Character Relationship Map: The First Time

Characters

• Anna (played by Jacqueline Bisset) — protagonist

  A romantic interest Kenny encounters in Buffalo, serving as a pivotal figure in his coming-of-age experiences during the summer.

• Kenny (played by Wes Stern) — protagonist

  The protagonist, a high school student sent to Buffalo for the summer. He fabricates exaggerated letters about a brothel to entertain his friends, driving the plot's central conflict and comedic backf...

• Mike (played by Ricky Kelman) — supporting

  One of the three high school friends eagerly anticipating summer. He acts as a primary audience for Kenny's fabricated letters and shares the group's youthful curiosity.

• Tommy (played by Wink Roberts) — supporting

  Another of Kenny's high school buddies. Shares the group's anticipation of manhood and becomes an active reader of Kenny's fictionalized summer accounts.

• Charles (played by Gerard Parkes) — supporting

  Kenny's widowed father and a traveling salesman. His departure on a business trip sets the summer's events in motion and removes the parental figure from the home.

• Pamela Williams (played by Sharon Acker) — minor

  A saleswoman and fiancée who travels with Kenny's father. Her presence highlights adult relationships and directly causes Kenny's displacement to Buffalo.

Canonical Relationships

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

• Mike → Anna (Romantic Pursuit) — Mike actively pursues additional time with Anna.

  Mike decides to use the border encounter to spend more time with Anna and joins the effort to persuade her to accompany the boys.

• Kenny → Anna (Romantic Interest) — Kenny develops an immediate romantic interest in Anna.

  After meeting Anna at the border, Kenny is immediately struck by her unusual warmth and says that she has something special.

• Kenny → Pamela Williams (Stepfamily Tension) — Pamela's relationship with Charles creates an unresolved family tension with Kenny.

  Pamela Williams worries that Kenny still sees her only as a secretary, while Charles has not yet explained their relationship to him.

• Charles → Pamela Williams (Romantic Fiance) — Charles and Pamela Williams are engaged or romantically committed.

  Charles has not told Kenny about his relationship with Pamela Williams because he is waiting for the right time.

• Charles → Kenny (Family Father) — Charles is Kenny's father and the remaining parental figure in the home.

  Charles is identified as Kenny's widowed father, and the household discussion centers on Kenny's sadness after his mother's death.

Story Dynamics

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

• Tommy → Anna (Social Private Confidant) — Tommy privately confides his anxiety and expectations to Anna.

  Tommy approaches Anna privately and asks her to tell Mike and Kenny that he was terrific and that they had a wonderful time.

• Mike → Tommy (Alliance Travel Companion) — Mike and Tommy cooperate as companions during the trip.

  Mike and Tommy secretly travel together from home to Buffalo and later cross into Canada together.

• Kenny → Tommy (Social Close Friend) — Tommy is Kenny's friend and an active participant in the Buffalo trip.

  Tommy secretly travels with Mike to Buffalo to join Kenny and repeatedly pressures him to take them to Rosy's.

• Kenny → Mike (Social Close Friend) — Mike is one of Kenny's closest high school friends.

  Mike confronts Kenny before his departure and later secretly travels to Buffalo with Tommy to join him.

Story Analysis

A summer journey turns exaggerated adolescent fantasies into an uncertain encounter with grief, friendship, attraction, and adult experience.

Plot Progression

1. Departure Beneath The Surface — Kenny prepares to leave while tension with Mike exposes his unhappiness about separating from his friends. Charles and Pamela discuss Kenny's grief and their undisclosed relationship.
2. The Buffalo Detour — Mike and Tommy secretly travel to Buffalo and reunite with Kenny. The boys cross into Canada for sightseeing and to pursue the destination described in Kenny's letter.
3. Rosy's Empty Promise — The boys pressure Kenny to take them to Rosy's, only to discover that the building is boarded up and apparently raided. Their imagined destination collapses into disappointment.
4. Anna At The Border — After being questioned at the border, the boys meet Anna on her way back to Buffalo. Kenny is drawn to her warmth while Mike and Tommy seek more time with her.
5. An Unanswered Confession — The boys try to arrange a room and persuade Anna to accompany them. Tommy privately discusses her work, his expectations, and his promise before marriage, but the available dialogue ends before Anna r...