Character Relationship Map: All Good Things

Characters

• David Marks (played by Ryan Gosling) — protagonist

  David is the son of real estate tycoon Sanford Marks and Katie's husband. He is drawn back from Vermont to New York by his father, rejects having children, and forces Katie to make an abortion appoint...

• Katie Marks (played by Kirsten Dunst) — protagonist

  Katie is a working-class student who marries David Marks and tries with him to build a new life in Vermont, where they open a health food store. Back in New York, she pursues medical school as their m...

• Sanford Marks (played by Frank Langella) — supporting

  Sanford is David's powerful real estate tycoon father. He manipulates David into returning to New York from Vermont, telling him that Katie deserves more than David is giving her. In a flashback, Sanf...

• Deborah Lehrman (played by Lily Rabe) — supporting

  Deborah is David's best friend and an unpublished novelist. Eighteen years after Katie disappears, her novel describes a murder almost identical to the Marks case, prompting the district attorney to r...

• Malvern Bump (played by Philip Baker Hall) — supporting

  Malvern is David's neighbor in Texas and the victim of a murder for which David stands trial. David is acquitted. The plot summary identifies him as a neighbor and a murder victim but gives no further...

• Moynihan's Assistant (played by William Jackson Harper) — cameo
• Moynihan's Wife (played by Ellen Sexton) — cameo
• Daniel Patrick Moynihan (played by Francis Guinan) — cameo

Canonical Relationships

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

• Moynihan's Wife → Daniel Patrick Moynihan (wife)
• Moynihan's Assistant → Daniel Patrick Moynihan (assistant)
• Sanford Marks → Katie Marks (Family Father-in-law) — Sanford is Katie's father-in-law through her marriage to David.

  Sanford is David's father, while David is married to Katie.

• Sanford Marks → David Marks (Family Father) — Sanford is David's father and a dominant influence on his life.

  The plot identifies David as the son of the powerful real estate tycoon Sanford Marks.

• David Marks → Katie Marks (Family Husband) — They are married partners whose relationship deteriorates over time.

  The plot states that David Marks marries Katie McCarthy, who later becomes Katie Marks.

Story Dynamics

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

• David Marks → Malvern Bump (Conflict Accused Killer) — Their connection is defined by a murder accusation and trial.

  David stands trial for the murder of his neighbor Malvern Bump but is acquitted.

• David Marks → Deborah Lehrman (Social Best Friend) — Deborah is explicitly identified as David's best friend.

  The district attorney reopens the case after reading an unpublished novel written by David's best friend, Deborah Lehrman.

Story Analysis

A marriage shaped by wealth, coercion, disappearance, and unresolved suspicion becomes a meditation on memory and possible guilt.

Plot Progression

1. A Marriage Away From Power — David Marks marries Katie and tries to build an independent life with her in Vermont. Sanford's intervention brings the couple back to New York.
2. The Broken Family Plan — Katie raises the possibility of having children, but David rejects the idea. Her pregnancy leads to an angry confrontation and an attempted abortion appointment.
3. Escape Through Evidence — Katie enters medical school and considers separation as the marriage collapses. After her funds are cut off, she searches for financial documents that might secure a settlement.
4. The Case Returns — Katie disappears in 1982, leaving only a reward and unanswered questions. Eighteen years later, Deborah's unpublished novel causes the district attorney to reopen the case.
5. Ambiguous Judgment — Deborah is killed, David is tried and acquitted for Malvern Bump's murder, and a flash-back implies that Katie's remains were hidden in her car. David's final visit to Sanford preserves the film's unc...