Wag the Dog
During the final weeks of a presidential race, the President is accused of sexual misconduct. To distract the public until the election, the President's adviser hires a Hollywood producer to help him stage a fake war.
Despite a respectable budget of $15.0M, Wag the Dog became a box office success, earning $64.3M worldwide—a 328% return.
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%)
Wag the Dog (1997) showcases meticulously timed plot construction, characteristic of Barry Levinson's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 12-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 37 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 6.7, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Conrad Brean is summoned to the White House as a crisis management specialist, establishing his role as the fixer who operates in the shadows of political power.. Significantly, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 12 minutes when Brean learns the President has been accused of sexual misconduct with a Firefly Girl eleven days before the election, creating an existential threat to the presidency that demands immediate action.. 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 49 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Of particular interest, this crucial beat The CIA announces the war is over, threatening to unravel their entire fabrication. What seemed like a successful manipulation now faces potential exposure and failure., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 73 minutes (76% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, The real Schumann, a psychotic convict, dies unexpectedly during transport. The lynchpin of their entire operation is dead, and their elaborate scheme appears ready to collapse completely., illustrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Synthesis at 78 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 81% of the runtime. The team orchestrates a massive state funeral for the "fallen hero." The President wins re-election. But Stanley's fatal flaw—his need for credit—leads Brean to have him eliminated to protect the secret., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Wag the Dog's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 12 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs systematic plot point analysis that identifies crucial turning points. By mapping Wag the Dog against these established plot points, we can identify how Barry Levinson utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Wag the Dog within the comedy genre.
Barry Levinson's Structural Approach
Among the 14 Barry Levinson films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.0, reflecting strong command of classical structure. Wag the Dog takes a more unconventional approach compared to the director's typical style. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Barry Levinson filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional comedy films include The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, The Bad Guys and Lake Placid. For more Barry Levinson analyses, see Envy, Sleepers and Man of the Year.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Conrad Brean is summoned to the White House as a crisis management specialist, establishing his role as the fixer who operates in the shadows of political power.
Theme
Winifred Ames states the core principle: "It's not a lie if you believe it." This encapsulates the film's exploration of perception versus reality and the malleability of truth in media.
Worldbuilding
The film establishes the world of political spin, media manipulation, and crisis management. We see the ruthless pragmatism of Washington insiders and the machinery of public relations.
Disruption
Brean learns the President has been accused of sexual misconduct with a Firefly Girl eleven days before the election, creating an existential threat to the presidency that demands immediate action.
Resistance
Brean develops his strategy to "change the story" and "wag the dog" by creating a distraction. He debates options and prepares to bring in Hollywood producer Stanley Motss to fabricate a war.
Act II
ConfrontationPremise
The fun of fabricating a war: creating the Albanian girl running with a cat video, composing patriotic songs, designing merchandise, and watching their manufactured story dominate the news cycle.
Midpoint
The CIA announces the war is over, threatening to unravel their entire fabrication. What seemed like a successful manipulation now faces potential exposure and failure.
Opposition
The team must pivot and create "Old Shoe" Schumann, a fictional POW hero, to extend the war narrative. CIA operative Young pressures them, and complications multiply as they struggle to maintain the illusion.
Collapse
The real Schumann, a psychotic convict, dies unexpectedly during transport. The lynchpin of their entire operation is dead, and their elaborate scheme appears ready to collapse completely.
Crisis
The team processes the catastrophic loss. Stanley is devastated that his production has fallen apart. Brean must decide whether to abandon the operation or find yet another way to spin the disaster.
Act III
ResolutionSynthesis
The team orchestrates a massive state funeral for the "fallen hero." The President wins re-election. But Stanley's fatal flaw—his need for credit—leads Brean to have him eliminated to protect the secret.
Transformation
News reports Stanley Motss died of a heart attack. The fixer has eliminated the artist, the truth is buried, and the machinery of power continues. Reality has been successfully replaced by fabrication.