Character Relationship Map: The Son

Characters

• Peter (played by Hugh Jackman) — protagonist

  Peter is the central character, a recently remarried father raising his newborn son Theo while trying to care for his troubled teenage son Nicholas. His past infidelity damaged his relationship with K...

• Nicholas (played by Zen McGrath) — protagonist

  Nicholas is Peter and Kate’s 17-year-old son, whose depression leads him to leave school and move into Peter’s home. After attempting suicide and entering inpatient treatment, he persuades his parents...

• Beth (played by Vanessa Kirby) — supporting

  Beth is Peter’s second wife and the mother figure in his new household, where she and Peter are raising their newborn son Theo. She is present as Peter struggles with Nicholas and, three years after N...

• Kate (played by Laura Dern) — supporting

  Kate is Peter’s ex-wife and Nicholas’s mother. She unexpectedly approaches Peter because Nicholas is depressed and has dropped out of school, then helps bring him home after treatment. Her former marr...

• Brian's Assistant (played by Rachel Handshaw) — minor
• Brian (played by Joseph Mydell) — minor

Canonical Relationships

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

• Brian's Assistant → Brian (assistant)
• Peter → Brian (Professional Campaign Associate) — Peter's work with Brian is one of the professional pursuits competing for his attention while his relationship with Nicholas remains strained.

  The plot says Peter pursues professional opportunities, including helping Brian with a political campaign.

• Peter → Beth (Family Husband And Wife) — Beth shares the difficult decision about Nicholas's discharge with Peter and is present in the family crisis.

  The character information identifies Beth as Peter's second wife. The plot says Peter and Beth are warned by the doctors that Nicholas is not ready to...

• Peter → Kate (Family Former Spouses) — Their past marital damage forms part of the family strain surrounding Nicholas, while his crisis requires them to confront a consequential decision as parents.

  The character information identifies Kate as Peter's ex-wife and says their marriage was damaged by Peter's infidelity. In the plot, they discuss Nich...

• Kate → Nicholas (Family Mother And Son) — Kate recognizes Nicholas's distress and presses Peter to take it seriously; she later helps bring Nicholas home after treatment.

  The character information identifies Kate as Nicholas's mother. She tells Peter that Nicholas has been pretending to attend school and remains concern...

• Peter → Nicholas (Family Father And Son) — Peter struggles to respond to Nicholas's depression and school refusal. Nicholas's plea for trust and Peter's later guilt over failing to recognize his son's pain define their strained bond.

  The character information identifies Nicholas as Peter's 17-year-old son. In the plot, Peter confronts Nicholas about school, and Nicholas accuses Pet...

Story Analysis

A family confronts a teenager's severe distress as his parents struggle to decide whether to honor his plea to leave treatment.

Plot Progression

1. The Warning Signs — Kate tells Peter that Nicholas has been pretending to attend school. Although Peter reports that Nicholas has begun at a new school, Kate remains worried that his sadness persists.
2. A Fractured Father-Son Bond — Peter pursues work, including helping Brian with a political campaign, while Nicholas remains distant. A confrontation over school escalates when Nicholas says he cannot cope and blames Peter for aban...
3. Treatment and the Plea — Nicholas is admitted to hospital, where the team says he needs stabilization before release can be considered. He rejects treatment and pleads with Peter to take him home, saying he trusts him.
4. The Parents' Unresolved Choice — Doctors warn Peter and Beth that Nicholas is not ready to leave and that taking him home would be risky. The account ends as they face the choice, without disclosing what they decide.