Screenplay Structure Analysis

Sentimental Value

Written by Eskil Vogt & Joachim Trier · Family Drama · 138 pages · 193 scenes · 3-act natural structure · non-linear organization · Analysis confidence: High

After her mother's death, an actress struggles with family dysfunction and her own identity while her documentary filmmaker father tries to hold onto their ancestral home and his career through an affair with a famous actress.

Tone
Melancholic, introspective, with moments of dark humor

Tension curve

Dramatic intensity across Sentimental Value from first page to last, sampled at 40 points on a 0–10 scale. Values: 4.9, 5.7, 6.9, 7.4, 7.1, 6.1, 5.2, 4.5, 4.2, 3.8, 3.8, 3.8, 4.3, 4.5, 4.2, 4.1, 4, 4.4, 4.2, 4.1, 4.1, 4.4, 4.6, 4.7, 4.7, 4.3, 4.3, 4.5, 4.9, 4.5, 4.2, 4.1, 5, 5.6, 5.8, 5.7, 5.7, 6.3, 5.4, 5.

Structure at a glance

Inciting incident
Page 14, 10% of the script: Nora enters a room to find her dead mother Sissel lying motionless in bed, touches her hand gently, then another woman appears in the doorway.
Act 1 break
Page 30, 22% of the script: Nora and Gustav's relationship shifts from funeral politeness to deeper conflict during their pub conversation where past grievances surface.
Midpoint
Page 69, 50% of the script: Rachel meets Agnes in the family house, with Agnes barely able to speak from nerves, and Rachel learning that Agnes played Anna in Gustav's earlier film.
Act 2 break
Page 100, 73% of the script: After Gustav's emotional breakdown and Rachel's departure, the family dynamic fundamentally changes as they confront selling the house.
Climax
Page 127, 92% of the script: Sitting in the empty auditorium, Rachel asks why Nora didn't want the film role, and Nora explains she can't work with Gustav because they can't talk, while Rachel reveals she's thinking of dropping out because she can't understand the character.
Peak tension
7.4 out of 10, reached about 8% of the way through; the script averages 4.9.
Average scene length
1.3 pages

Structural personality

This script employs a sophisticated temporal weaving structure, constantly shifting between different time periods within the family house to reveal how past traumas echo through generations. The house itself functions as both narrator and central character, with scenes flowing organically between decades to show how emotional patterns repeat. Rather than following a traditional three-act structure, the story builds through emotional revelations and family confrontations, with the house serving as the constant that connects all temporal threads. The non-linear approach allows the writers to explore how memory, trauma, and family dynamics layer upon each other across time.

Pacing

The pacing alternates between intimate character moments and sweeping historical montages. The opening house narration (scenes 1-19) establishes the temporal fluidity that continues throughout. Key emotional beats are given breathing room through longer dialogue scenes (like scene 74 at the pub), while transitional moments use rapid cutting between time periods to show emotional connections across decades.

Themes

Similar shapes

Screenplays whose tension curve most closely matches Sentimental Value.

Scene summaries and structural markers are generated by AI analysis of the screenplay text and may contain minor inaccuracies. ScriptGraph analyzes structure and does not reproduce screenplay text.

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