Wise Guys
Harry Valentini and Moe Dickstein are goons for the Newark mob boss Castelo. They are sent to the race track to place a bet on a horse but screw it up by betting on the wrong horse. Now they owe $250,000 but they separately get an offer to work it off; by killing the other one. Together they go off to Atlantic City where Harry's mobster uncle Mike may be able to bail them out.
The film underperformed commercially against its small-scale budget of $13.0M, earning $8.5M globally (-35% loss). While initial box office returns were modest, the film has gained appreciation for its compelling narrative 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%)
Wise Guys (1986) reveals carefully calibrated story structure, characteristic of Brian De Palma's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 32 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.0, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Harry Valentini and Moe Dickstein are introduced as low-level errand boys in the Newark mob, living their mundane lives running small tasks for boss Tony Castelo, establishing their friendship and their lowly position in the criminal hierarchy.. Structural examination shows that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 11 minutes when Harry and Moe are given a critical assignment: take the boss's money to the track and bet on a specific horse. Harry, thinking he has inside information, bets on a different horse. The boss's horse wins, meaning they've lost Tony Castelo's money.. 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 23 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This shows the protagonist's commitment to Tony Castelo discovers the betrayal and gives both men the same order: kill the other one. Harry and Moe each learn they've been ordered to murder their best friend. Instead of following orders, they choose to run together, becoming fugitives from the mob., moving from reaction to action.
At 46 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Notably, this crucial beat Harry and Moe arrive in Atlantic City with a scheme to win big at the casinos, believing they can make enough money to buy their way out of trouble. It seems like their plan might actually work - a false victory as they temporarily feel in control of their destiny., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 69 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Harry and Moe are cornered and captured by the mob. It appears their run is over - they face execution for their betrayal. The friendship that sustained them seems insufficient against the mob's power. All hope appears lost as they await their fate., demonstrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 74 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Harry realizes they have leverage - information and a bold plan that could turn the tables. Instead of accepting death, they decide to take an audacious gamble, confronting the mob power structure directly with a scheme that uses their inside knowledge against their captors., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Wise Guys's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs systematic plot point analysis that identifies crucial turning points. By mapping Wise Guys against these established plot points, we can identify how Brian De Palma utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Wise Guys within the comedy genre.
Brian De Palma's Structural Approach
Among the 18 Brian De Palma films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 6.7, demonstrating varied approaches to story architecture. Wise Guys represents one of the director's most structurally precise works. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Brian De Palma filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional comedy films include The Bad Guys, Ella Enchanted and The Evening Star. For more Brian De Palma analyses, see Obsession, Carrie and The Black Dahlia.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Harry Valentini and Moe Dickstein are introduced as low-level errand boys in the Newark mob, living their mundane lives running small tasks for boss Tony Castelo, establishing their friendship and their lowly position in the criminal hierarchy.
Theme
A fellow mobster remarks that in their world, loyalty means nothing when money is involved - foreshadowing that Harry and Moe's friendship will be tested by the mob's ruthless code where everyone is expendable.
Worldbuilding
The daily life of Harry and Moe is established as they perform menial tasks for the Castelo crime family. We see their friendship, their bumbling nature, their families, and their desperate desire to move up in the organization despite being treated as disposable lackeys.
Disruption
Harry and Moe are given a critical assignment: take the boss's money to the track and bet on a specific horse. Harry, thinking he has inside information, bets on a different horse. The boss's horse wins, meaning they've lost Tony Castelo's money.
Resistance
Harry and Moe panic about the lost money and try to figure out how to handle the situation. They consider various options including running, confessing, or trying to replace the money. The weight of their mistake hangs over them as they debate their limited choices.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Tony Castelo discovers the betrayal and gives both men the same order: kill the other one. Harry and Moe each learn they've been ordered to murder their best friend. Instead of following orders, they choose to run together, becoming fugitives from the mob.
Mirror World
On the run, Harry and Moe's friendship deepens as they must rely entirely on each other. Their bond represents the film's thematic heart: true loyalty exists between friends, not in the mob's transactional relationships where everyone is ready to betray everyone else.
Premise
Harry and Moe go on a wild adventure as fugitives, staying one step ahead of mob hitmen. They bumble through various comic escapades, their incompetence somehow keeping them alive. They hatch a plan involving Atlantic City where they believe they can turn their luck around.
Midpoint
Harry and Moe arrive in Atlantic City with a scheme to win big at the casinos, believing they can make enough money to buy their way out of trouble. It seems like their plan might actually work - a false victory as they temporarily feel in control of their destiny.
Opposition
The mob closes in on Harry and Moe in Atlantic City. Their casino scheme encounters complications. Multiple hitmen are tracking them, and every attempt to escape or solve their problem creates new dangers. The walls close in as their comic luck begins to run out.
Collapse
Harry and Moe are cornered and captured by the mob. It appears their run is over - they face execution for their betrayal. The friendship that sustained them seems insufficient against the mob's power. All hope appears lost as they await their fate.
Crisis
Held captive and facing death, Harry and Moe contemplate their failed lives and the choices that led them here. Their friendship is their only comfort as they accept what seems to be an inevitable end at the hands of the people they once served.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Harry realizes they have leverage - information and a bold plan that could turn the tables. Instead of accepting death, they decide to take an audacious gamble, confronting the mob power structure directly with a scheme that uses their inside knowledge against their captors.
Synthesis
Harry and Moe execute their desperate final plan, playing different mob factions against each other. Their knowledge as lowly errand boys becomes their greatest asset - they know where all the bodies are buried. Through wit and luck, they engineer their salvation.
Transformation
Harry and Moe emerge free men, their friendship intact and strengthened by their ordeal. No longer trapped as mob lackeys, they've proven that loyalty between friends trumps the mob's code of betrayal. They walk away together, equals at last, masters of their own fate.