The Miracle Club
There's just one dream for the women of Ballygar to taste freedom: to win a pilgrimage to the sacred French town of Lourdes.
The film earned $6.8M 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 Miracle Club (2023) showcases meticulously timed story structure, characteristic of Thaddeus O'Sullivan's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 11-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 30 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 6.8, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes The Miracle Club ladies in 1960s Dublin gather for their weekly meetings, entering raffle tickets hoping to win a pilgrimage to Lourdes. Lily, Eileen, and Dolly live simple, working-class lives bound by routine and faith.. Structural examination shows that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 11 minutes when Chrissie returns from America for her mother's funeral. Her presence immediately creates tension, especially with Lily, revealing a deep, unresolved conflict from the past. The confrontation at the funeral disrupts the status quo.. 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.
At 45 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Significantly, this crucial beat A confrontation forces the central conflict into the open. The truth about what happened 40 years ago begins to surface: Lily blames Chrissie for a tragedy involving Lily's husband. The stakes raise as false hope for easy reconciliation shatters., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 68 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, The devastating truth is fully revealed: the affair, the betrayal, and the loss that destroyed Lily's life. Chrissie admits her role and the guilt she's carried for 40 years. Lily, confronted with the full story, breaks down. All hope for reconciliation seems lost., reveals the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Synthesis at 72 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. The finale: Lily and Chrissie reconcile, speaking honest truth and granting forgiveness. The women support each other through their respective struggles. They participate in the final Lourdes ceremonies together, united. Return to Dublin transforms their relationships and futures., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
The Miracle Club's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 11 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs systematic plot point analysis that identifies crucial turning points. By mapping The Miracle Club against these established plot points, we can identify how Thaddeus O'Sullivan utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish The Miracle Club within the comedy genre.
Comparative Analysis
Additional comedy films include The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, The Bad Guys and Lake Placid.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
The Miracle Club ladies in 1960s Dublin gather for their weekly meetings, entering raffle tickets hoping to win a pilgrimage to Lourdes. Lily, Eileen, and Dolly live simple, working-class lives bound by routine and faith.
Theme
Father Mulligan speaks about forgiveness and letting go of the past, stating that miracles aren't always about physical healing but about healing the heart. This establishes the film's central theme of reconciliation.
Worldbuilding
Introduction to 1960s Dublin community: Lily caring for her troubled son Daniel, Eileen's sharp wit and guardedness, Dolly's naivety and pregnant daughter Tess. The tight-knit community is disrupted by news that Chrissie, who left 40 years ago, is returning for her mother's funeral.
Disruption
Chrissie returns from America for her mother's funeral. Her presence immediately creates tension, especially with Lily, revealing a deep, unresolved conflict from the past. The confrontation at the funeral disrupts the status quo.
Resistance
The women learn they've won the Lourdes pilgrimage, but Chrissie claims one of the tickets as her mother's. Debate ensues about whether to travel together. Lily resists but is pressured by circumstances. Preparations and reluctant acceptance of the journey.
Act II
ConfrontationPremise
The promise of the premise: experiencing Lourdes. The women participate in baths, processions, and prayers. Moments of levity and bonding contrast with underlying tension. Each seeks her own miracle: Lily for Daniel, Eileen for her secret pain, Dolly for her daughter, Chrissie for forgiveness.
Midpoint
A confrontation forces the central conflict into the open. The truth about what happened 40 years ago begins to surface: Lily blames Chrissie for a tragedy involving Lily's husband. The stakes raise as false hope for easy reconciliation shatters.
Opposition
Tensions escalate. The women's secrets emerge: Eileen reveals her terminal illness, Dolly faces harsh judgment about her daughter. Lily's bitterness deepens as she refuses to forgive Chrissie. The group fractures under the weight of pain and truth.
Collapse
The devastating truth is fully revealed: the affair, the betrayal, and the loss that destroyed Lily's life. Chrissie admits her role and the guilt she's carried for 40 years. Lily, confronted with the full story, breaks down. All hope for reconciliation seems lost.
Crisis
Dark night of the soul. Lily isolates herself, wrestling with decades of anger and grief. The other women sit vigil, processing their own pain. The question hangs: can forgiveness happen, or will this wound remain open forever?
Act III
ResolutionSynthesis
The finale: Lily and Chrissie reconcile, speaking honest truth and granting forgiveness. The women support each other through their respective struggles. They participate in the final Lourdes ceremonies together, united. Return to Dublin transforms their relationships and futures.