Character Relationship Map: Out Cold

Characters

• Dave (played by John Lithgow) — protagonist

  Dave is Ernie's business partner and former Army colleague; the two men worked as butchers before running a butcher's shop together. He has long been in love with Sunny and becomes convinced that he a...

• Sunny (played by Teri Garr) — supporting

  Sunny is Ernie's wife, though she is also having an affair herself. She hires Lester to investigate Ernie because she believes he is spending time and money on other women, intending to use the eviden...

• Ernie (played by Bruce McGill) — supporting

  Ernie is Sunny's husband and Dave's business partner. He and Dave served as Army butchers before leaving the service and operating a butcher's shop together. Sunny suspects that he is lavishing time a...

Canonical Relationships

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

• Dave → Sunny (Romantic Lover And Accomplice) — Dave's long-standing love for Sunny becomes entangled with their joint attempts to hide the crisis surrounding Ernie.

  The plot reference says Dave is drawn to Sunny and their relationship deepens. It also describes them working together to maintain their story and mov...

• Sunny → Ernie (Family Husband And Wife) — Their troubled marriage motivates Sunny to seek evidence and pursue a separation.

  The character profiles identify Ernie as Sunny's husband. The plot reference describes their troubled marriage and Sunny's effort to separate from him...

• Dave → Ernie (Professional Business Partners) — Their shared butcher shop becomes the setting where Dave struggles to hide what happened to Ernie.

  The character profile identifies Dave and Ernie as business partners who run a butcher shop together. The plot reference shows Dave trying to conceal...

Story Analysis

A butcher's shop partnership and a troubled marriage entangle Dave in a desperate effort to conceal the consequences of Ernie's disappearance.

Plot Progression

1. A Butcher Shop and a Troubled Marriage — Dave and Ernie work together at their neighborhood butcher shop. Sunny seeks help separating from Ernie, and Dave becomes drawn into her troubles.
2. Ernie's Disappearance — Ernie disappears, and Dave is left dealing with the consequences. Sunny urges drastic action, while Dave says he cannot cut up Ernie and tries to keep the crisis hidden at the shop.
3. Evidence and a Growing Deception — A detective presses Dave about finding Ernie. Photographs complicate the deception, and Dave and Sunny struggle to maintain their story as the absence draws attention.
4. The Car and the Risk of Discovery — Dave attempts to dispose of the detective, who is in a car trunk, while Sunny helps move the car. Their plan is chaotic, and they fear they may have been seen.
5. The Search Closes In — Sunny tells police that Ernie is missing and that Dave has gone to look for him. Police later report finding Ernie, while a sewer backup prompts a plumber request and leaves the outcome unclear.