Character Relationship Map: Upside Down

Characters

• Eden Moore (played by Kirsten Dunst) — protagonist

  A young woman from the wealthy Up Top world. As a child, she meets Adam on a mountain but suffers amnesia after a fall. Years later, she works at Trans-world, recognizes Adam, and defies strict segreg...

• Adam Kirk (played by Jim Sturgess) — protagonist

  An orphan from the impoverished Down Below world. He develops an anti-gravity cosmetic formula to cross into Up Top and find his childhood love. He navigates corporate espionage, survives a perilous f...

• Adam 12 Years Old (played by Elliott Larson) — minor
• Eden 10 Years Old (played by Maurane Arcand) — minor
• Albert (played by Blu Mankuma) — supporting

  The pseudonym Bob uses to purchase the beauty cream patent under Albert and Co. prior to Trans-world's acquisition, ensuring Adam's invention is secured and not fully exploited by the corporation.

• Becky (played by Kate Trotter) — supporting

  Adam's great-aunt in Down Below who shares a secret family recipe. Her home is burned and she is arrested after Adam saves Eden as a child, serving as a catalyst for Adam's later rebellion.

Canonical Relationships

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

• Adam Kirk → Becky (Family Great-Nephew) — Becky is Adam's closest surviving family member and guardian-like relative.

  Adam lives in Down Below and visits his great-aunt Becky every week; she is his only living relative.

• Adam Kirk → Adam 12 Years Old (Meta Adult Counterpart) — Adam's adult identity is defined by the consequences of his childhood experience.

  The adult Adam's search for Eden and development of anti-gravity technology are motivated by the childhood incident on the mountain.

• Eden Moore → Eden 10 Years Old (Meta Adult Counterpart) — The adult Eden's identity is narratively connected to her childhood self.

  Eden Moore later realizes or recovers memories of the childhood mountain encounter with Adam after suffering amnesia from the accident.

• Adam Kirk → Eden 10 Years Old (Meta Childhood Counterpart) — The younger version represents the origin of Adam's adult motivations.

  The plot presents Adam as a child meeting Eden during their mountain encounter, while the adult Adam's later actions are shaped by that memory.

• Adam Kirk → Eden Moore (Romantic Childhood Love) — Their childhood bond develops into the central romantic relationship of the film.

  As children, Adam and Eden meet on the mountain, begin walking together, and later reunite because of their enduring connection.

Story Dynamics

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

• Adam 12 Years Old → Eden 10 Years Old (Social First Meeting) — Their first meeting establishes the emotional foundation of the story.

  The two children meet on the mountain, walk toward the woods, and are separated after Adam releases Eden back toward Up Top.

• Albert → Eden Moore (Alliance Reunion Facilitator) — Albert directly enables the lovers' final reunion.

  Eden goes to Albert for help, and Albert then finds Adam and tells him that he has a date.

• Adam Kirk → Albert (Alliance Invention Ally) — Albert supports Adam's invention and eventual freedom from gravity constraints.

  Albert helps secure Adam's beauty-cream invention and later helps him remain in Down Below without opposite-matter equipment.

Story Analysis

A forbidden love across two unequal worlds inspires scientific change and ultimately helps overcome the barriers between them.

Plot Progression

1. Worlds Apart — The film establishes the dual-gravity planet system and the unequal societies of Up Top and Down Below. Adam's family connection with Becky introduces inherited knowledge and his isolated life.
2. A Love Punished — Young Adam meets Eden on the mountain, but their contact ends in violence and separation. Becky's arrest and the destruction of her home make the social order personally devastating.
3. Crossing The Divide — Adult Adam develops anti-gravity technology after seeing that Eden survived. His employment at Trans-world, cooperation with Albert, and disguises bring him closer to Eden while exposing the danger of...
4. The Cost Of Truth — Eden discovers Adam's identity, and the relationship is threatened by pursuit and corporate control. Adam and Albert uncover the hybrid solution and protect the formula's missing ingredient.
5. A Future Together — Adam and Eden reunite at the mountain, but the authorities separate them and pressure Adam into surrendering his invention. Albert helps restore their connection, leading to a shared future and social...