Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy Beat Sheet Analysis
Why We Chose to Do a Save a Cat! Beat Sheet Analysis of Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
Because we did the beat sheet for Virginia Giuffre’s memoir, Nobody’s Girl, last week, so we needed a laugh this week.
Written By: Will Ferrell & Adam McKay
Directed By: Adam McKay
Genre: Buddy Love
These are those “you complete me” stories. A spiritually incomplete hero finds a companion who somehow makes them more whole. Due to a complication, the two struggle to be together in the way they’re meant to be. Buddy Love movies are your love stories, friendship stories, mother/daughter stories, boy-and-their-dog stories.
The 3 elements of a BUDDY LOVE story are:
1) An incomplete hero who is missing something physical, ethical, or spiritual; (s)he needs another to be whole.
2) A counterpart who makes that completion come about or has qualities the hero needs.
3) A complication, be it a misunderstanding, personal or ethical viewpoint, epic historical event, or the prudish disapproval of society.
Save the Cat! Beat Sheet Analysis for Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
Opening Image
It’s the 1970s and a narrator (cleverly voiced by Bill Kurtis, the famous real-life newscaster) states “This was an age when only men were allowed to read the news, and in San Diego one anchorman was more man than the rest…” and we are treated to a series of quintessential Will Ferrell improvisations as he embodies Ron Burgundy preparing for his nightly broadcast: swilling scotch, barking orders at his makeup lady, and practicing made-up tongue-twisters like “the human torch was denied a bank loan.”
At 6:00 PM sharp, Ron delivers the news and we see shots of starry-eyed San Diego fans. Burgundy is their mustachioed Hero with groovy hair.
Theme Stated
But… an incomplete Hero, as required by the Buddy Love genre. At a boozy bash, Brian Fantana (Paul Rudd) cuddles a couple of busty babes and crows “Ron, I’m telling ya, it don’t get no better than this.” Ron intends to agree, but his reply, “We’ve been coming to the same party for twelve years now, and in no way is that depressing,” betrays him.
Somewhere in his testosterone-fueled brain, Ron knows that he is lacking something. He’s stuck and stasis=death, but it will take an entire batshit-crazy journey for him to admit it.
Set-Up
In San Diego (which translates to “a whale’s vagina” in German, FYI) Ron Burgundy rules the TV network KVWN, Channel 4 News, alongside his pals, field reporter Fantana, sportscaster Champ Kind (David Koechner), and meteorologist Brick Tamlin (Steve Carell).
The network is a gleefully unrepentant boy’s club and Burgundy is its King, tossing off his signature sign-off line, “You stay classy, San Diego” with a wink that makes the viewing audience ladies swoon and the barflies swell with masculine pride.
Channel 4 News is always first in the ratings and Ron and his buddies like to lord that over the Channel 9 News Team, led by anchor Wes Mantooth (Vince Vaughn). They have a run-in outside the station where they try to out-macho each other, but there’s really no contest; Ron is the balls and Wes is “Number Two.”
Catalyst
The narrator wants us to know that the times, they are a-changin’, and since station director Ed Harken (Fred Willard) is being pressured to promote diversity, female reporter Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate) is hired by Channel 4.
Debate
Ron is completely captivated by Veronica, but the other men are furious. A woman in their newsroom?! Not only is that unheard of, it’s also dangerous because doesn’t Ed know that women’s menstrual periods can attract bears?
The men decide that they’re going to put Corningstone in her place, but Veronica is tough as press-on nails and has dealt with their ilk before. As they attempt to hit on her, she brutally mocks Fantana, shuts down Brick, and delivers a vicious nut-punch to Champ.
But it’s not as easy with Ron Burgundy. Yes, he’s utterly ridiculous, but there’s also something rather sweet and lost about him—even his dog Baxter knows that Ron is kind of lonely. When Ron awkwardly offers to squire Veronica about town, she agrees, but only as professional co-workers so can Ron please do something about his prominent boner?
Break into Two
The big story on Channel 4 is that San Diego Zoo’s famous panda, Ling Wong, is pregnant! Ron delivers this newsworthy tidbit and then signs off, his voice swooping up in a strange rising intonation. Ed is pissed; who accidentally put a question mark at the end of “You stay classy, San Diego?”! Don’t they know that Ron always reads the teleprompter verbatim?! (Stay tuned for how this Chekhov’s gun comment is going to show up later.)
