Save the Cat rankings

Midnight Cowboy script analysis

Midnight Cowboy script - Save the Cat beat sheet analysis

Joe Buck arrives in New York full of ambition but quickly struggles with loneliness and exploitation. He forms an uneasy partnership with the streetwise Ratso Rizzo and hustles wealthy women, only to face repeated failures. As their relationship deepens, Joe confronts his own vulnerabilities and losses. Ultimately, a journey to Florida becomes their last hope.

30 Save the Cat fit score 12% analysis confidence / 224 parsed scenes

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1

Opening Image

Scene 1 / Page 1 / 1% target

10%

Introduces Joe walking Sixth Avenue, establishing his lone cowboy figure in the city.

Tonight we'll discuss a subject most of us seem to consider either bad taste or frivolous or funny....
2

Theme Stated

Scenes 1-3 / Page 1 / 5% target

10%

TV studio panel discusses crisis of masculinity, foreshadowing Joe’s search for identity and acceptance.

Tonight we'll discuss a subject most of us seem to consider either bad taste or frivolous or funny....
3

Set-Up

Scenes 1-6 / Page 1 / 10% target

11%

We see Joe’s day-to‐day: washing his feet in a men’s room, attacking Towny, observing nightlife—establishing his skills, naiveté and environment.

4

Catalyst

Scene 2 / 12% target

11%

Joe meets Towny in the arcade—the inciting meeting that sets their partnership in motion.

Say, look, uh, I gotta have a word with you, if you got a second.
5

Debate

Scenes 2-4 / 20% target

11%

Joe hesitates as he navigates all-night cafeterias and Greyhound terminals, questioning whether he can survive in New York.

6

Break into Two

Scene 4 / 25% target

10%

Joe fully commits to hustling as the “Midnight Cowboy” on Forty-Second Street, entering Act Two’s world of urban hustling.

You ain't coming to work?
7

B Story

Scene 6 / 30% target

10%

Joe and Ratso deepen their bond on the bus, Ratso sharing his dream of going to Florida—introducing the emotional throughline.

But I'll bet you got one thing in common with them other boys. I'll bet you're lonesome.
8

Fun and Games

Scenes 7-10 / 40% target

10%

Montage of Joe’s hustles: flirting at sidewalk cafés, bungled bar encounters, working cafeterias—showing the ‘promise of the premise.’

9

Midpoint

Scene 10 / 50% target

10%

Joe finally secures a paid encounter with Shirley at the MacAlbertsons’ party, raising stakes emotionally and financially.

10

Bad Guys Close In

Scene evidence pending / 65% target

10%

Repeated humiliations—eviction from Barbizon, failed calls to Shirley—erode Joe’s confidence, Ratso’s health deteriorates.

11

All Is Lost

Scenes 163-165 / 75% target

10%

After being thrown out of the Barbizon and destitute on Sixth Avenue, Joe and Ratso hit rock bottom.

12

Dark Night of the Soul

Scenes 166-170 / 80% target

10%

In their condemned tenement, they listen to a dying radio and face their bleak future—Ratso’s illness and Joe’s isolation.

13

Break into Three

Scenes 171-174 / 85% target

10%

Deciding on one last chance, they plan to go to Florida—Joe sells his blood and packs, forming their final act plan.

14

Finale

Scenes 175-185 / 95% target

10%

Their journey to Florida unfolds: cemetery visit, final party escort for Shirley, Joe’s dedication to care for dying Ratso illustrates transformation.

15

Final Image

Scenes 231-235 / 99% target

10%

Joe awakens on the bus to find Ratso dead, shedding his cowboy clothes as he carries Ratso’s body towards the horizon—closing the emotional circle.