Character Relationship Map: The Handyman

Characters

• Armand Dorion (played by Jocelyn Bérubé) — protagonist

  Armand is a shy, self-conscious handyman whose wife has left him. His understanding nature makes him vulnerable to people who take advantage of him, and he falls in love with women who break his heart...

• Thérèse St-Amant (played by Andrée Pelletier) — supporting

  Thérèse is a married woman whose husband is described as a boor. When Armand is hired to do work for her, she proves to be as shy and self-conscious as he is. The two grow close and begin a love affai...

• Armand St-Amant (played by Gilles Renaud) — supporting
• Georges Poitras, chauffeur (played by Marcel Sabourin) — supporting

  Georges is Armand's gay roommate and works as a limousine driver. He has unrequited feelings for Armand, placing him close to the central character while giving him a romantic longing of his own. The...

• Mme Lamarche, mère de Thérèse (played by Janette Bertrand) — supporting

Canonical Relationships

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

• Mme Lamarche, mère de Thérèse → Thérèse St-Amant (Family Mother) — She is part of Thérèse's family background.

  The character list identifies Mme Lamarche as Thérèse's mother.

• Thérèse St-Amant → Armand St-Amant (Family Spouses) — Their marriage forms the domestic obstacle surrounding Thérèse's affair.

  Thérèse is explicitly described as a married woman, and Armand St-Amant is identified as her husband.

• Armand Dorion → Thérèse St-Amant (Romantic Love Affair) — Their affair is the central romantic relationship in the film.

  Armand is hired to do work for Thérèse, and the two begin a love affair after recognizing their shared shyness and self-consciousness.

Story Dynamics

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

• Armand Dorion → Georges Poitras, chauffeur (Social Roommates) — They share living space and are closely connected in daily life.

  Georges is explicitly described as Armand's roommate.

Story Analysis

A shy handyman searches for love while navigating heartbreak, a married affair, and his roommate's unrequited devotion.

Plot Progression

1. A Lonely Handyman — Armand is introduced as a shy handyman whose wife has left him. His repeated heartbreak and trusting nature leave him vulnerable to emotional disappointment and exploitation.
2. A Complicated Household — Armand shares a home with Georges, a limousine driver who has unrequited feelings for him. This creates a quiet secondary tension around Armand's loneliness.
3. The Client Who Understands — Armand is hired to work for Thérèse, a married woman. Their mutual shyness and self-consciousness allow an unexpected emotional bond to form.
4. An Affair Against Convention — Armand and Thérèse begin a love affair despite her marriage to a boorish husband. The relationship places Armand's fragile hopes beside the pressures of Thérèse's existing household.
5. Unresolved Hearts — The affair becomes the film's defining emotional development, while Georges remains attached to Armand without reciprocation. The ending is shaped by overlapping loneliness and complicated desire.