Character Relationship Map: My Son

Characters

• Mother / La mère (played by Nathalie Baye) — protagonist

  Julien's mother exercises controlling and abusive behavior toward him: she intercepts his girlfriend's letters, restricts his clothing and possessions, and beats him after bringing him home from a par...

• Father / Le père (played by Olivier Gourmet) — supporting

  Julien's father is often occupied with work and supports his wife's behavior toward their son. He joins her in going to the girlfriend's house to bring Julien home, and together they take him back in...

• Julien / Son (played by Victor Sévaux) — supporting

  Julien is the son at the center of the story, whose mother's controlling and abusive behavior harms his well-being and coincides with worsening school performance. He secretly attends his girlfriend's...

• Suzanne / Sister / la sœur (played by Marie Kremer) — supporting

  Julien's elder sister is the only family member described as concerned about the harmful effect of their mother's behavior on him. Her parents refuse to listen to her. When Julien secretly goes to his...

• Grandmother / La grand-mère (played by Emmanuelle Riva) — supporting

  Julien's beloved grandmother is part of his family and gives him clothing, which his mother does not allow him to wear. After the grandmother dies, Julien's mother withholds the news until after the f...

• Alice / Julien's Girlfriend / La copine de Julien (played by Valentine Stach) — supporting

  Alice is Julien's girlfriend. The mother intercepts and destroys letters from her and prevents Julien from seeing her. Julien secretly attends a party at her house, where his parents find him and take...

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Julien / Son → Grandmother / La grand-mère (Family Grandson) — A loving grandparent-grandchild bond represented through affection and gifts.

  Julien receives clothing from his grandmother, and the plot calls her his beloved grandmother.

• Father / Le père → Mother / La mère (Family Marital Partner) — A marriage reinforced by Father's support for Mother's conduct.

  The plot calls Mother Father's wife and states that Father supports her behavior toward Julien.

• Julien / Son → Alice / Julien's Girlfriend / La copine de Julien (Romantic Girlfriend) — A romantic relationship that becomes a major source of conflict with Julien's parents.

  The plot refers to Alice as Julien's girlfriend, and Julien secretly attends her party despite his parents' prohibition.

• Suzanne / Sister / la sœur → Julien / Son (Family Older Sister) — A protective sibling relationship opposed to the parents' denial.

  Suzanne is Julien's elder sister and is the only family member described as concerned about the negative effect of Mother's behavior on him.

• Father / Le père → Julien / Son (Family Father) — A distant and insufficiently protective father-son relationship.

  Julien's father is described as always busy with work and as supporting Mother's behavior toward Julien.

• Mother / La mère → Julien / Son (Family Mother) — A central parent-child relationship shaped by both affection and severe control.

  The plot repeatedly identifies Mother as Julien's parent and describes her control over his clothing, relationships, school life, and possessions.

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Mother / La mère → Grandmother / La grand-mère (Conflict Withholds Death News) — Mother's concealment damages Julien's access to an important family relationship.

  Mother does not tell Julien about Grandmother's death until after the funeral.

• Suzanne / Sister / la sœur → Mother / La mère (Conflict Family Opponent) — Suzanne challenges Mother's treatment of Julien but lacks authority to change it.

  Suzanne is concerned about Julien's well-being, but the parents refuse to listen to her warnings.

• Mother / La mère → Alice / Julien's Girlfriend / La copine de Julien (Conflict Restricts Contact) — Mother actively blocks Julien's relationship with Alice.

  Mother intercepts and destroys letters from Julien's girlfriend and does not allow him to see her.

Story Analysis

A boy's escalating resistance to coercive family control culminates in violence, followed by survival and an ambiguous gesture of forgiveness.

Plot Progression

1. A House of Restrictions — Mother controls Julien's clothing, correspondence, bodily privacy, and contact with Alice. The family environment combines invasive control with occasional displays of affection.
2. Affection and Concealment — Mother alternates between affectionate activities and damaging secrecy, including hiding Grandmother's death. Julien's school performance declines while Father supports Mother and Suzanne objects.
3. The Flight Home — Julien secretly attends Alice's party, receives Suzanne's warning, and tries to return home by bicycle. His parents intercept him and force him into their car.
4. A Cry for Help — After Mother beats Julien, he threatens suicide and police officers check on him. Their visit does not expose the deeper harm, and the family responds with further punishment.
5. The Final Boundary — Julien threatens Mother first with an alarm gun and then with a knife. He stabs her, but the closing voice-over reveals that she survives and does not blame him.