U Turn
When Bobby's car breaks down in the desert while on the run from some of the bookies who have already taken two of his fingers, he becomes trapped in the nearby small town where the people are stranger than anyone he's encountered. After becoming involved with a (unbeknownst to him) young married woman, her husband hires Bobby to kill her. Later, she hires Bobby to kill the husband.
The film commercial failure against its mid-range budget of $19.0M, earning $6.7M globally (-65% loss). While initial box office returns were modest, the film has gained appreciation for its innovative storytelling within the crime genre.
1 win & 2 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%)
U Turn (1997) showcases precise narrative architecture, characteristic of Oliver Stone's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 2 hours and 5 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.4, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 2 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Bobby Cooper drives through the desert, his radiator hose bursts. A man fleeing his past, literally broken down before reaching his destination of Las Vegas.. Significantly, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 15 minutes when Bobby meets Grace McKenna at the diner. Her beauty and seductive nature immediately complicate his simple plan to fix his car and leave. She represents a new danger.. 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 31 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This shows the protagonist's commitment to Bobby actively chooses to sleep with Grace and enter her world, despite warnings. He crosses from trying to escape Superior into being entangled in its web of manipulation and violence., moving from reaction to action.
At 63 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Of particular interest, this crucial beat False victory: Bobby believes he's figured out how to play Grace and Jake against each other, getting paid without killing anyone. But the stakes raise - he's now deeply implicated and both spouses know he's double-dealing. The noose tightens., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 94 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Bobby kills Jake in self-defense, crossing the point of no return. The "whiff of death" is literal - he's now a murderer trapped in Superior with a body and no way out. His innocence dies., illustrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 101 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 81% of the runtime. Bobby discovers the truth: Grace and Jake were working together all along to set him up as a patsy. The revelation gives him clarity but no escape - he's been manipulated from the start, just as he tried to manipulate others., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
U Turn'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 U Turn against these established plot points, we can identify how Oliver Stone utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish U Turn within the crime genre.
Oliver Stone's Structural Approach
Among the 15 Oliver Stone films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.1, reflecting strong command of classical structure. U Turn represents one of the director's most structurally precise works. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Oliver Stone filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional crime films include The Bad Guys, Batman Forever and 12 Rounds. For more Oliver Stone analyses, see JFK, Any Given Sunday and Platoon.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Bobby Cooper drives through the desert, his radiator hose bursts. A man fleeing his past, literally broken down before reaching his destination of Las Vegas.
Theme
Darrell the mechanic tells Bobby: "Once you're in Superior, you're here for good." The theme of inescapable fate is stated.
Worldbuilding
Bobby is stranded in Superior, Arizona. We learn he owes money to dangerous people, needs his car fixed, and encounters the strange inhabitants of this desert trap: the volatile mechanic Darrell, the blind man, and various hostile locals.
Disruption
Bobby meets Grace McKenna at the diner. Her beauty and seductive nature immediately complicate his simple plan to fix his car and leave. She represents a new danger.
Resistance
Bobby resists getting involved but circumstances trap him: he has no money for repairs, gets beaten by locals, loses his bag. Grace pursues him. He debates whether to stay or find another way out.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Bobby actively chooses to sleep with Grace and enter her world, despite warnings. He crosses from trying to escape Superior into being entangled in its web of manipulation and violence.
Mirror World
Jake McKenna (Grace's husband) propositions Bobby to kill Grace for money. This relationship mirrors Bobby's own moral corruption - Jake offers Bobby exactly what he needs (money) in exchange for becoming a murderer.
Premise
The "promise of the premise" - noir double-crosses and shifting allegiances. Grace asks Bobby to kill Jake. Bobby plays both sides, trying to manipulate the situation for money without committing murder. Sexual tension and violence escalate.
Midpoint
False victory: Bobby believes he's figured out how to play Grace and Jake against each other, getting paid without killing anyone. But the stakes raise - he's now deeply implicated and both spouses know he's double-dealing. The noose tightens.
Opposition
Everything intensifies: Jenny (another local) becomes involved, Sheriff Potter grows suspicious, the violence escalates. Bobby's manipulations backfire. Grace and Jake both turn more dangerous. Every escape attempt fails.
Collapse
Bobby kills Jake in self-defense, crossing the point of no return. The "whiff of death" is literal - he's now a murderer trapped in Superior with a body and no way out. His innocence dies.
Crisis
Dark night: Bobby and Grace dispose of the body. Bobby realizes he's completely trapped - by the murder, by Grace, by the town itself. He processes that every choice has led him deeper into hell.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Bobby discovers the truth: Grace and Jake were working together all along to set him up as a patsy. The revelation gives him clarity but no escape - he's been manipulated from the start, just as he tried to manipulate others.
Synthesis
The finale: Bobby confronts Grace, the final violent confrontation unfolds. He attempts to fight back against his fate but Superior's web - the Sheriff, the locals, the very town - closes around him completely.
Transformation
Bobby dies in Superior, killed by the same forces he tried to manipulate. The closing image mirrors the opening: another drifter's car breaks down entering Superior. The cycle continues. Bobby's transformation is complete corruption to death - no escape from fate.