Character Relationship Map: Smile

Characters

• Big Bob (played by Bruce Dern) — protagonist

  Used car dealer and head judge of the Young American Miss Pageant. He seeks psychiatric help for his son Little Bob, visits Andy in jail to offer moral support, and sells RVs the morning after the fin...

• Brenda (played by Barbara Feldon) — supporting

  Pageant executive director and Andy's wife. She is grazed by a gunshot during an argument with Andy, but still attends the final night despite her shoulder injury.

• Tommy French (played by Michael Kidd) — supporting

  Los Angeles choreographer teaching dance routines to contestants. He clashes with Wilson over stage logistics, agrees to pay out of pocket to reinstate a ramp after it injures Doria, and is described...

• Andy (played by Nicholas Pryor) — supporting

  Brenda's resentful alcoholic husband. He dreads a humiliating Jaycee initiation ritual, fails to complete it, and returns home to argue with Brenda, accidentally shooting her in the shoulder. He is la...

• Robin (played by Joan Prather) — supporting

  Novice contestant and one of three preliminary winners. She receives competition advice from veteran Doria and is seen passing by Big Bob's RV lot the morning after the pageant.

• Wilson (played by Geoffrey Lewis) — supporting

  Pageant producer who clashes with Tommy French. He catches Little Bob taking unauthorized photos and forces him to hand them to police. He also pressures Tommy to remove a ramp, causing Doria's injury...

• Doria (played by Annette O'Toole) — supporting

  Pageant veteran and Robin's roommate who advises her on competition techniques. She is injured when Wilson pressures Tommy to remove a ramp, leading Tommy to later reinstate it and cover the differenc...

• Maria (played by Maria O'Brien) — supporting

  Mexican-American contestant whose patriotic routine is sabotaged by fellow contestants, resulting in damaged stage sets during her performance.

• Karen (played by Melanie Griffith) — supporting

  Miss Simi Valley. A full-frontal nude photograph of her is stared at by a policeman near the end of the story.

Canonical Relationships

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

• Big Bob → Brenda (Professional Pageant Colleague) — They occupy influential leadership roles within the same pageant organization.

  Big Bob is the head judge of the pageant, while Brenda is its executive director.

• Brenda → Andy (Family Wife) — They are married but trapped in a deeply strained domestic relationship.

  The plot identifies Brenda as Andy's wife. Their marriage is shown during their argument after Andy returns from the Jaycee meeting.

Story Dynamics

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

• Big Bob → Robin (Social Pageant Acquaintance) — Their paths briefly intersect outside the pageant after the competition ends.

  Robin passes Big Bob's RV lot the morning after the finals, while Big Bob is attempting to sell an RV.

• Maria → Doria (Social Contestant Peer) — They share the same contestant environment and competitive setting.

  Maria and Doria are both contestants among the thirty-three young women attending the pageant.

• Karen → Robin (Social Contestant Peer) — They are fellow contestants within the pageant field.

  Karen is Miss Simi Valley and Robin is a contestant in the same statewide pageant.

• Maria → Robin (Social Contestant Peer) — They belong to the same competitive contestant group.

  Both Maria and Robin are among the teenage contestants competing in the same state pageant.

• Robin → Doria (Social Roommate) — Doria serves as Robin's experienced roommate and informal mentor.

  Robin is identified as Doria's roommate, and Doria gives her advice on how to excel in the pageant.

• Tommy French → Doria (Alliance Protective Collaborator) — Tommy accepts personal financial responsibility to correct the staging decision that harmed Doria.

  After Doria is injured because the ramp was removed, Tommy agrees to reinstate it and pay the difference from his own fee.

• Big Bob → Andy (Social Moral Supporter) — Big Bob offers Andy support despite Andy's hostility toward him.

  Big Bob visits Andy in jail to provide moral support and to express his American values.

• Tommy French → Wilson (Conflict Professional Rival) — Their production disagreement repeatedly affects the pageant staging.

  Tommy French, the choreographer, clashes with Wilson, the pageant producer, over stage logistics and seating.

Story Analysis

A beauty pageant exposes the pressure, exploitation, resentment, and absurdity beneath a polished public spectacle.

Plot Progression

1. Contestants Under The Spotlight — The state pageant gathers thirty-three young contestants in Santa Rosa. Big Bob and Brenda oversee the event while Tommy begins training the contestants and Wilson manages production.
2. Scandal Behind The Stage — Unauthorized photographs expose the voyeuristic underside of the pageant. Robin advances in the preliminary competition and receives coaching from Doria, while the event becomes increasingly tense.
3. Humiliation Turns Violent — Maria's routine is sabotaged as Andy fails the Jaycee initiation ritual. His resentment culminates in a domestic argument in which Brenda is shot and Andy is jailed.
4. The Cost Of The Show — Budget pressure forces a stage change that injures Doria. Tommy reverses the decision by restoring the ramp and paying the additional cost himself.
5. A Crown And A Dark Aftermath — The final judging takes place with Brenda attending despite her injury. An outsider unexpectedly wins, and the film ends with an unsettling image involving Karen's photograph.