Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone poster

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

2001152 minutesPG
6.5
Arcplot Score
📊 Solid
Unverified
7.7IMDb
🍅 80%Rotten Tomatoes
Ⓜ️ 65/100Metacritic
🎬 7.9TMDb
📊 23.2Popularity
🏆Nominated for 3 Oscars. 20 wins & 74 nominations total
Directed by: Chris Columbus
This is the tale of Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe), an ordinary eleven-year-old boy serving as a sort of slave for his aunt and uncle who learns that he is actually a wizard and has been invited to attend the Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry is snatched away from his mundane existence by Rubeus Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane), the groundskeeper for Hogwarts, and quickly thrown into a world completely foreign to both him and the viewer. Famous for an incident that happened at his birth, Harry makes friends easily at his new school. He soon finds, however, that the wizarding world is far more dangerous for him than he would have imagined, and he quickly learns that not all wizards are ones to be trusted.

Box Office

Budget:$125.0M
Revenue:$976.5M
Profit:$851.5M

Arcplot Score Breakdown

Beat Timing Precision4.5/10
Emotional Arc Impact10/10
Thematic Consistency5/10
Overall Score6.5/10

Beat Sheet

15 plot points

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone Arcplot
1
Opening Image
1 min
2
Theme Stated
12 min
3
Set-Up
25 min
4
Catalyst
38 min
5
Debate
50 min
6
Break Into Two
65 min
7
B Story
75 min
8
Fun and Games
90 min
9
Midpoint
105 min
10
Bad Guys Close In
120 min
11
All Is Lost
135 min
12
Dark Night of the Soul
140 min
13
Break Into Three
145 min
14
Finale
150 min
15
Final Image
152 min

Emotional Arc

+100-10

Plot Points

#1

Opening Image

1 min

Harry living under the stairs with the Dursleys, isolated, unaware of his magical identity.

#2

Theme Stated

12 min

Hagrid delivers letter: “You're a wizard, Harry.” Theme: discovery of self, belonging, and courage.

#3

Set-Up

25 min

Harry visits Diagon Alley, buys supplies, meets magical world, excitement and wonder.

#4

Catalyst

38 min

Boarding Hogwarts Express; faces first encounters with friends and rivals: Ron, Hermione, Malfoy.

#5

Debate

50 min

Harry questions whether he belongs, fears about Slytherin, Quidditch challenges, and first-year danger.

#6

Break Into Two

65 min

Harry enters Hogwarts, fully immersed in magical education, exploring new identity, encountering mysteries.

#7

B Story

75 min

Friendship deepens with Ron and Hermione; emotional stakes of loyalty, trust, and teamwork established.

#8

Fun and Games

90 min

Quidditch matches, magical lessons, riddles, potions, and challenges to develop skills; magical adventure promise.

#9

Midpoint

105 min

Harry confronts the mirror/Fluffy/trap: first taste of facing Voldemort's threat, stakes become serious.

#10

Bad Guys Close In

120 min

Voldemort's presence grows; obstacles intensify; Quirrell and magical dangers increase tension.

#11

All Is Lost

135 min

Harry faces Voldemort in the underground chamber; sense of danger and potential loss is high.

#12

Dark Night of the Soul

140 min

Harry reflects on courage, mortality, and responsibility; personal growth needed to win.

#13

Break Into Three

145 min

Harry trusts his friends and own instincts, takes action to defeat threat.

#14

Finale

150 min

Harry triumphs over Quirrell/Voldemort; house points awarded; Gryffindor victory; celebrates friendship and bravery.

#15

Final Image

152 min

Harry returns to Dursleys, changed: confident, brave, and aware of his destiny.