Story Structure Analysis: Finding Nemo

Format: Movie
Released: 2003
Screenplay By: Andrew Stanton, Bob Peterson and David Reynolds
Directed By: Andrew Stanton
Run Time: 92 minutes
Character: Marlin the unfunny clownfish
New Role: Oceanic Adventurer

DRAMATIC PHASE ONE: THE SETUP

All of the main characters are introduced. The story world and its mechanics are established.
Foundations are laid for the main throughline, subplots and central conflict.

ACT ONE: DEALING WITH AN IMPERFECT SITUATION

A character in an Imperfect Situation faces Oppressive Opposition as he pursues an Initial
Goal. But when there is a Disturbance to his routine, he faces a Dilemma regarding his
situation and must assume a New Role.
Marlin the neurotic clownfish is overprotective of his son (the imperfect situation) and prevents
him from doing anything fun (oppressive opposition) while trying to protect him from the
dangers of the world (initial goal). But when Nemo and his new friends wander away on their
first day of school and see a boat out over the drop off (the disturbance) Nemo swims out to
touch it against the protests of his dad and is captured by human divers (the dilemma) forcing
Marlin to brave the open sea to rescue him (the new role).
The Imperfect Situation: After losing his wife and all but one of their eggs during a barracuda
attack, Marlin has become overprotective of his one remaining offspring, Nemo. Marlin worries
everything in their environment will harm Nemo and as a result, his upbringing is sheltered.
Initial Goal: Protect Nemo from the dangers of the world/Send him out in the world to go to
school.
Oppressive Opposition: Marlin sees their entire world as a threat to his son’s safety. As a result,
he oppresses Nemo’s desire to do anything remotely fun. He doesn’t want Nemo to go to his first
day of school, and once there insists that he play in the kiddie section.
Turning Point Catalyst – The Disturbance: 11 minutes (11.9%) – Nemo’s class goes to the
dropoff. Nemo and his new friends sneak off from the rest of the class to go to the edge where
they see a butt* anchored out at sea and tease each other about going to touch it.
The other kids swim into the open water. Although Nemo doesn’t, Marlin catches them and
assumes he was. When Marlin tells Nemo he is incapable, Nemo tells him he hates him. While
Marlin is talking with the teacher, Nemo swims out and touches the butt. As he makes his way
back he is captured by human divers and Marlin is blinded by another diver’s camera flash.
Turning Point One – The Dilemma: 16 minutes (17.3%): Marlin swims after the boat but loses
it. He goes asking other fish if they saw where it went. He meets a blue tang Dory who says she
saw it and agrees to show him where it went.
The New Role: Marlin becomes an oceanic explorer.
Act Run Time: 17 minutes (18.4%)

ACT TWO: LEARNING THE RULES OF AN UNFAMILIAR SITUATION

The character Learns the Rules of an Unfamiliar Situation and faces Incidental
Opposition in pursuit of a Transitional Goal. But when he receives a Reality Check, he
makes a Commitment to his New Role.
Act Start Time: 17 minutes (18.4%)
Marlin leaves the safety of the reef (the unfamiliar situation) and meets strange, unhelpful fish
and other creatures (incidental opposition) while trying to track the boat that took his son
(transitional goal). But while we learn Nemo is to be a gift to a human girl with a penchant for
killing fish (the reality check), Marlin and Dory face off with an anglerfish and get the address
Nemo was taken to off the goggles dropped by the divers (the commitment).
The Unfamiliar Situation: Marlin leaves the safety of the reef and enters the depths of the
ocean to find his son. 
Transitional Goal: Find the boat.
Incidental Opposition: No one is initially willing to help Marlin or tell him which way the boat
went. The only fish who helps turns out to have a serious memory problem. Marlin inadvertently
bloodies Dory’s nose and the pair are nearly eaten by a friendly shark who loses his composure
when he smells the blood.
Shark Bait! Hoo Ha Ha!
Turning Point Catalyst – The Reality Check: 25 minutes (27.1%) – Nemo is dropped into the
aquarium at the dentist’s office and meets the Tank Gang. He learns he is to be a present for the
dentist’s niece, Darla who killed her last fish by excessively shaking the bag.
Turning Point Two – The Commitment: 31 minutes (33.6%) – Marlin and Dory awaken to
find the wrecked ship teetering on a dropoff. Startled, Dory drops the mask. She and Marlin go
into the darkness of the sea trench to retrieve it. They encounter an anglerfish and are nearly
eaten, but locate the mask while being pursued. Dory reads the address off it and the pair escape. 
In the middle of the night, Nemo is awoken by the Tank Gang who initiate him into their group.
Shark Bait! Hoo Ha Ha!
Their leader Gill tells them his new escape plan to use Nemo who can fit inside the filter tube.
Act Run Time: 23 minutes (25%) 

