Character Relationship Map: Rocket Gibraltar

Characters

• Levi Rockwell (played by Burt Lancaster) — protagonist

  Levi Rockwell is a retired, widowed Hollywood screenwriter and the patriarch at the center of the story. He gathers his four adult children and seven grandchildren at his Long Island estate for his 77...

• Aggie Rockwell (played by Suzy Amis) — protagonist

  Aggie Rockwell is one of Levi Rockwell's four adult children and one of the family members who comes to the Long Island estate for his 77th birthday. Like the other adults, she is distracted by person...

• Rose Black (played by Patricia Clarkson) — supporting

  Rose Black is one of Levi Rockwell's four adult children and attends the family gathering at his Long Island estate for his 77th birthday. The reunion places her among the adults dealing with personal...

• Ruby Hanson (played by Frances Conroy) — supporting

  Ruby Hanson is one of Levi Rockwell's four adult children and arrives with the extended family for his 77th birthday celebration. During the reunion, she belongs to the adult generation occupied by it...

• Cy Blue Black (played by Macaulay Culkin) — supporting

  Cy Blue Black is Levi Rockwell's youngest grandson and the child with whom Levi forms a special bond during the birthday reunion. He brings Levi lemonade, listens as Levi explains a Viking ship, and j...

• Jessica Hanson (played by Sara Rue) — minor
• Rolo Rockwell (played by John Glover) — supporting

  Rolo Rockwell is Levi Rockwell's only son among his four adult children and comes to the family estate for Levi's 77th birthday. He is part of the adult family group whose personal concerns limit its...

• Dawn Black (played by Angela Goethals) — minor

  Dawn is one of the children at Levi's birthday gathering. She moves between games, chores, and the family's boat-building effort, joining the younger generation as the relatives prepare a ceremonial v...

• Emily Rockwell (played by Emily Poe) — minor
• Flora Rockwell (played by Sara Goethals) — minor

  Flora is one of the children at Levi's birthday gathering. She joins the children moving between games, chores, and construction of the ceremonial boat, the main activity of the celebration after Levi...

Canonical Relationships

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

• Cy Blue Black → Jessica Hanson (Family Cousins) — Cy and Jessica are among the younger relatives gathered for Levi's birthday.

  The plot describes the children moving among activities with their cousins, and names Cy and Jessica among that group.

• Cy Blue Black → Emily Rockwell (Family Cousins) — Cy and Emily are among the younger relatives at the family reunion.

  The plot describes the children moving among activities with their cousins, and names Cy and Emily among that group.

• Cy Blue Black → Flora Rockwell (Family Cousins) — Cy and Flora are among the younger relatives at Levi's gathering.

  The plot describes the children moving among activities with their cousins, and names Cy and Flora among that group.

• Cy Blue Black → Dawn Black (Family Cousins) — Cy and Dawn are among the younger relatives at the gathering, moving between games and family activities.

  The plot describes the children moving among activities with their cousins, and names Cy and Dawn among that group.

• Ruby Hanson → Rolo Rockwell (Family Siblings) — They attend Levi's birthday as members of the same adult sibling group.

  Ruby and Rolo are each identified as one of Levi's four adult children.

• Rose Black → Rolo Rockwell (Family Siblings) — They are members of the same adult sibling group at the family gathering.

  Rose and Rolo are each identified as one of Levi's four adult children.

• Rose Black → Ruby Hanson (Family Siblings) — They belong to Levi's adult sibling group and attend his birthday reunion.

  Rose and Ruby are each identified as one of Levi's four adult children.

• Aggie Rockwell → Rolo Rockwell (Family Siblings) — They are part of the same group of adult siblings gathered for Levi's birthday.

  Aggie and Rolo are each identified as one of Levi's four adult children.

• Aggie Rockwell → Ruby Hanson (Family Siblings) — They attend Levi's birthday gathering as members of the same adult sibling generation.

  Aggie and Ruby are each identified as one of Levi's four adult children.

• Aggie Rockwell → Rose Black (Family Siblings) — They are among Levi's adult children attending the same family reunion.

  Aggie and Rose are each identified as one of Levi's four adult children, establishing that they belong to the same sibling group.

• Levi Rockwell → Cy Blue Black (Family Grandfather) — Levi and Cy share a special bond during the reunion, including a conversation about the Viking ship.

  Cy is identified as Levi's youngest grandson. He listens as Levi explains the Viking ship and joins his cousins in restoring a boat for him.

• Levi Rockwell → Aggie Rockwell (Family Father) — Aggie joins the family reunion at Levi's estate, where the relatives celebrate his birthday.

  Aggie is identified as one of Levi's four adult children and attends his birthday gathering.

• Levi Rockwell → Rose Black (Family Father) — Rose is part of the adult family generation gathered at Levi's estate for his birthday.

  Rose is identified as one of Levi's four adult children and attends his birthday gathering.

• Levi Rockwell → Ruby Hanson (Family Father) — Ruby attends Levi's birthday reunion as one of his adult children.

  Ruby is identified as one of Levi's four adult children and arrives with the extended family for his birthday.

• Levi Rockwell → Rolo Rockwell (Family Father) — Rolo joins his father and the extended family for the birthday gathering.

  Rolo is identified as Levi's only son among his four adult children and comes to the family estate for Levi's birthday.

Story Analysis

A family birthday gathering centers on Levi's wish for a Viking funeral and the younger generation's effort to honor it.

Plot Progression

1. A Reunion at Levi's Estate — The extended family gathers at Levi's country house for his birthday. The children anticipate the tree house and old home movies while the relatives settle into their familiar mixture of affection, te...
2. A Gift beyond Convention — Levi rejects ordinary presents and explains that he wants a proper Viking funeral. His account of Norse funeral ships gives the family a concrete project for honoring his wish.
3. The Boat Takes Shape — The family searches for a mast and sail, paints the vessel, and untangles its ropes near the sea. The work becomes a shared activity amid the relatives' continuing jokes and disagreements.
4. Levi's Past and Private Pause — Levi entertains the family with an old comedy routine and recalls his blacklisting during the McCarthy era. He later retreats upstairs to watch old films and delays joining his party.
5. A Gift and a Refusal — The children return with something special for Levi, while the adults urge everyone to change and join the celebration. The children refuse, and the supplied account ends with the family confronting t...