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5 Plot Point Breakdown: Pulp Fiction (1994) – Vincent Vega & Marsellus Wallace’s Wife

By Keaton Ziem · October 5, 2011

Screenplay Genre: Crime / Thriller

Movie Time: 154 minutes

Segment Time: 45 minutes

Vincent’s Story:

1. INCITING INCIDENT

While Jules (Samuel L. Jackson) & Vincent (John Travolta) are on their way to get back Marsellus Wallace’s (Ving Rhames) briefcase, Jules tells Vince about Marsellus Wallace’s wife Mia Wallace (Uma Thurman). Vince confides in Jules that Marsellus has asked him to take Mia out while he’s gone and to keep her company, trying to convince both Jules and himself that it is ‘not a date.’ (0:13:43)

2. LOCK IN (End of Act One)

After Vincent procures some heroin from his dealer Lance (Eric Stoltz) he shoots up and drives to pick up Mia at her home. Once he’s inside he makes himself a drink as Mia ‘gets ready’ by snorting some cocaine. Once she’s ready and Vince commits himself to take her out, Vince then becomes locked into the action that will dictate the direction the story will take. (0:31:19)

3. FIRST CULMINATION (Midpoint)

At Jack Rabbit Slim’s, Vince and Mia enjoy their dinner together despite being at the mercy of their less-than-adequate server Buddy (Steve Buscemi). Curiosity gets the best of Vince, however, when he asks Mia about the details surrounding her infamous foot massage from Antwan Rockamora that supposedly got him thrown off a balcony by Marsellus Wallace. Despite her answer that nobody knows why Marsellus threw Antwan off that balcony except Marsellus and Antwan, the conversation successfully breaks the ice for Vince & Mia and the two are noticeably more comfortable in each other’s company afterward. (0:45:35)

4. MAIN CULMINATION (End of Act Two)

After Vince & Mia get the dance competition trophy from Jack Rabbit Slim’s, Vince takes Mia home and excuses himself to the restroom in order to prep-talk himself into maintaining loyalty to his boss by not doing anything foolish with his wife, all while Mia discovers Vince’s heroin inside his jacket pocket. Under the impression that it’s coke, Mia helps herself to snort some, causing her to slip into a drug-induced coma that Vince must now save her from. (0:54:20)

5. THIRD ACT TWIST

Vince’s only choice is to take Mia to the home of his heroin dealer Lance and, after threatening to tell Marsellus that Lance refused to help save Mia, brings her inside. The only chance they have of saving Mia’s life is by stabbing her directly in the heart with a freakishly large syringe full of adrenaline that supposedly will ‘shock’ her out of her coma if the stab doesn’t kill her. Vince must now stab Mia to save her from dying. (0:56:44)


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