Save the Cat rankings

187 script analysis

187 script - Save the Cat beat sheet analysis

Former schoolteacher Trevor Garfield rebuilds his life after being stabbed, only to face fresh danger as he takes a substitute position in a gang-ridden L.A. high school. He forms a bond with fellow teacher Ellen Henry and works to help troubled students, but escalating violence leads to tragic confrontations. In the end, Trevor’s past and present collide in a fatal standoff that tests the price of choices.

75 Save the Cat fit score 30% analysis confidence / 107 parsed scenes

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1

Opening Image

Scene 1 / Page 1 / 1% target

50%

Trevor riding his bike across the Brooklyn Bridge establishes his confident, energetic life before everything changes.

2

Theme Stated

Scene 17 / Page 2 / 5% target

45%

Trevor’s prayer—“If you’re listening, God, please help me today”—hints at faith and the idea that one’s actions carry moral weight.

... If you're listening, God, please help me today. All I ask is a chance to do my...
3

Set-Up

Scenes 3-10 / Pages 2-4 / 10% target

40%

We see Trevor as a dedicated teacher at Roosevelt Whitney High, introducing his teaching style and rapport with students before the inciting attack.

4

Catalyst

Scene 13 / Page 5 / 12% target

50%

Dennis Broadway stabs Trevor in the stairwell, shattering his safe world and sending him into recovery.

5

Debate

Scenes 14-16 / Pages 6-7 / 20% target

45%

Seventeen months later, Trevor wrestles with doubt about returning to teaching as he receives the substitute assignment call.

6

Break into Two

Scene 16 / Page 7 / 25% target

50%

Trevor accepts the four-day science substitute gig at John Quincy Adams High, committing to Act Two.

There's a science class in the Valley at John Quincy Adams. It's a four day assignment. Teacher's name...
7

B Story

Scene 21 / Page 8 / 30% target

40%

Trevor encounters Ellen Henry teaching in the computer lab, planting the seeds of their supportive relationship.

... 'Scuse me. I'm lost. I'm looking for Bungalow... eighty-six.
8

Fun and Games

Scenes 26-30 / Pages 9-12 / 40% target

50%

Trevor navigates chaotic substitute teaching in the bungalows, showcasing his unique methods and bonding moments, including his growing rapport with Ellen.

9

Midpoint

Scene 31 / Page 12 / 50% target

45%

Benny Chacon shoots a tagger under the LA River overpass—an irreversible act that raises the stakes.

10

Bad Guys Close In

Scenes 32-37 / Pages 12-15 / 65% target

40%

Benny disappears, Trevor and Ellen investigate, confront disciplinary hurdles, and the threat in the school environment intensifies.

11

All Is Lost

Scene 58 / Page 19 / 75% target

50%

Trevor discovers his dog Jack strangled to death—his personal sanctuary is brutally violated.

12

Dark Night of the Soul

Scene 61 / Page 19 / 80% target

45%

In a tense conversation with Ellen, Trevor confronts guilt and despair over recent tragedies.

I know about what's not fair. I left part of my lung in a damn hospital because some...
13

Break into Three

Scene 68 / Page 21 / 85% target

45%

Cesar wakes in underpass to find his finger severed—Trevor’s taped intervention has spurred the gangs into full retaliation.

My finger. Please, somebody help me! Where's my finger?!
14

Finale

Scenes 102-104 / Pages 27-28 / 95% target

50%

The gang invades Trevor’s home, leading to the climactic Russian roulette where Trevor and Cesar both die, resolving the violent arc.

15

Final Image

Scene 107 / Page 29 / 99% target

40%

Ellen discards her teaching credential in the empty computer lab, mirroring the opening’s promise of hope now irrevocably changed.