3 Act Structure

The romantic comedy How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days follows the three act structure. The first act introduces the characters (rising action) and the main characters being "fake" dating one another. In act two, one character fights to keep the relationship together, while the other strives to break it apart. In the third act, the characters fall in love (resolution), despite their finding out of each other's intentions.

The first act entails the rising actions and introduces the main characters, Andie Anderson (Kate Hudson) and Benjamin Barry (Matthew McConaughey). Andie is a journalist working for Composure magazine and is forced to write a more exciting and interesting "How to" column. She decides to write an article called "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days" where she does all the wrong things when dating a man and writes about her experiences in the article. Meanwhile, Ben works for an advertising company and boasts to his boss about how he can make any woman fall in love with him in 10 days. He has to find a woman and bring her to the company ball. If he accomplishes it, he gets to be in charge of the company. The characters are introduced at a bar by Ben's rival co-workers and they both decide to chose one another for their schemes. The plot point ends Act 1 around 30 minutes. The plot point occurs when Andie chooses Ben for her assignment, and Ben chooses Andie for his. It leaves the audience wondering how will the characters go about fake dating one another and propels into the next act.


Act two is mostly dealing with Andie and Ben's faux relationship and their complications. Andie calls Ben "boyfriend" on the second date, befriends his mother, calls him obsessively, and buys him a plant as a symbol for their relationship. Ben desperately tries to stick with the "relationship", even though it is practically ruining his life. This act is a bit longer, approximately 60 minutes. The midpoint occurs when Andie begins to think that nothing will get Ben to break up with her. She is facing major complications in her plan and begins to question her job. Soon, both Ben and Andie begin to have real feelings for one another, even though they each know it's a fake relationship. They put them aside, though, especially when plot point number 2 occurs. Plot point number two happens when the characters figure out they are each using one another. Andie tells her boss that she cannot write the article anymore because she truly fell for Ben. The question the "swinging door" leaves us with is "will Ben and Andie reveal their true feelings for one another?"

In act three, the resolution occurs and the characters reveal their true feelings and fall in love with one another. This act is around 30 minutes long. The climax occurs when Andie is leaving town in the cab and Ben runs after her and admits his love for her. Act three ends with the couple living "happily ever after".