The structure of the narrative is a classic Hero's Journey: The Protagonist receives a Call To Adventure, here in the form of Lipsky's reading of "Infinite Jest," then proposing a Rolling Stone article on Wallace. He departs his home (SEPARATION) and goes on a journey with Wallace. Along the way, Lipsky experiences vicariously what it's like to be a writer of enormous talent as well as a significant questions about what fame can bring (INITIATION). Lipsky and Wallace develop a contentious relationship which resolves itself in the end, and Lipsky flies back home (RETURN). The three meta stages of the Hero's Journey. Also interesting to note: A road trip in which two disparate characters end up together is one of the oldest narrative constructions in Hollywood history (see It Happened One Night - 1932). So even though The End of the Tour is bathed in philosophy, psychology, and cultural reflection, its structure is quite traditional in a movie sense.

Great work! Very true Scott (re traditional structure). I suspect it is very hard for any road trip movie to avoid that structure. Scott from GITS, I'm doing a breakdown of 'Michael Clayton' - can I add that to your library or is it strictly only whats on the list?

Conor, I'd be THRILLED to have a scene-by-scene breakdown of Michael Clayton. I'd only been using the scripts available via the studios For Your Consideration campaigns, those the ones I host on this site, because they are technically legal. However we all know there are a bunch of sites which host hundreds, even thousands of scripts, like Michael Clayton. I have no problem with folks accessing them because it's for educational purposes: To study and learn the craft by reading scripts. So if you'd like to do a scene-by-scene breakdown of Michael Clayton, I'd be happy to do a blog post featuring it, then add to the archives. In fact, it occurs to me I can open it up for folks to do ANY movie script of note if they're up for it and add those breakdowns to the archives. I'd love to have HUNDREDS of breakdowns available for writers to use for their research and education. Thanks!