Character Relationship Map: Splash

Characters

• Allen Bauer (played by Tom Hanks) — protagonist

  Co-owner of a wholesale produce business, falls in love with a mermaid and learns to embrace emotional vulnerability.

• Madison (played by Daryl Hannah) — protagonist

  A mermaid who surfaces in New York, learns human language, and forms a deep bond with Allen.

• Walter Kornbluth (played by Eugene Levy) — supporting

  Obsessive scientist who discovers the mermaid and relentlessly pursues her for study.

• Michaelson (played by Patrick Cronin) — supporting

  Business associate of the Bauer brothers, involved in corporate negotiations.

• Michaelson's Partner (played by Charles Walker) — minor

  Associate of Michaelson, involved in business discussions and negotiations.

• Dr. Ross (played by Richard B. Shull) — supporting

  Medical professional who treats Allen or other characters during key moments.

• The President (played by Charles Macaulay) — minor

  Dignitary visiting New York, central to the dinner event where Madison's secret is revealed.

Canonical Relationships

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

• Michaelson's Partner → Michaelson (partner)
• Dr. Ross → Madison (Professional Examiner) — Ross oversees the scientific examination of Madison.

  Madison is taken to a secret laboratory headed by Dr. Ross for examination.

• Walter Kornbluth → Madison (Professional Scientific Pursuer) — Kornbluth initially treats Madison as the proof of his scientific theory.

  Kornbluth sights Madison underwater, realizes she is the mermaid he encountered, and pursues the couple to expose her.

• Allen Bauer → Madison (Romantic Partner) — Their romance is the central emotional relationship of the film.

  Allen and Madison fall in love after she comes to New York, and Allen proposes marriage. Madison later agrees to marry him.

Story Dynamics

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

• Allen Bauer → The President (Social Event Participant) — Allen's relationship to the President is limited to participation in the official dinner.

  Allen and Madison attend the dignitary dinner held to welcome the President.

• The President → Madison (Narrative Dignitary Context) — The President's visit provides the public setting where Madison's identity is exposed.

  Madison promises to tell Allen the truth after a dignitary dinner held to welcome the President.

• Allen Bauer → Walter Kornbluth (Social Expedition Acquaintance) — Their first connection begins through a shared encounter at sea.

  Allen encounters Kornbluth during a diving expedition at Cape Cod after returning there in a depressed state.

• Walter Kornbluth → Dr. Ross (Conflict Scientific Rival) — Their rivalry reflects opposing responses to the mermaid discovery.

  The laboratory is headed by Dr. Ross, described as Kornbluth's cold-hearted rival, after Kornbluth proves the existence of mermaids.

Story Analysis

A lonely man reunites with a mermaid from his childhood and chooses love over life on land.

Plot Progression

1. The Mermaid In Memory — Young Allen encounters a mermaid and loses her after being rescued. Twenty years later, his failed relationships reveal an unresolved longing for that impossible connection.
2. Madison Comes Ashore — Allen meets the mysterious woman again after falling into the sea. Madison follows his wallet and ship charts to New York, where she enters human society under a new name.
3. Six Days Of Love — Madison learns English and explores New York with Allen. Their growing love leads to a proposal, a refusal, and Madison's promise to return and reveal the truth.
4. The Secret Exposed — Kornbluth pursues Madison and exposes her at the dignitary dinner by soaking her with a hose. Dr. Ross's laboratory takes custody of her for examination.
5. Choosing The Sea — Allen overcomes his shock and joins Kornbluth in rescuing Madison. At the harbor, Madison transforms Allen so they can escape together beneath the water.