Character Relationship Map: When in Rome

Characters

• Leila Hunter (played by Ashley Olsen) — protagonist

  One of the twin sisters traveling to Rome for a summer internship. After being fired for mishaps, she is re-hired by Derek. She develops a romantic interest in Ryan, helps expose Enrico Tortoni's sabo...

• Charli Hunter (played by Mary-Kate Olsen) — protagonist

  Twin sister of Leila and fellow intern in Rome. She learns workplace responsibility, bonds with her peers, develops romantic feelings for Paolo, and designs the replacement dresses used to salvage the...

• Jami (played by Leslie Danon) — supporting

  The woman Enrico Tortoni is secretly jealous of. She shares a romantic kiss with Derek Hammond at the end of the film, indicating a mutual connection and a positive resolution to the conflict.

• Derek Henson (played by Julian Stone) — supporting

  The employer who re-hires the fired sisters and hosts them at his residence. He mentors the group, ultimately rewards their hard work by taking them to New York, and concludes the story sharing a kiss...

• Paolo (played by Michelangelo Tommaso) — supporting

  A fellow intern who travels to Rome for the summer program. He forms a close bond with Charli that develops into romance, and they share a kiss at the end of the film.

• Ryan (played by Derek Lee Nixon) — minor
• Paolo's Father (played by Umberto Stazzi) — minor
• Nobu (played by Archie Kao) — supporting

  Fellow intern who joins the summer program in Rome. He participates in the group dynamics and supports the team as they work together to resolve the sabotaged photoshoot.

• Heidi (played by Valentina Mattolini) — supporting

  Another intern in the Rome summer program. She builds friendships with the Hunter sisters and the other interns while learning to be more responsible at work.

• Enrico Tortoni (played by Matt Patresi) — supporting

  A rival designer who sabotages the interns by stealing their dresses. He is revealed to be jealous of Derek Hammond's success and Jami. After the successful replacement photoshoot, he re-hires the int...

Canonical Relationships

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

• Paolo's Father → Paolo (father)
• Derek Henson → Heidi (Professional Supervisor) — Derek supervises Heidi and recognizes her team effort.

  Heidi is one of the interns in Derek's program, and Derek later includes all the interns in the New York opportunity.

• Derek Henson → Nobu (Professional Supervisor) — Derek is Nobu's internship supervisor.

  Nobu participates in the internship program overseen by Derek, who later rewards the interns with a trip to New York.

• Derek Henson → Paolo (Professional Supervisor) — Derek supervises Paolo's internship.

  Paolo is one of the interns whom Derek rehires, mentors, and eventually takes to New York.

Story Dynamics

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

• Paolo → Heidi (Alliance Teammate) — They share a practical team relationship.

  Paolo and Heidi participate in the same summer internship and the group effort to prepare new dresses.

• Paolo → Nobu (Alliance Teammate) — They work together as fellow interns.

  Paolo and Nobu are members of the same internship group and help address the sabotaged photoshoot.

• Charli Hunter → Heidi (Social Friend) — Charli and Heidi share a growing friendship.

  Heidi becomes friends with the Hunter sisters while all of the interns learn to work responsibly.

• Charli Hunter → Nobu (Alliance Fellow Intern) — They cooperate within the replacement-production team.

  Nobu joins Charli and the other interns in working to resolve the stolen-dress crisis.

• Leila Hunter → Heidi (Social Fellow Intern) — Leila and Heidi develop a supportive peer relationship.

  Heidi builds friendships with the Hunter sisters and the other interns during the Rome program.

• Leila Hunter → Nobu (Alliance Fellow Intern) — They cooperate as members of the intern team.

  Leila and Nobu participate in the same internship group, which works together after the dresses are stolen.

• Leila Hunter → Paolo (Social Fellow Intern) — They share a developing workplace friendship.

  Leila and Paolo join the same Summer Intern Program and become friends with the other interns.

• Enrico Tortoni → Charli Hunter (Conflict Adversary) — His sabotage threatens Charli's designs and professional opportunity.

  Tortoni steals the dresses made from the interns' work, forcing the group to use Charli's designs for replacements.

• Enrico Tortoni → Leila Hunter (Conflict Adversary) — Tortoni's sabotage directly obstructs Leila's work.

  Tortoni sabotages the interns' work by stealing the dresses, while Leila captures photographs of the incident.

• Enrico Tortoni → Derek Henson (Conflict Professional Rival) — Their rivalry combines professional jealousy with personal resentment.

  Tortoni is revealed to be jealous of Derek's success, money, and relationship with Jami.

• Enrico Tortoni → Jami (Conflict Jealous Rivalry) — Jami is part of the personal jealousy motivating Tortoni's rivalry.

  Derek explains that Tortoni was jealous because Derek had the money and Jami.

Story Analysis

A group of young interns overcomes professional failure and sabotage by learning responsibility, teamwork, and trust.

Plot Progression

1. A Second Chance in Rome — Leila and Charli arrive in Rome for a summer internship with Paolo, Nobu, and Heidi. Their careless mistakes get them fired, but Derek gives the twins another opportunity.
2. New Friends and New Feelings — The rehired interns spend time at Derek's house and return to work with a stronger sense of responsibility. Leila begins liking Ryan, while Charli and Paolo grow closer.
3. The Stolen Dresses — The interns try to deliver designs and dresses for a photoshoot, but Enrico Tortoni steals the dresses. Leila and Ryan document the sabotage so Derek can learn what happened.
4. The Team Rebuilds — The interns work together to make replacement dresses from Charli's designs. Their cooperation and growing responsibility allow them to prepare for the important photoshoot.
5. Success and New Beginnings — The replacement photoshoot succeeds, and Tortoni rehires the interns. The film resolves the jealousy conflict, confirms two romances, and ends with Derek offering the group a New York opportunity.