Character Relationship Map: Antitrust

Characters

• Milo Hoffman (played by Ryan Phillippe) — protagonist

  Milo Hoffman is a Stanford graduate and software programmer who joins NURV after being recruited by Gary Winston. He becomes suspicious of the company’s stolen source code, investigates the murder of...

• Lisa Calighan (played by Rachael Leigh Cook) — protagonist

  Lisa Calighan is a friendly NURV co-worker whose highly sensitive personal information Milo Hoffman finds in the company’s surveillance database. She initially agrees to help Milo expose NURV’s crimes...

• Gary Winston (played by Tim Robbins) — supporting

  Gary Winston is the powerful CEO of NURV who recruits Milo Hoffman with an attractive programming position and broad creative freedom. He secretly oversees the theft of source code from programmers an...

• Alice Poulson (played by Claire Forlani) — supporting

  Alice Poulson is Milo Hoffman’s girlfriend who moves with him to NURV headquarters. She is secretly an ex-con hired by NURV to spy on and manipulate Milo, but he later confronts and persuades her to t...

• Bob Shrot (played by Douglas McFerran) — supporting
• Shrot's Assistant (played by Rick Worthy) — minor
• Teddy Chin (played by Yee Jee Tso) — supporting

  Teddy Chin is Milo Hoffman’s best friend and a fellow computer programmer. He becomes one of the programmers targeted by NURV because the corporation wants to steal his source code, and he is murdered...

Canonical Relationships

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

• Shrot's Assistant → Bob Shrot (assistant)
• Milo Hoffman → Lisa Calighan (Professional Coworker) — They work within the same NURV environment.

  Lisa is described as a friendly co-worker, and Milo discovers sensitive information about her in NURV's employee surveillance database.

• Milo Hoffman → Gary Winston (Professional Recruiter And Hire) — Gary brings Milo into NURV's development operation.

  Gary Winston recruits Milo to work at NURV and offers him a programming position with a large paycheck and creative control.

• Milo Hoffman → Alice Poulson (Romantic Girlfriend) — Milo and Alice begin the story as a couple.

  The plot identifies Alice Poulson as Milo Hoffman's girlfriend, and they move together to NURV headquarters.

Story Dynamics

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

• Gary Winston → Teddy Chin (Conflict Corporate Perpetrator) — Gary is structurally connected to the threat that kills Teddy.

  NURV steals code from programmers including Teddy and kills them; Gary is identified as NURV's CEO and central leader.

• Alice Poulson → Gary Winston (Conflict Opposing Insider) — Alice ultimately rejects the organization Gary represents.

  Alice is initially used by NURV to spy on Milo but later turns against NURV, while Gary leads the corporation and is eventually arrested.

• Milo Hoffman → Teddy Chin (Social Best Friend) — Their friendship establishes Milo's personal stake in the conspiracy.

  Teddy Chin is identified as Milo's best friend and fellow computer programmer.

• Lisa Calighan → Gary Winston (Alliance Accomplice) — Lisa secretly supports Gary's efforts to stop Milo.

  The plot explicitly states that Lisa Calighan is actually Winston's accomplice.

Story Analysis

A programmer uncovers a corporate conspiracy built on stolen code, surveillance, murder, and manipulation, then helps expose it.

Plot Progression

1. The NURV Invitation — Milo works at Skullbocks before Gary Winston recruits him into NURV. Milo accepts the attractive offer and moves with Alice to the Portland headquarters.
2. Code Behind The Curtain — Synapse development proceeds smoothly, but Milo becomes suspicious of the source code Gary supplies. Teddy's murder turns professional doubts into a personal investigation.
3. The Surveillance Machine — Milo uncovers NURV's code theft, killings, surveillance system, and institutional infiltration. He also discovers that Alice has been planted to manipulate him.
4. The False Alliance — Milo uses sensitive information from NURV's secret database to gain Lisa's apparent cooperation. Their plan to hijack Synapse collapses when Lisa reveals her loyalty to Gary.
5. The Broadcast Counterstrike — Gary prepares to kill Milo, but Alice turns against NURV and activates the backup plan. Building 21 transmits the evidence, leading to arrests and Milo's return to Skullbocks.