Character Relationship Map: About Time

Characters

• Tim Lake (played by Domhnall Gleeson) — protagonist

  The protagonist who discovers his family's ability to travel back in time. He uses this gift to navigate relationships, prevent his sister's destructive choices, and cope with his father's terminal il...

• Mary (played by Rachel McAdams) — protagonist

  An American publisher's employee who becomes Tim's wife. Their relationship begins with a chance meeting in a dark restaurant and develops through Tim's time-travel interventions. She bears two childr...

• Harry (played by Tom Hollander) — supporting

  A playwright and family friend who initially houses Tim in London. His play's opening night disaster prompts Tim to use time travel to save the show, inadvertently altering Tim's timeline and preventi...

• Charlotte (played by Margot Robbie) — supporting

  Kit Kat's friend who initially captures Tim's romantic interest. Her rejection teaches Tim that time travel cannot force someone to change their mind about him. She later reappears and shows interest...

• Kit Kat (played by Lydia Wilson) — supporting

  Tim's younger sister who struggles with career and relationship issues. Her drunken car crash on her niece's birthday prompts Tim to experiment with changing the past, ultimately teaching him that alt...

• Mary's Mother, Jean (played by Lisa Eichhorn) — minor
• Mary's Father, Fitz (played by Mitchell Mullen) — minor
• Uncle D (played by Richard Cordery) — supporting
• Jay (played by Will Merrick) — supporting

  Tim's friend who eventually enters a stable relationship with Kit Kat. They marry and have a child together, providing a positive resolution to Kit Kat's personal struggles.

Canonical Relationships

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

• Mary's Mother, Jean → Mary (mother)
• Mary's Father, Fitz → Mary (father)
• Tim Lake → Uncle D (Family Nephew) — Uncle D is part of Tim's extended family.

  Tim grows up in Cornwall with his uncle Desmond, listed in the character roster as Uncle D.

• Kit Kat → Jay (Romantic Partner) — Jay becomes Kit Kat's stable romantic partner.

  After Tim and Mary help Kit Kat face her problems, Kit Kat settles down with Tim's friend Jay.

• Tim Lake → Charlotte (Romantic Interest) — Charlotte is Tim's first major romantic pursuit.

  Tim is instantly smitten with Charlotte and waits until the last day of her visit to confess his feelings.

• Tim Lake → Kit Kat (Family Brother) — Tim is Kit Kat's protective older brother.

  Tim grows up with his younger sister Kit Kat and later intervenes after her drunken car crash and relationship struggles.

• Tim Lake → Mary (Romantic Husband) — Mary becomes Tim's wife and central life partner.

  Tim and Mary develop a relationship after meeting at Dans le Noir, later move in together, marry, and raise a family.

Story Dynamics

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

• Tim Lake → Jay (Social Friend) — Jay belongs to Tim's trusted social circle.

  Jay is identified as Tim's friend before entering a relationship with Kit Kat.

• Tim Lake → Harry (Social Friend) — Harry provides Tim with an early London connection and home.

  Tim moves to London and initially lives with Harry, described as his father's acquaintance and a playwright.

• Kit Kat → Charlotte (Social Friend) — Their friendship connects Charlotte to Tim's family circle.

  Charlotte visits Cornwall as Kit Kat's friend during the summer.

Story Analysis

A man uses inherited time travel to pursue love and protect family, then learns that happiness comes from accepting life as it is.

Plot Progression

1. The Gift Beneath Ordinary Days — Tim grows up in Cornwall and discovers that the men in his family can revisit moments they have already lived. He first experiments with the ability and decides to use it to improve his love life.
2. Love Lost And Rewritten — Tim's feelings for Charlotte end in rejection, teaching him that time travel cannot force another person to love him. He then moves to London and begins a new chapter.
3. The Night That Disappeared — Tim meets Mary in a dark restaurant, but changing Harry's disastrous opening night erases their meeting. Tim searches for Mary and recreates the beginning of their relationship.
4. Family Consequences — Tim marries Mary and becomes a parent. When Kit Kat's crash threatens her future, Tim learns that changing events before a child's birth can change the child's identity.
5. The Last Journey Back — Tim learns that his father's terminal illness cannot be changed and receives guidance about appreciating ordinary life. After one final visit to the past, he accepts loss and chooses to stop time trav...