Character Relationship Map: Jackie

Characters

• Jackie Kennedy (played by Natalie Portman) — protagonist

  The film's central character, who reflects on her husband's assassination, its aftermath, her grief, her children's well-being, funeral arrangements, reliance on medication and alcohol, spiritual coun...

• Robert Kennedy (played by Peter Sarsgaard) — protagonist

  Jackie's brother-in-law and the United States Attorney General. He shares her grief, escorts her to Washington, supports her, helps plan the funeral, looks after the family, and worries that his broth...

• The Journalist (played by Billy Crudup) — supporting

  A journalist who visits Jackie at her home in Hyannis Port to interview her about John F. Kennedy's legacy, assassination, and its aftermath.

• The Priest (played by John Hurt) — supporting

  A priest whom Jackie regularly consults for spiritual counsel. After the state funeral, she tells him about her suicidal thoughts, memories of the assassination, pain, and guilt.

• John Fitzgerald Kennedy (played by Caspar Phillipson) — supporting

  The assassinated United States President whose death, legacy, funeral, family, and burial are central to Jackie's reflections and the film's narrative.

• Lady Bird Johnson (played by Beth Grant) — supporting

  The wife of newly sworn-in President Lyndon B. Johnson, who is shown comforting Jackie after the assassination and witnessing the televised murder of Lee Harvey Oswald.

• Lyndon B. Johnson (played by John Carroll Lynch) — supporting

  The newly sworn-in president who, along with Lady Bird, is shown among those comforting Jackie after the assassination and witnessing the televised murder of Lee Harvey Oswald.

Canonical Relationships

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

• Lyndon B. Johnson → Robert Kennedy (Professional Political Counterpart) — They occupy connected but distinct positions in the post-assassination transition.

  Lyndon B. Johnson and Robert are both present while dealing with the aftermath and witnessing the televised killing of the suspected assassin.

• Lyndon B. Johnson → Jackie Kennedy (Power Successor And Bereaved Widow) — Their relationship is shaped by the abrupt transfer of presidential authority.

  The plot places Lyndon B. Johnson and Jackie together aboard Air Force One after he is newly sworn in and she is grieving.

• Jackie Kennedy → The Journalist (Professional Interview Subject) — Their interview provides the film's framing structure.

  The Journalist visits Jackie at her home to interview her about John's legacy, the assassination, and its aftermath.

• Robert Kennedy → John Fitzgerald Kennedy (Family Brother) — Robert shares both familial grief and responsibility for the presidential family's immediate future.

  Robert is described as Jackie's brother-in-law and as a close family member dealing with grief after John's assassination.

• Jackie Kennedy → Robert Kennedy (Family Sister-in-Law) — Their family relationship becomes a primary source of practical and emotional support.

  The plot explicitly identifies Robert as Jackie's brother-in-law and shows him supporting her after the assassination.

• Jackie Kennedy → John Fitzgerald Kennedy (Family Wife) — Their marriage and his death form the emotional center of the film.

  The plot identifies Jackie as the widow of John Fitzgerald Kennedy and follows her response to his assassination and funeral.

Story Dynamics

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

• Jackie Kennedy → Lady Bird Johnson (Alliance Bereavement Support) — Lady Bird offers immediate support during the transition of presidential power.

  Lady Bird is seen comforting Jackie aboard Air Force One after the assassination.

• Jackie Kennedy → The Priest (Social Spiritual Confidante) — The Priest provides a private setting for Jackie's confession and moral struggle.

  Jackie regularly seeks spiritual counsel from The Priest and later tells him about her suicidal thoughts and guilt.

Story Analysis

A grieving widow reconstructs a public legacy while confronting private trauma, guilt, and the limits of historical memory.

Plot Progression

1. A Legacy Under Examination — The film opens with a journalist questioning Jackie about the White House tour and her husband's legacy. The interview gradually moves toward the assassination and forces Jackie to revisit traumatic m...
2. Grief Aboard Air Force One — John's assassination shatters the public and private order surrounding Jackie. Robert, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Lady Bird Johnson appear as Jackie is comforted and returned to Washington.
3. The Burden of Survival — Jackie worries about her children while Robert helps arrange the funeral and care for the family. Insomnia, medication, alcohol, and repeated spiritual counseling reveal the depth of her distress.
4. Truth, Anger, and Legacy — Robert withholds news about the televised killing of the suspected assassin, provoking Jackie's anger when she discovers it. Their conflict is followed by Robert's fear that John's brief presidency ma...
5. Confession and Reinterment — After the state funeral, Jackie confesses suicidal thoughts and unbearable guilt to The Priest. The film closes with the reinterment of her lost children's coffins beside John's grave and Jackie's con...