Character Relationship Map: Vanishing Point

Characters

• Kowalski (played by Barry Newman) — protagonist

  A Medal of Honor Vietnam veteran and ex-cop working as a car delivery driver. He takes an unsanctioned cross-country run in a white 1970 Dodge Challenger to win a bet, evading police and encountering...

• Super Soul (played by Cleavon Little) — protagonist

  A blind black disc jockey broadcasting from KOW radio in Nevada. He monitors police frequencies to guide Kowalski, publicly supporting him as the last American hero and drawing media attention to the...

• Prospector (played by Dean Jagger) — supporting

  An old desert dweller who catches rattlesnakes for a religious commune. He aids Kowalski after the driver loses control in the desert, providing fuel and directions back to the highway.

• The Hitchhiker (played by Charlotte Rampling) — supporting
• Clerk (played by Karl Swenson) — minor
• Jake (played by Lee Weaver) — supporting

  Kowalski's drug dealer and friend in Denver. Kowalski bets him that he can deliver the Challenger to San Francisco by 3:00 PM Sunday, far ahead of the Monday deadline. Kowalski later calls him to conc...

• Angel (played by Timothy Scott) — supporting

  A hippie biker near the California border who provides Kowalski with stimulants to stay awake. He assists Kowalski in modifying the Challenger to impersonate a police vehicle, enabling him to slip pas...

Canonical Relationships

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

• Kowalski → Clerk (Professional Employer Representative)

  The delivery service clerk receives Kowalski in Denver and discusses his next assignment.

• Kowalski → Jake (Professional Drug Dealer)

  Kowalski visits Jake in Denver to buy Benzedrine pills before beginning the cross-country drive.

Story Dynamics

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

• Kowalski → The Hitchhiker (Unknown Mysterious Encounter)

  Kowalski picks up the Hitchhiker late Saturday night, and she says she has been 'waiting for him, everywhere and since forever.'

• Kowalski → Angel (Alliance Ally)

  Near the California state line, Angel gives Kowalski pills and helps modify the Challenger to resemble a police car.

• Kowalski → Prospector (Alliance Rescuer)

  After Kowalski loses control in the desert and becomes lost, the Prospector gives him fuel and directions back to the highway.

• Kowalski → Super Soul (Alliance Guided Fugitive)

  Super Soul monitors police frequencies and encourages Kowalski to evade the pursuing police.

Story Analysis

A solitary driver turns a delivery run into a defiant flight from authority, ending in deliberate destruction.

Plot Progression

1. A Bet Beyond Denver
2. Police Across The West
3. The Voice In Nevada
4. The Broken Broadcast
5. The Road Ends