The Sentinel
Veteran Secret Service agent Pete Garrison investigates a colleague's murder and is subsequently framed as a mole in an assassination attempt on the President due to the machinations of a blackmailer who knows the secret he is hiding. Disgraced, dismissed, and now a fugitive with two relentless federal investigators hot on his heels, Garrison must both clear his name and save the president from assassination.
Working with a respectable budget of $60.0M, the film achieved a respectable showing with $78.8M in global revenue (+31% profit margin).
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 Sentinel (2006) demonstrates precise narrative architecture, characteristic of Clark Johnson's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 48 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.7, the film showcases strong structural fundamentals.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Pete Garrison stands vigilant on protection detail for the President, embodying the dedicated Secret Service agent at the height of his career. He's the hero who took a bullet for Reagan, respected but living with secrets.. The analysis reveals that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 12 minutes when Pete's friend and fellow agent Charlie Merriweather is murdered after warning him about a mole inside the Secret Service. Pete discovers he's being targeted and the conspiracy runs deep.. 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 27 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This shows the protagonist's commitment to Pete fails the polygraph test due to his affair with the First Lady. He becomes the prime suspect as the mole and is forced to go on the run to prove his innocence and protect the President., moving from reaction to action.
At 53 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Notably, this crucial beat Pete discovers evidence of the real assassination plot during the G8 Summit in Toronto, but David and the team nearly capture him. The stakes raise as the timeline for the assassination accelerates and Pete's window to prove his innocence narrows., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 80 minutes (74% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Pete is cornered and captured by David in a confrontation where he cannot prove his innocence. His career is destroyed, his reputation ruined, and the President remains in danger. The First Lady's trust in him is shattered when his affair is exposed., indicates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 86 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. A crucial piece of evidence emerges that confirms Pete's theory about the mole's identity and the assassination plan. David realizes Pete was telling the truth and they must work together to stop the attack at the G8 Summit., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
The Sentinel's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs proven narrative structure principles that track dramatic progression. By mapping The Sentinel against these established plot points, we can identify how Clark Johnson utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish The Sentinel within the action genre.
Clark Johnson's Structural Approach
Among the 2 Clark Johnson films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.3, reflecting strong command of classical structure. The Sentinel represents one of the director's most structurally precise works. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Clark Johnson filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional action films include The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, The Bad Guys and Lake Placid. For more Clark Johnson analyses, see S.W.A.T..
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Pete Garrison stands vigilant on protection detail for the President, embodying the dedicated Secret Service agent at the height of his career. He's the hero who took a bullet for Reagan, respected but living with secrets.
Theme
A fellow agent discusses trust and loyalty within the Secret Service: "We protect the President with our lives because we trust each other completely." The theme of betrayal and trust is established.
Worldbuilding
Introduction to Secret Service protocols, Pete's affair with the First Lady, his strained relationship with former partner David Breckinridge, and the elite world of presidential protection. The close-knit but hierarchical culture is established.
Disruption
Pete's friend and fellow agent Charlie Merriweather is murdered after warning him about a mole inside the Secret Service. Pete discovers he's being targeted and the conspiracy runs deep.
Resistance
Pete debates whether to reveal his affair while being investigated. David Breckinridge and rookie agent Jill Marin investigate the murder. Pete tries to navigate the investigation while protecting his secrets and determining who to trust.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Pete fails the polygraph test due to his affair with the First Lady. He becomes the prime suspect as the mole and is forced to go on the run to prove his innocence and protect the President.
Mirror World
Pete's relationship with rookie agent Jill Marin deepens as she begins to question whether he's truly guilty. She represents the idealistic belief in the system that Pete has lost, mirroring the theme of trust.
Premise
The fugitive Secret Service agent thriller premise unfolds. Pete uses his insider knowledge to evade capture while investigating the real conspiracy. David hunts his former partner. Cat-and-mouse surveillance, tradecraft, and the promise of the political thriller genre.
Midpoint
Pete discovers evidence of the real assassination plot during the G8 Summit in Toronto, but David and the team nearly capture him. The stakes raise as the timeline for the assassination accelerates and Pete's window to prove his innocence narrows.
Opposition
The assassins close in and make an attempt on the President. Pete's isolation increases as evidence mounts against him. David's pursuit intensifies. The conspiracy tightens around Pete while the President moves toward the summit where the real attack is planned.
Collapse
Pete is cornered and captured by David in a confrontation where he cannot prove his innocence. His career is destroyed, his reputation ruined, and the President remains in danger. The First Lady's trust in him is shattered when his affair is exposed.
Crisis
Pete, detained and disgraced, faces the dark realization that he may not be able to save the President. He struggles with the personal cost of his choices while David grapples with whether to believe his former partner.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
A crucial piece of evidence emerges that confirms Pete's theory about the mole's identity and the assassination plan. David realizes Pete was telling the truth and they must work together to stop the attack at the G8 Summit.
Synthesis
Pete and David reunite their partnership to expose the real traitor and thwart the assassination at the G8 Summit. Combining Pete's insider knowledge with David's investigative skills, they identify and confront the mole, leading to a climactic shootout to protect the President.
Transformation
Pete, vindicated but forever changed, quietly exits the Secret Service. He stands watch one final time, but now as an outsider looking in. His sacrifice preserved the office but cost him everything personal—a lonely hero who chose duty over happiness.