What a Way to Go!
This black comedy opens with Louisa Foster donating a multimillion dollar check to the IRS. The tax department thinks she's crazy and sends her to a psychiatrist. She then discusses her four marriages, in which all of her husbands became incredibly rich and died prematurely because of their drive to be rich.
The film struggled financially against its mid-range budget of $20.0M, earning $13.3M globally (-34% loss). While initial box office returns were modest, the film has gained appreciation for its unique voice within the comedy genre.
Nominated for 2 Oscars. 1 win & 7 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%)
What a Way to Go! (1964) exemplifies precise narrative architecture, characteristic of J. Lee Thompson's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 51 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 6.3, the film takes an unconventional approach to traditional narrative frameworks.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Louisa arrives at the IRS office in a luxurious black dress, desperate to give away her $211 million fortune - establishing her as a woman burdened by unwanted wealth.. Significantly, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 13 minutes when In flashback, young Louisa chooses to marry the poor but honest Edgar Hopper over wealthy Leonard Crawley, defying her mother's wishes and launching her into what she believes will be a simple, happy life.. 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 28 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This shows the protagonist's commitment to Edgar dies from exhaustion after achieving massive success, leaving Louisa a wealthy widow. She inherits his fortune and must now navigate life as a rich woman - the opposite of everything she wanted., moving from reaction to action.
At 56 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Of particular interest, this crucial beat After Rod Anderson's death, Louisa realizes the pattern: every man she loves becomes successful and dies. This is a false defeat - she believes she is cursed and that love inevitably leads to tragedy and unwanted wealth., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 83 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Pinky Benson dies after achieving fame, leaving Louisa with yet another fortune. She has now lost four husbands and accumulated $211 million. Her spirit is completely broken - she sees herself as a "black widow" who destroys everyone she loves., illustrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 89 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Dr. Stephanson helps Louisa realize that the deaths were coincidental, not caused by her love. She is not cursed - she has simply had extraordinarily bad luck. This realization frees her from guilt., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
What a Way to Go!'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 What a Way to Go! against these established plot points, we can identify how J. Lee Thompson utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish What a Way to Go! within the comedy genre.
J. Lee Thompson's Structural Approach
Among the 13 J. Lee Thompson films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.1, reflecting strong command of classical structure. What a Way to Go! takes a more unconventional approach compared to the director's typical style. For comparative analysis, explore the complete J. Lee Thompson filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional comedy films include The Bad Guys, Ella Enchanted and The Evening Star. For more J. Lee Thompson analyses, see The Greek Tycoon, Happy Birthday to Me and Battle for the Planet of the Apes.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Louisa arrives at the IRS office in a luxurious black dress, desperate to give away her $211 million fortune - establishing her as a woman burdened by unwanted wealth.
Theme
The psychiatrist Dr. Stephanson asks why she wants to give away her fortune, prompting Louisa to explain that money has brought her nothing but tragedy - articulating the theme that wealth corrupts simple happiness.
Worldbuilding
The framing device is established: Louisa recounts her tragic romantic history to Dr. Stephanson. We learn of her small-town origins, her mother's obsession with wealth, and Louisa's own desire for a simple life with a poor man.
Disruption
In flashback, young Louisa chooses to marry the poor but honest Edgar Hopper over wealthy Leonard Crawley, defying her mother's wishes and launching her into what she believes will be a simple, happy life.
Resistance
Louisa and Edgar build their modest life together. But Edgar becomes consumed by ambition, building a business empire. Despite Louisa's pleas for simplicity, Edgar works himself to death after becoming a millionaire - the first tragic pattern emerges.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Edgar dies from exhaustion after achieving massive success, leaving Louisa a wealthy widow. She inherits his fortune and must now navigate life as a rich woman - the opposite of everything she wanted.
Mirror World
Louisa meets struggling Parisian painter Larry Flint, who embodies the artistic, simple life she craves. Their romance represents her hope that true love can exist without wealth corrupting it.
Premise
The "fun and games" unfolds as a darkly comic anthology: Louisa marries Larry the painter (who becomes a famous artist and dies), then Rod Anderson the tycoon (who dies in a bizarre accident). Each marriage follows the same ironic pattern - she seeks poverty but inherits millions.
Midpoint
After Rod Anderson's death, Louisa realizes the pattern: every man she loves becomes successful and dies. This is a false defeat - she believes she is cursed and that love inevitably leads to tragedy and unwanted wealth.
Opposition
Louisa retreats from love but eventually meets entertainer Pinky Benson. Despite her fears, she marries him. The pattern intensifies: Pinky achieves stardom and, like the others, dies tragically. Each death compounds her guilt and despair.
Collapse
Pinky Benson dies after achieving fame, leaving Louisa with yet another fortune. She has now lost four husbands and accumulated $211 million. Her spirit is completely broken - she sees herself as a "black widow" who destroys everyone she loves.
Crisis
Louisa finishes recounting her story to Dr. Stephanson. She is consumed by guilt and despair, convinced she can never love again without causing death. She resolves to give away all her money and live alone forever.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Dr. Stephanson helps Louisa realize that the deaths were coincidental, not caused by her love. She is not cursed - she has simply had extraordinarily bad luck. This realization frees her from guilt.
Synthesis
Dr. Stephanson and Louisa fall in love. He promises to remain poor forever, giving up his practice. They marry, and Louisa finally believes she has found the simple, modest life she always wanted.
Transformation
In the final ironic twist, Dr. Stephanson's book about Louisa becomes a bestseller, making them wealthy once again. But this time, Louisa laughs - she has transformed from fighting fate to accepting it with joy and love.