Save the Cat rankings

BONFIRE OF THE VANITIES script analysis

BONFIRE OF THE VANITIES script - Save the Cat beat sheet analysis

Bond trader Sherman McCoy’s privileged life collides with a hit-and-run scandal in the Bronx, triggering a media frenzy led by cynical journalist Peter Fallow. As Sherman and his lawyer weigh confessing versus covering up the crime, political forces manipulate the case, leading to his public disgrace. Ultimately, hidden truths and a daring courtroom gambit restore justice, while both men face the costs of ambition and vanity.

75 Save the Cat fit score 42% analysis confidence / 72 parsed scenes

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1

Opening Image

Scene 1 / Page 1 / 1% target

30%

Aerial night shot of Manhattan sets a glossy but impersonal tone, foreshadowing the high-stakes urban drama.

2

Theme Stated

Scene 2 / Page 1 / 5% target

35%

Peter Fallow’s narration about ‘heat’ and ‘brilliance’ hints at the glare of public scrutiny and moral exposure.

Yes. We're getting closer. Can you feel it. Can you see it? The heat. The brilliance. Moving fast...
3

Set-Up

Scenes 5-7 / Pages 1-2 / 10% target

40%

We meet Sherman’s strained family life, his status as a bond trader, and his fallible ego as he struggles with a walk and a wrong number.

I am taking the dog for a walk.
4

Catalyst

Scene 19 / Page 3 / 12% target

45%

Sherman and Maria literally run over a body, igniting the central conflict of guilt and cover-up.

Sherman! What's that?!
5

Debate

Scenes 20-21 / Pages 3-4 / 20% target

43%

Sherman and Maria debate reporting the accident but decide to lie, weighing conscience against self-preservation.

I wonder if we should report this to the police.
6

Break into Two

Scene 21 / Page 4 / 25% target

40%

They formally resolve not to involve police, committing to the cover-up that drives Act Two.

Neither did I. So if the question ever comes up, all that happened was, two boys blocked the...
7

B Story

Scene 34 / Page 6 / 30% target

38%

Peter Fallow is recruited to publicize Henry Lamb’s hit-and-run, launching the journalistic subplot.

A poor, innocent black kid, walking down the street, minding his own business. And boom! Hit and run....
8

Fun and Games

Scenes 39-41 / Pages 7-8 / 40% target

40%

Fallow navigates the Bronx housing project and media spectacle, showcasing the ‘muckraking’ thrills.

Peter Fallow, from City Light.
9

Midpoint

Scene 42 / Page 8 / 50% target

44%

Abe Weiss’s furious order to ‘trace the fucking car’ raises stakes: it’s no longer just cover-up, but a full political war.

Just trace the fucking car.
10

Bad Guys Close In

Scene 44 / Page 9 / 65% target

42%

Weiss’s office plans to ‘nail the wasp’ (Sherman) politically, tightening pressure on the protagonist.

You mean, we nail the wasp.
11

All Is Lost

Scene 55 / Page 12 / 75% target

43%

Sherman’s arraignment, public apology, and erratic behavior represent his rock-bottom humiliation.

I am very sorry. Please forgive me.
12

Dark Night of the Soul

Scene 68 / Page 16 / 80% target

40%

Alone in his empty apartment, Sherman confronts the wreckage of his life and shattered pride.

I usually come in the back way now.
13

Break into Three

Scene 69 / Page 17 / 85% target

45%

Maria’s perjured testimony is undone by Sherman’s hidden tape, offering a path to redemption.

I am ordering the indictment dismissed in the interests of justice.
14

Finale

Scene 70 / Page 17 / 95% target

41%

Sherman and the judge fight through the mob with a statue’s sword, physically reclaiming justice.

Thanks. I needed that.
15

Final Image

Scene 72 / Page 18 / 99% target

38%

Henry Lamb awakens from coma, bookending with innocence restored amid the aftermath of vanity’s collapse.