Save the Cat rankings

WALL STREET script analysis

WALL STREET script - Save the Cat beat sheet analysis

Bud Fox, an ambitious young trader, navigates the ruthless world of Wall Street, landing a coveted mentor in Gordon Gekko. As Bud’s success—and moral compromise—escalate, he faces betrayal, family crisis, and personal reckoning. Ultimately, he must choose between wealth and integrity and mounts a comeback to salvage both.

85 Save the Cat fit score 75% analysis confidence / 78 parsed scenes

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1

Opening Image

Scene 1 / Page 1 / 1% target

80%

Introduces the frenetic Wall Street trading floor at dawn, setting the tone of financial ambition.

2

Theme Stated

Scene 6 / 5% target

70%

Office production is down ten percent—hinting that success at any cost is the driving theme.

Attention. Please. Office Production is down ten percent this week. I recommend that you all go through your...
3

Set-Up

Scenes 2-9 / 10% target

70%

We meet Bud’s everyday life: crowded commute, struggling in a broker’s office, and family dynamics with his father.

4

Catalyst

Scene 13 / 12% target

80%

Bud finally meets Gekko and wins his first big order, propelling him into a new world.

Alright Bud Fox... buy me twenty thousand shares of Bluestar. No more than 15 1/8, 3/8 tops, and...
5

Debate

Scene 16 / 20% target

70%

Bud’s attempt at normal social life fails, underscoring his insecurity and the lure of Gekko’s world.

Look, I know you get approached a lot by dubious men, but I'm different, I never talk to...
6

Break into Two

Scene 27 / 25% target

80%

Bud commits fully to Gekko’s insider trading plan, crossing into Act Two.

7

B Story

Scene 22 / 30% target

70%

Bud’s budding romance with Darien provides emotional stakes outside finance.

8

Fun and Games

Scenes 23-33 / 40% target

80%

Montage of Bud learning, partying with Gekko, and reaping rewards—‘the thrill of victory.’

9

Midpoint

Scene 36 / 50% target

90%

Gekko’s famous “Greed is good” speech cements the high-stakes world Bud is in.

The point is, ladies and gentlemen, greed is good. Greed works, greed is right.
10

Bad Guys Close In

Scenes 51-52 / 65% target

80%

Bud discovers Gekko’s liquidation plan and feels used as Gekko cuts him loose.

It's all about bucks, kid, the rest is conversation...
11

All Is Lost

Scene 58 / 75% target

80%

Bud learns his father has a heart attack—his personal and moral world collapses.

12

Dark Night of the Soul

Scene 60 / 80% target

80%

In the hospital, Bud confronts guilt and despair at having betrayed his family.

13

Break into Three

Scene 63 / 85% target

70%

Bud rallies with union reps to expose Gekko’s corruption, committing to the final push.

14

Finale

Scenes 67-73 / 95% target

80%

Bud leaks Bluestar information, triggers the stock rise, and orchestrates Gekko’s defeat on the trading floor.

15

Final Image

Scene 78 / 99% target

80%

Bud turns himself in outside the Federal Building—full-circle from Opening Image, but with moral clarity.