Staying Together (1989) character relationship network mapped with AI analysis. Explore the connections, alliances, and conflicts between characters.
Characters
Duncan McDermott
(played by Sean Astin) — protagonist
One of the three brothers living at home and working at the family restaurant.
Kit McDermott
(played by Dermot Mulroney) — supporting
One of the three brothers living at home and working at the family restaurant.
Brian McDermott
(played by Tim Quill) — supporting
One of the three brothers living at home and working at the family restaurant.
Eileen McDermott
(played by Melinda Dillon) — supporting
The mother living at home with her husband and three sons.
Nancy Trainer
(played by Stockard Channing) — supporting
Jake McDermott
(played by Jim Haynie) — supporting
The father who managed the family restaurant for 25 years, sells it without consulting his family, and subsequently dies of a heart attack.
Denny Stockton
(played by Levon Helm) — supporting
Kevin Burley
(played by Keith Szarabajka) — supporting
Beth Harper
(played by Sheila Kelley) — supporting
Beverly Young
(played by Daphne Zuniga) — supporting
Lois Cook
(played by Dinah Manoff) — supporting
Craighton
(played by Robert Sedgwick) — minor
Workman
(played by Michael Burgess) — minor
Charlie
(played by Rick Marshall) — minor
Announcer
(played by Susan Aude Fisher) — minor
Announcer
(played by Jim Gandy) — minor
Newsman
(played by Leon Joseph Pinner) — minor
Story Analysis
A family's unity fractures when the patriarch secretly sells their livelihood, leading to estrangement, tragedy, and eventual reflection.
Plot Progression
Foundations of Family
— The story opens with three brothers living and working alongside their parents at a long-established family restaurant. They share a routine life and anticipate eventually taking over the business. Th...
The Secret Betrayal
— The father suddenly realizes his deep dissatisfaction with running the restaurant and secretly sells it without informing his family. The revelation shatters the household's trust and triggers immedia...
Fracture and Tragedy
— The family unit begins to disintegrate as the remaining members struggle with the loss of their livelihood and the father's unilateral actions. The father's health deteriorates under the mounting stre...
Aftermath and Reflection
— The father succumbs to his heart attack, leaving the family to confront their grief and unresolved tensions. The surviving members navigate their new reality while the estranged brother searches for a...