DRAMATIC PHASE TWO: CONFRONTATION

The character is thrown in the middle of the Central Conflict and is placed at direct odds with the
forces of antagonism. He undergoes a series of success and failures as he works toward resolving
the main throughline.

ACT THREE: STUMBLING INTO THE CENTRAL CONFLICT

The character stumbles into the Central Conflict and faces Intentional Opposition in pursuit
of a False Goal. But when there is a grave Turn of events, he has a Moment of Truth.
Act Start Time: 40 minutes (43.4%) 
Marlin faces off with the vastness of the ocean and his own fears (the central conflict) but
stubbornly refuses to heed the advice of others (intentional opposition) as he tries to make it to
the EAC (false goal). But when Dory is nearly killed by a swarm of jellyfish (the turn) Marlin
gets some words of wisdom from the sea turtle that saves them that changes his perspective on
his overprotectiveness of Nemo (the moment of truth).
The Central Conflict: Marlin vs. the vast ocean and his own fears. Nemo and the tank gang vs.
the dentist and his niece
False Goal: Figure out how to get to Sydney/the EAC. 
Intentional Opposition: The opposition Marlin and Dory face is primarily incidental and self-
inflicted in this act since there is no antagonist intentionally out to stop them in the story.
Marlin’s refusal to follow Dory’s guidance about going through the trench lead them into the
bloom of jellyfish going about their jellyfish business. 
Turning Point Catalyst – The Turn: 44 minutes (47.8%) – They encounter the trench the
moonfish warned Dory about.

Marlin elects to swim over the trench against Dory’s protests. They run into a bloom of jellyfish.
Dory is stung while they are escaping and Marlin must rescue her. 
Nemo tells Gill his dad is scared of the ocean and isn’t looking for him. Gill tells Nemo of his
failed attempts to escape. Nemo and the gang try to clog the filter and Nemo is nearly killed in
the process. Gill resolves to give up on the plan rather than risk Nemo’s life.
Turning Point Three – The Moment of Truth: 51 minutes (55.4%) – Marlin awakens to find
he’s on the EAC with Crush the sea turtle who saved him and Dory. Crush gives Marlin advice
on how to know when your kids are ready to do things for themselves. Marlin tells the story of
how Nemo was taken and everything he’s done so far to the sea turtle children. The story is
relayed through the ocean and makes its way to Nigel the pelican who knows Nemo and the tank
gang. Nigel takes the news to Nemo who is pretty much resigned to die. When Nemo hears all
the things his dad has done, he reattempts to clog the filter and succeeds.
Act Run Time: 21 minutes (22.8%) 

ACT FOUR: IMPLEMENTING A DOOMED PLAN

The character implements a Doomed Plan and faces Self-Inflicted Opposition in pursuit of
a Penultimate Goal. But when an unthinkable Lowpoint occurs, he pulls himself together
and discovers a Newfound Resolve.
Act Start Time: 61 minutes (66.3%)
Marlin and Dory get lost when they exit the EAC (the doomed plan) and get themselves
swallowed by a whale (self-inflicted opposition) while trying to make it to Sydney (penultimate
goal). But when Marlin is convinced the whale intends to eat them (the lowpoint) he discovered
Dory was right about the whale’s intentions when it spits them out in a harbor in Sydney (the
newfound resolve).
The Doomed Plan: Marlin and Dory think finding Sydney will be easy when they exit the EAC.
Nemo and the tank gang think their plan worked to dirty up the tank in order to be placed in
baggies for the cleaning. 
Penultimate Goal: Get to Sydney.
Self-Inflicted Opposition: Dory’s attempt to communicate with a whale gets her and Marlin
swallowed alive. 
Turning Point Catalyst – The Lowpoint: 68 minutes (73.9%) – Marlin and Dory are in the
belly of the whale. Marlin freaks out and tries to escape while Dory is having a ball swimming
around. Dory tells him that if Marlin never let anything happen to Nemo, then nothing will ever
happen to Nemo, good or bad. 
Turning Point Four – The Newfound Resolve: 71 minutes (77%) – The whale stops and the
water begins to recede inside. Dory tries to tell Marlin the whale said to go to the back of it’s
throat. Marlin tries to stop Dory from going. When she insists she can speak whale, Marlin
repeats a line from the beginning of the movie, “You think you can do these things but you
can’t!” and unintentionally calls her Nemo. She convinces Marlin to let go, even though she
can’t guarantee something bad will happen. The whale shoots them out of its blowhole, and the
pair discover that it took them to Sydney.
Act Run Time: 13 minutes (14.1%)

