by David Morse
A veterinarian forced to help Rudy, ultimately becoming a victim of his wife's betrayal and Rudy's violence.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Doc McCoy in prison. Isolated, controlled, stripped of freedom. His ordinary world is confinement and powerlessness.. Structural examination shows that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 13 minutes when Doc is released from prison after Carol makes a deal with crime boss Jack Benyon. Freedom comes with strings attached.. 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 28 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 24% of the runtime. This illustrates the protagonist's commitment to Doc and Carol commit to the racetrack heist with Rudy and Hansen. They cross into the criminal underworld with no turning back., moving from reaction to action.
At 57 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Significantly, this crucial beat False defeat: Rudy captures them at gunpoint in the hotel. The money is lost, their plan has failed, and they're about to be killed., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 86 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Trapped at the border crossing with police converging. All escape routes cut off. The dream of freedom appears dead., illustrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 91 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 79% of the runtime. Doc finds a way through: they use Rudy's hostage situation and chaos to slip across the border. New information enables final push., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
The Getaway'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 Getaway against these established plot points, we can identify how Roger Donaldson utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish The Getaway within the action genre.
Roger Donaldson's Structural Approach
Among the 13 Roger Donaldson films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.2, reflecting strong command of classical structure. The Getaway represents one of the director's most structurally precise works. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Roger Donaldson filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional action films include The Bad Guys, Puss in Boots and Venom: The Last Dance. For more Roger Donaldson analyses, see Species, Dante's Peak and Seeking Justice.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Doc McCoy in prison. Isolated, controlled, stripped of freedom. His ordinary world is confinement and powerlessness.
Theme
Jack Benyon tells Carol: "Everything has a price." The theme of moral compromise and what people will sacrifice for freedom.
Worldbuilding
Doc's prison life, Carol's visit to Benyon, the corrupt parole system, and the setup of the deal that will free Doc in exchange for a job.
Disruption
Doc is released from prison after Carol makes a deal with crime boss Jack Benyon. Freedom comes with strings attached.
Resistance
Doc reunites with Carol, learns the price of his freedom (a heist for Benyon), debates the danger, and prepares for the job.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Doc and Carol commit to the racetrack heist with Rudy and Hansen. They cross into the criminal underworld with no turning back.
Mirror World
The trust fracture: Doc realizes Carol slept with Benyon to secure his release. The relationship that should save him is compromised.
Premise
The heist execution, the double-cross, Doc killing Benyon, flight from Rudy, and the desperate run to the border with money and danger.
Midpoint
False defeat: Rudy captures them at gunpoint in the hotel. The money is lost, their plan has failed, and they're about to be killed.
Opposition
Doc and Carol escape Rudy, steal the money back, but Rudy pursues with hostages. Trust issues intensify. Law enforcement closes in.
Collapse
Trapped at the border crossing with police converging. All escape routes cut off. The dream of freedom appears dead.
Crisis
Doc and Carol face the darkest moment, processing their likely capture or death. Must find new resolve to survive.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Doc finds a way through: they use Rudy's hostage situation and chaos to slip across the border. New information enables final push.
Synthesis
Final confrontation with Rudy in Mexico, resolution of pursuit, Doc and Carol reconcile their relationship and choose each other over money.
Transformation
Doc and Carol together on the beach in Mexico, free but forever fugitives. They chose freedom and each other despite the cost.