The Ice Harvest
Larceny, lust and lethal behavior. In icebound Wichita Falls, Texas, it's Christmas Eve, and this year Charlie Arglist just might have something to celebrate. Charlie, an attorney for the sleazy businesses of Wichita Falls, and his unsavory associate, the steely Vic Cavanaugh have just successfully embezzled $2 million from Kansas City boss Bill Guerrard. But the real prize for Charlie is the stunning Renata, who runs the Sweet Cage strip club. Charlie hopes to slip out of town with Renata. But as daylight fades and an ice storm whirls, everyone from Charlie's drinking buddy Pete Van Heuten to the local police begin to wonder just what exactly is in Charlie's Christmas stocking - and the 12 hours of Christmas Eve are filled with surprises.
The film struggled financially against its moderate budget of $16.0M, earning $10.2M globally (-37% loss). While initial box office returns were modest, the film has gained appreciation for its compelling narrative 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 Ice Harvest (2005) showcases precise narrative architecture, characteristic of Harold Ramis'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 7.3, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Charlie Arglist exits the strip club on Christmas Eve in icy Wichita, having just stolen $2 million from his mob boss client. He's a compromised man in a corrupt world, about to spend the worst night of his life.. Of particular interest, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 10 minutes when Charlie discovers that the roads out of town won't be passable until morning. He's trapped in Wichita with stolen mob money, forcing him to endure a dangerous night while keeping the cash safe and avoiding detection.. 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 21 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 24% of the runtime. This demonstrates the protagonist's commitment to Charlie commits to spending the night moving through Wichita's underworld rather than hiding. He actively engages with Renata and begins to see the night as something to navigate rather than simply survive., moving from reaction to action.
At 44 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. The analysis reveals that this crucial beat Charlie finds a body in a car trunk at the Sweet Cage, realizing the violence is escalating and his partner Vic may be eliminating loose ends. The stakes raise dramatically - this isn't just about escaping with money, it's about surviving the night., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 65 minutes (74% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Charlie discovers Vic has betrayed him and plans to kill him to take all the money. His partner, the one person he thought he could trust in this scheme, is his enemy. Charlie faces death at Vic's hands., demonstrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 70 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Charlie realizes he must act decisively and violently to survive. He accepts the brutal logic of this world and prepares to fight back against Vic using the same treachery that's been used against him., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
The Ice Harvest'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 Ice Harvest against these established plot points, we can identify how Harold Ramis utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish The Ice Harvest within the comedy genre.
Harold Ramis's Structural Approach
Among the 10 Harold Ramis films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.0, demonstrating varied approaches to story architecture. The Ice Harvest represents one of the director's most structurally precise works. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Harold Ramis filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional comedy films include The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, The Bad Guys and Lake Placid. For more Harold Ramis analyses, see Club Paradise, Multiplicity and Analyze That.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Charlie Arglist exits the strip club on Christmas Eve in icy Wichita, having just stolen $2 million from his mob boss client. He's a compromised man in a corrupt world, about to spend the worst night of his life.
Theme
Vic tells Charlie: "As Wichita falls, so falls Wichita Falls" - a nonsense phrase that encapsulates the film's theme of meaninglessness and the illusion of control in a world governed by greed and violence.
Worldbuilding
Charlie and Vic have stolen money from mobster Bill Guerrard. They must wait until the roads are passable to leave town. Charlie visits his ex-wife's house, sees his kids, encounters his drunk friend Pete. The icy, treacherous Christmas Eve setting is established.
Disruption
Charlie discovers that the roads out of town won't be passable until morning. He's trapped in Wichita with stolen mob money, forcing him to endure a dangerous night while keeping the cash safe and avoiding detection.
Resistance
Charlie navigates the dangerous night, checking in with Vic periodically. He encounters Renata at the Sweet Cage strip club, flirts with danger. He must decide how to survive until morning without getting caught or killed.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Charlie commits to spending the night moving through Wichita's underworld rather than hiding. He actively engages with Renata and begins to see the night as something to navigate rather than simply survive.
Mirror World
Charlie's relationship with Renata deepens. She represents an alternative path - perhaps redemption, perhaps another trap. She's as duplicitous and survival-oriented as everyone else in this noir world.
Premise
Charlie bounces between locations - bars, strip clubs, his drunk friend Pete's mansion - trying to kill time until morning. Dark comedy ensues as he deals with Pete's drunken chaos, mobsters, and Renata's seduction. The promise: a noir crime caper on the worst Christmas Eve.
Midpoint
Charlie finds a body in a car trunk at the Sweet Cage, realizing the violence is escalating and his partner Vic may be eliminating loose ends. The stakes raise dramatically - this isn't just about escaping with money, it's about surviving the night.
Opposition
Threats close in from all sides. Mobster Roy Gelles is searching for Charlie. Vic becomes increasingly sinister. Pete's drunken behavior creates dangerous exposure. Renata's true motives become unclear. Charlie's control over the situation deteriorates.
Collapse
Charlie discovers Vic has betrayed him and plans to kill him to take all the money. His partner, the one person he thought he could trust in this scheme, is his enemy. Charlie faces death at Vic's hands.
Crisis
Charlie must process the betrayal and find a way to survive. He's alone, surrounded by enemies, with no clear path forward. The existential darkness of the noir world crashes down on him.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Charlie realizes he must act decisively and violently to survive. He accepts the brutal logic of this world and prepares to fight back against Vic using the same treachery that's been used against him.
Synthesis
Charlie confronts Vic in a violent showdown. Renata's true allegiance is revealed. The finale plays out with noir fatalism - violence, betrayal, and the question of whether Charlie can escape with his life, let alone the money.
Transformation
Charlie, having survived the night through violence and moral compromise, drives away into the icy dawn. He's transformed from a compromised lawyer into something harder and more damaged. The Christmas morning is as cold and empty as he is.