DRAMATIC PHASE THREE: RESOLUTION

The character and the forces of antagonism engage in a final confrontation to resolve the Central
Conflict. The main throughline and all additional subplots are resolved. The new status quo is
established.

ACT FIVE: TRYING A LONGSHOT

The character tries a Longshot  and faces Ultimate Opposition while trying to accomplish
the Ultimate Goal. But just when it seems All is Lost, he makes a Final Push against the
forces of antagonism and either succeeds or fails.
Act Start Time: 74 minutes (80.4%)
Marlin attempts to locate Nemo in a vast city (the longshot) and is nearly eaten by seabirds and
attacked by humans (ultimate opposition) as he tries to rescue his son(ultimate goal). But when
Marlin mistakes Nemo’s playing dead for being dead (all is lost) Dory finds Nemo and reunites
them only to be ensnared forcing Marlin to accept Nemo’s ability to help (the final push).
The Longshot: Marlin and Dory attempt to find Nemo who could be anywhere in the city of
Sydney.
Ultimate Goal: Find Nemo in Sydney and rescue him.
Ultimate Opposition: The tank gang’s plan fails when the dentist installs an automatic tank
cleaner. Nemo is placed in a bag for Darla who arrives shortly thereafter.

Adorable.
Marlin and Dory must contend with hungry pelicans and seagulls before ultimately facing off
with the human dentist. Nemo’s playing dead works a little too well and Marlin thinks he was
too late. Dory is trapped in a fishing net with a school of grouper and the once overprotective
Marlin must allow Nemo to risk himself to save her.
Turning Point Catalyst – All is Lost: 81 minutes (88%): Nigel takes Marlin and Dory back to
the harbor and apologizes for their loss. Marlin thanks Dory for her help and tells her he’s going
home. She begs him not to leave her, because she feels like she’s home when she’s with him.
Marlin tells her he wants to forget and swims away.
Turning Point Five – The Final Push:  84 minutes (91.3%) – Nemo just misses his dad when
he enters the ocean. He encountered Dory who is distraught and confused. Nemo agrees to help
her, but she doesn’t realize he’s actually Marlin’s son. When the realization hits her the set out in
search of Marlin. They learn he went to the fishing grounds. Nemo and Marlin are reunited, but
Dory gets caught in a fishing net with a school of grouper. Nemo enters the net and Marlin
convinces the fish to swim down to escape the net.
Act Run Time: 16 minutes (17.3%)

ACT SIX: LIVING IN A NEW SITUATION

Having accomplished (or failed to have accomplished) the Ultimate Goal, the character is
shown living in a New Situation.
Act Start Time: 90 minutes (97.8%)
Marlin and Nemo’s role are reversed from the beginning of the movie, with Marlin excitedly
waking Nemo up for school. Marlin is now more socially adept and successfully tells his sea
cucumber joke. Nemo is now proud to be Marlin’s son and comes back to give him a big hug
before his class departs. (the new situation).
The New Situation: 90 minutes (97.8%) – Marlin and Nemo’s role are reversed from the
beginning of the movie, with Marlin excitedly waking Nemo up for school. Marlin is now more
socially adept and successfully tells his sea cucumber joke. Nemo is now proud to be Marlin’s
son, and comes back to give him a big hug before his class departs.
Act Run Time: 2 minutes (2.1%)