Character Relationship Map: Standing Still

Characters

• Pockets (played by Jon Abrahams) — protagonist

  Pockets is a college friend returning from Thailand who can supposedly find anything in his pockets. He still loves Lana, confronts her about his old heartbreak, clashes with Simon, and is jailed afte...

• Elise (played by Amy Adams) — protagonist

  Elise is one of the central figures preparing to marry Michael in Los Angeles. Her former college girlfriend Jennifer still loves her and tries to stop the wedding, while Elise also reveals that she i...

• Franklin Brauner (played by Roger Avary) — supporting

  Franklin Brauner is the director of Simon's upcoming film, described as a metaphysical western combining elements of two very different kinds of cinema. He appears with Simon and is part of the movie...

• Lana (played by Mena Suvari) — supporting

  Lana is a neurotic member of the college friend group who broke Pockets's heart years earlier, leaving him with unrequited feelings. She later bonds and has sex with Jennifer, then agrees to explore a...

• Samantha (played by Melissa Sagemiller) — supporting

  Samantha is Elise's maid of honor and Rich's partner. While pushing Rich to take marriage seriously, she hides her pregnancy from him. Her eventual revelation changes their relationship, prompting Ric...

• Rich (played by Aaron Stanford) — supporting

  Rich is Michael's best man and Samantha's partner. He is wary of marriage and initially treats it as a possible step toward death, but Michael challenges that belief. Rich ultimately proposes to Saman...

• Sarah (played by Marnette Patterson) — minor

  Sarah is Elise's younger sister, arriving unexpectedly as a surprise during the wedding weekend. Quentin has sex with her without knowing she is only seventeen; once he learns the truth, they agree to...

• Prostitute / Cop (played by Nikki Ziering) — minor

  This role is an undercover cop encountered by Pockets during the bachelor-party night. Pockets solicits the officer without recognizing the disguise, and the encounter leads directly to his arrest and...

• Simon (played by James Van Der Beek) — minor

  Simon is a self-important movie star who arrives with Franklin Brauner, the director of his next project. He takes the men to Las Vegas on his private jet, behaves condescendingly toward Pockets, and...

Canonical Relationships

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

• Elise → Sarah (Family Sisters) — Sarah's unexpected arrival adds a family element to the wedding gathering.

  Sarah arrives as Elise's surprise guest, and the plot explicitly identifies Sarah as Elise's sister.

• Franklin Brauner → Simon (Professional Director And Actor) — Franklin has a professional directing relationship with Simon.

  Franklin Brauner is identified as the director of Simon's next project, described as a metaphysical western.

• Rich → Samantha (Romantic Partners) — Their relationship moves from uncertainty about marriage to engagement and shared parenthood.

  The plot explicitly describes Rich and Samantha as a couple. Rich later proposes to Samantha, and she reveals that she is pregnant.

• Pockets → Lana (Romantic Unrequited Love) — Pockets remains emotionally attached to Lana despite their painful past.

  Pockets has harbored an unrequited love for Lana since college, when she broke his heart.

Story Dynamics

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

• Rich → Simon (Social College Friends) — Their social connection exists within the wider friend group, despite Simon's later clash with Pockets.

  Rich and Simon are both included in the reunited group of college friends attending the bachelor and bachelorette events.

• Lana → Samantha (Social College Friends) — They belong to the same longstanding social circle.

  Lana and Samantha are included among the college friends attending the wedding-related gatherings.

• Pockets → Elise (Social College Friends) — Their connection is established through the reunited college friend group.

  Pockets is among the college friends gathering for Elise's wedding.

• Pockets → Rich (Social College Friends) — They share the group's longstanding social history.

  Pockets and Rich are part of the college-friend group reunited for the wedding events.

• Pockets → Prostitute / Cop (Conflict Arresting Adversaries) — Their encounter directly causes Pockets's arrest.

  Pockets solicits an undercover cop and ends up in jail.

• Pockets → Simon (Conflict Personal Rivals) — Their clash exposes class and status tensions within the group.

  Pockets confronts Simon after Simon behaves condescendingly toward him, and the confrontation becomes a fight.

Story Analysis

A wedding reunion forces old friends to confront unresolved love, family wounds, adulthood, and commitment.

Plot Progression

1. Old Friends Return — College friends gather in Los Angeles before a wedding. Old romantic wounds and doubts about marriage immediately resurface.
2. Unwelcome Family History — A self-important actor and his director join the gathering while an estranged father seeks reconciliation. The father's rejection adds emotional pressure before the parties begin.
3. Parties Spin Out — The men travel to Las Vegas while the women remain in Los Angeles. A surprise arrival, an underage revelation, and Pockets's emotional confrontation destabilize the celebrations.
4. Secrets Become Choices — Pockets's arrest and the group's romantic complications expose the consequences of unresolved feelings. Difficult truths about marriage and family history are finally discussed.
5. Reconciliation And Commitment — The estranged father and son reconcile, while Lana accepts a new romantic possibility. Rich proposes to Samantha, who reveals her pregnancy.