Character Relationship Map: Permanent

Characters

• Jim Dixon (played by Rainn Wilson) — protagonist

  Jim is Aurelie's father and Jeanne's husband, a former Air Force One steward who is attending college on a scholarship to become a physician. He struggles with swimming because he fears being seen wit...

• Jeanne Dixon (played by Patricia Arquette) — protagonist

  Jeanne is Aurelie's mother and Jim's wife, serving as the family's breadwinner while working at a local chicken shack. Feeling unfulfilled, she becomes emotionally involved with Jerry, but a family co...

• Aurelie (played by Kira McLean) — supporting

  Aurelie is the new girl in town and the daughter of Jim and Jeanne. Hoping to fit in, she gets a disastrous permanent and is bullied at school. She attempts to befriend Lydia, enters the poetry contes...

• Jerry, The Therapist (played by Michael Greene) — supporting

  Jerry is the Dixons' neighbor who offers to teach Jeanne to become an artist and to help with family counseling. His apparent emotional support proves self-serving when he comments on Jeanne's breasts...

Canonical Relationships

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

• Jeanne Dixon → Jerry, The Therapist (Romantic Lover) — Jeanne pursues an emotional affair with Jerry due to marital dissatisfaction.
• Jim Dixon → Jeanne Dixon (Family Spouse) — Jim and Jeanne are married, navigating financial and emotional strain in their new life.
• Aurelie → Jeanne Dixon (Family Mother) — Jeanne is Aurelie's mother and the family's primary breadwinner.
• Aurelie → Jim Dixon (Family Father) — Jim is Aurelie's father, a former Air Force One steward attending college on a scholarship.

Story Dynamics

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

• Jim Dixon → Jerry, The Therapist (Social Neighbor) — Jerry lives next door and initially appears as a helpful community member.

Story Analysis

A young girl's struggle to fit in develops into a family story about insecurity, courage, and self-acceptance.

Plot Progression

1. A Bad Haircut Begins — Aurelie arrives in small-town Virginia and seeks a permanent to fit in. The discounted treatment fails, leaving her isolated and mocked at school.
2. Learning to Stand Firm — Aurelie faces rejection, classroom embarrassment, and repeated bullying. She reluctantly begins karate training and finds a financial reason to pursue a hair fix.
3. Family Fault Lines — The family struggles with insecurity, marital dissatisfaction, and a neighbor whose apparent support becomes inappropriate. Counseling leads to an affirmation of love and commitment.
4. Choosing Self-Acceptance — Aurelie panics during the poetry contest but defeats the bullies with her karate training. After Lydia wins and offers the prize money, Aurelie decides she no longer needs the hair fix.