B Story
Ron and Veronica’s love story will help Ron learn the theme and allow him to grow from a horndog manchild to a mature adult (well, somewhat mature, it is a Will Ferrell movie, after all) who’s not threatened by a woman being his equal.
Fun and Games
Ron and Veronica go out to a club and what could be more fun and games than Ron Burgundy stepping on patrons’ tables while cranking on the jazz flute? In this antithesis world, Veronica goes against her better judgment and the two fall in love, sharing a waterbed and their mutual dreams about someday becoming network anchors. Of course, she’s upset when Ron blurts out their affair during a newscast, but it’s hard to resist a guy who can sing “Afternoon Delight” in perfect harmony with his pals.
As blissed out as Ron is, his buddies are not happy about losing their bestie to a woman. Ron is obviously trying to grow up and the boys are just not having it. Ron is rather cavalier about hurting their feelings, however, and we sense there’s a reckoning coming.
Midpoint
Ron carelessly tosses a burrito out his car window causing an accident and an angry motorcyclist (Jack Black) punts Baxter off the San Diego-Coronado Bridge, shattering Ron’s complacency and giving him a resounding false defeat.
Bad Guys Close In
Ron is so distraught, he misses the nightly broadcast and Veronica steps in. Although Champ and Brian try to distract her, Veronica nails it. When Ron finally races in, he is furious with Veronica and she is deeply offended that he’s not supporting her aspirations. They break up, but Veronica is an instant star and the network makes them co-anchors.
On the same pouty side again, Ron and the boys do everything they can to sabotage Veronica, but not only is she utterly unflappable, the other women at the station start to find their own voices as well.
Seeking to restore their testosterone levels, the men go shopping for new suits, but get lost and end up in an alley where Wes Mantooth and the Evening News Team suddenly appear. Mantooth mocks Ron about having a female co-anchor and the two news teams pull out weapons to do battle. They are joined by the Channel 2 News Team, Public Broadcasting, and the Spanish channel, and a West Side Story-esque rumble breaks out.
Meanwhile, back at the station, Veronica has had it. She’s going to have to do something drastic and the perfect opportunity comes when a secretary, Helen (Kathryn Hahn), shares with Veronica that Ron will read anything that’s on the teleprompter. An-y-thing.
All Is Lost
Ron ends the nightly news broadcast with a cheery “Go fuck yourself, San Diego” and is promptly fired.
Dark Night of the Soul
San Diego revolts against their Hero and as Ron is dragged through the screaming mob, he wails to Veronica, “I’ve been reduced to rubble! I have nothing left! Nothing!”
Veronica weeps, regretting her choice to alter the teleprompter, but it’s too late. Ron becomes a bum and a drunk, wandering the streets, moaning and swilling warm milk, as three months pass.
Break into Three
Ed Harken gets the call: Ling Wong the Panda is about to give birth! All the local channels rush to the zoo, each trying to get the exclusive.
Finale
As Veronica tries to get a good shot of Ling Wong, the Public News Anchor (Tim Robbins with a bitchin’ perm) pushes her into the Kodiak bear enclosure, where she is trapped and in danger.
Meanwhile, Ron pounds drinks in a dive bar and admits to the bartender that Veronica is a better anchor than he was, but he really needs synthesis to deal with this realization. Ron gets his chance when Ed calls and asks him to anchor the news because he can’t find Veronica.
Ron finally has his chance to storm the castle. He gathers his (news) team, and executes the plan, racing to the zoo where a network talent scout is watching the various local anchors report on Ling Wong. When Ron gets a high tower surprise, witnessing Veronica trapped with the huge bears, he has a decision to make: will he learn from his time of humbling and be a true Hero? Or will he forsake his buddy love and snatch the gold ring of network news anchor?
Ron executes the new plan and jumps into the bear pit, followed by Brian, Champ, and Brick. A fist- and paw-fight ensues and just as Ron and Veronica are about to be attacked, the missing Baxter appears and bark-talks the bears into retreating.
Ron is a Hero again (even Wes Mantooth admits he respects the hell outta him) and could just grab the mic that Ed is offering, but he’s learned his lesson and requests that Veronica stand beside him as his co-anchor. And since she’s 72% sure she loves him, she does.
Final Image
Ron and Veronica, sporting a perfect Charlie’s Angels’ hair flip, are now the very first co-ed network anchors for World News Center. Stay classy, Planet Earth.
