The Last Detail
Two bawdy, tough looking navy lifers - "Bad-Ass" Buddusky, and "Mule" Mulhall - are commissioned to escort a young pilferer named Meadows to the brig in Portsmouth. Meadows is not much of a thief. Indeed, in his late teens, he is not much of a man at all. His great crime was to try to steal forty dollars from the admiral's wife's pet charity. For this, he's been sentenced to eight years behind bars. At first, Buddusky and Mulhall view the journey as a paid vacation, but their holiday spirits are quickly depressed by the prisoner, who looks prepared to break into tears at any moment. And he has the lowest self-image imaginable. Buddusky gets it into his head to give Meadows a good time and teach him a bit about getting on in the world. Lesson one: Don't take every card life deals you. Next, he teaches Meadows to drink, and, as a coup de grace, finds a nice young whore to instruct him in lovemaking. Mule, who worries aloud about his own position with military authority, seems pleased with Meadows's progress. However, when the trio reach Portsmouth, the game comes abruptly to an end as reality sets in.
Despite its tight budget of $2.3M, The Last Detail became a commercial success, earning $10.0M worldwide—a 335% return. The film's unconventional structure resonated with audiences, proving that strong storytelling can transcend budget limitations.
Nominated for 3 Oscars. 6 wins & 9 nominations
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 Last Detail (1973) exhibits strategically placed plot construction, characteristic of Hal Ashby's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 44 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 Buddusky and Mulhall are assigned routine shore patrol duty, embodying their lives as career Navy men following orders without question.. Of particular interest, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 12 minutes when Buddusky and Mulhall meet Meadows, a meek young sailor facing eight years in Portsmouth for stealing $40 from a polio charity box, sparking their sympathy.. 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 26 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This illustrates the protagonist's commitment to Buddusky decides they will show Meadows "a good time" before prison, actively choosing to give him experiences rather than just deliver him like cargo., moving from reaction to action.
At 52 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Significantly, this crucial beat They take Meadows to a brothel where he loses his virginity, a false victory—they've given him the ultimate "good time" but this only makes his impending imprisonment more cruel., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 78 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Meadows attempts to escape in a park, but doesn't run—he just walks away slowly, symbolizing the death of hope and the futility of resistance against the system., demonstrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 83 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. The escorts accept they must complete their duty despite their feelings; they understand the system is unjust but they are powerless to change it., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
The Last Detail's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs structural analysis methodology used to understand storytelling architecture. By mapping The Last Detail against these established plot points, we can identify how Hal Ashby utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish The Last Detail within the comedy genre.
Hal Ashby's Structural Approach
Among the 4 Hal Ashby films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.0, reflecting strong command of classical structure. The Last Detail represents one of the director's most structurally precise works. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Hal Ashby filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional comedy films include The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, The Bad Guys and Lake Placid. For more Hal Ashby analyses, see Coming Home, Being There and Shampoo.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Buddusky and Mulhall are assigned routine shore patrol duty, embodying their lives as career Navy men following orders without question.
Theme
Discussion about the harshness of Meadows' eight-year sentence for a $40 theft introduces the theme: institutional injustice versus human compassion.
Worldbuilding
Introduction to military bureaucracy, the petty crime that landed Meadows in trouble, and the strict protocols governing the prisoner escort detail.
Disruption
Buddusky and Mulhall meet Meadows, a meek young sailor facing eight years in Portsmouth for stealing $40 from a polio charity box, sparking their sympathy.
Resistance
The two escorts debate how to handle the assignment, initially maintaining professional distance but gradually warming to Meadows as they begin their journey.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Buddusky decides they will show Meadows "a good time" before prison, actively choosing to give him experiences rather than just deliver him like cargo.
Mirror World
Their first stop in New York City where they take Meadows to bars and begin treating him like a friend rather than a prisoner, establishing the "what life could be" relationship.
Premise
The promise of the premise: a road trip where two hardened Navy men show an innocent kid the experiences he'll miss in prison—drinking, fighting, partying, and living freely.
Midpoint
They take Meadows to a brothel where he loses his virginity, a false victory—they've given him the ultimate "good time" but this only makes his impending imprisonment more cruel.
Opposition
The weight of their mission grows heavier; the closer they get to Portsmouth, the more they bond with Meadows, and the more impossible their duty becomes emotionally.
Collapse
Meadows attempts to escape in a park, but doesn't run—he just walks away slowly, symbolizing the death of hope and the futility of resistance against the system.
Crisis
Buddusky and Mulhall recapture Meadows easily; they face the dark reality that their compassion cannot save him from the institution they serve.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
The escorts accept they must complete their duty despite their feelings; they understand the system is unjust but they are powerless to change it.
Synthesis
They deliver Meadows to Portsmouth Naval Prison; the bureaucratic handoff is cold and final, contrasting sharply with the humanity they shared on the journey.
Transformation
Buddusky and Mulhall walk away from the prison, back to their duty, but fundamentally changed—aware of the system's cruelty yet complicit in it.