What Planet Are You From?
A highly advanced civilization, whose citizens feel no emotion and reproduce by cloning, plans to conquer Earth from the inside by sending an operative, fashioned with a humming, mechanical penis, to impregnate a human and stay until the birth. The alien, Harold Anderson, goes to Phoenix as a banker and sets to work finding a mate. His approaches to women are inept, and the humming phallus doesn't help, but on the advice of a banking colleague, he cruises an A.A. meeting, meets Susan, and somehow convinces her to marry him. The clock starts to tick: will she conceive, have a baby, and lose Harold (and the child) to his planet before he discovers emotion and starts to care?
The film commercial failure against its respectable budget of $60.0M, earning $14.1M globally (-76% loss). While initial box office returns were modest, the film has gained appreciation for its fresh perspective within the comedy genre.
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 Planet Are You From? (2000) exemplifies carefully calibrated story structure, characteristic of Mike Nichols's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 45 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 Harold exists on his emotionless alien planet where all males are clones, devoid of feelings, relationships, or genuine human connection—a sterile existence focused solely on planetary conquest.. The analysis reveals that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 13 minutes when Harold arrives on Earth in Phoenix, Arizona, immediately thrust into an alien world of emotions, sexuality, and human complexity he's wholly unprepared for despite his training.. 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 26 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This illustrates the protagonist's commitment to Harold actively chooses to pursue Susan Hart, a recovering alcoholic he meets at AA, committing to the relationship path rather than casual encounters—beginning his journey into genuine human connection., moving from reaction to action.
At 53 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. The analysis reveals that this crucial beat False victory: Susan is pregnant—Harold's mission is technically accomplished. But unexpectedly, Harold begins experiencing genuine emotions for Susan, complicating everything he thought he understood about his purpose., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 79 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Susan discovers Harold's true alien nature and his original deceptive mission. She leaves him, devastated by the betrayal. Harold faces losing everything—the family he's come to genuinely love and his newfound humanity., demonstrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 84 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Harold realizes his love for Susan and their child is genuine—he chooses humanity over his alien mission. He decides to fight for his family, synthesizing his alien determination with his newly discovered capacity for love., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
What Planet Are You From?'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 What Planet Are You From? against these established plot points, we can identify how Mike Nichols utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish What Planet Are You From? within the comedy genre.
Mike Nichols's Structural Approach
Among the 16 Mike Nichols films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.0, demonstrating varied approaches to story architecture. What Planet Are You From? takes a more unconventional approach compared to the director's typical style. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Mike Nichols filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional comedy films include The Bad Guys, Ella Enchanted and The Evening Star. For more Mike Nichols analyses, see Closer, Primary Colors and Charlie Wilson's War.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Harold exists on his emotionless alien planet where all males are clones, devoid of feelings, relationships, or genuine human connection—a sterile existence focused solely on planetary conquest.
Theme
Graydon, the alien leader, instructs Harold that emotions are weaknesses to be suppressed, inadvertently stating the film's central question: can love and genuine connection transform even the most emotionless being?
Worldbuilding
The alien planet's sterile society is established—emotionless male clones planning conquest through reproduction. Harold is selected and trained for the mission, receiving his humming implant and learning to mimic human behavior.
Disruption
Harold arrives on Earth in Phoenix, Arizona, immediately thrust into an alien world of emotions, sexuality, and human complexity he's wholly unprepared for despite his training.
Resistance
Harold adapts to Earth life as a bank loan officer, guided by coworker Perry who inadvertently teaches him about pursuing women. Harold attends AA meetings as a strategy to meet vulnerable women, revealing his manipulative mission.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Harold actively chooses to pursue Susan Hart, a recovering alcoholic he meets at AA, committing to the relationship path rather than casual encounters—beginning his journey into genuine human connection.
Mirror World
Susan becomes Harold's mirror, representing authentic emotional vulnerability and the human capacity for love that Harold lacks. Her genuine feelings begin teaching him what his planet never could.
Premise
The comedic premise delivers: Harold navigates dating, sex (with his humming genitalia causing confusion), and courtship. He quickly marries Susan and impregnates her while maintaining his alien secret and fending off suspicious FAA investigator Roland Jones.
Midpoint
False victory: Susan is pregnant—Harold's mission is technically accomplished. But unexpectedly, Harold begins experiencing genuine emotions for Susan, complicating everything he thought he understood about his purpose.
Opposition
Pressure mounts from all sides: Roland Jones intensifies his alien investigation, Harold's growing emotions conflict with his mission, his past womanizing catches up with him, and Susan begins suspecting something is deeply wrong with her husband.
Collapse
Susan discovers Harold's true alien nature and his original deceptive mission. She leaves him, devastated by the betrayal. Harold faces losing everything—the family he's come to genuinely love and his newfound humanity.
Crisis
Harold experiences true emotional devastation for the first time—the very feelings his planet warned him against. He must confront whether his transformation is real or if he's still the emotionless being he was programmed to be.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Harold realizes his love for Susan and their child is genuine—he chooses humanity over his alien mission. He decides to fight for his family, synthesizing his alien determination with his newly discovered capacity for love.
Synthesis
Harold proves his transformation to Susan through genuine emotional vulnerability. He defies his alien superiors who want him to return, choosing Earth and family. He helps deliver their baby, fully committing to his new human life.
Transformation
Harold, once an emotionless alien clone, is now a loving husband and father. The final image shows him with Susan and their child—complete emotional transformation from his sterile alien existence to genuine human connection.