Character Relationship Map: Without a Paddle

Characters

• Dennis (played by Abraham Benrubi) — supporting

  Hostile marijuana farmer who chases the protagonists through the woods.

• Elwood (played by Ethan Suplee) — supporting

  Dennis's partner running a marijuana farm, hostile to intruders.

• Sheriff Briggs (played by Ray Baker) — supporting

  Local law enforcement who initially helps but later betrays the group.

• Del Knox (played by Burt Reynolds) — supporting

  Mountain hermit and D.B. Cooper's former partner, aids the friends.

• Flower (played by Rachel Blanchard) — supporting

  Hippie woman who shelters the trio and later dates Dan.

• Butterfly (played by Christina Moore) — supporting

  Heather's friend, assists in defending the treehouse from farmers.

Story Dynamics

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

• Sheriff Briggs → Del Knox (Conflict Opposing Protector) — Their loyalties place them on opposite sides of the central chase.

  Del Knox protects the friends from the farmers, while Sheriff Briggs later assists the farmers and attempts to capture the travelers.

• Sheriff Briggs → Elwood (Alliance Criminal Associate) — Briggs provides law-enforcement cover for Elwood's group.

  The plot explicitly states that Sheriff Briggs is in league with the farmers when he reveals his betrayal.

• Sheriff Briggs → Dennis (Alliance Criminal Associate) — The sheriff secretly cooperates with Dennis's side against the friends.

  Sheriff Briggs appears during the capture of two friends and reveals that he is working in league with the farmers.

• Del Knox → Flower (Alliance Fellow Supporter) — Both characters independently support the endangered travelers.

  Flower shelters the friends before they later take refuge with Del Knox, who also provides them clothing and protection.

• Flower → Butterfly (Alliance Ally) — They cooperate as members of the same protective household.

  Flower and Butterfly shelter the three friends together in their treehouse and jointly repel the farmers.

• Elwood → Butterfly (Conflict Enemy) — Their opposing actions place them on hostile sides of the treehouse confrontation.

  Elwood participates in the farmers' attack on the treehouse, while Butterfly helps defend it by dropping bags of feces on the attackers.

• Dennis → Flower (Conflict Enemy) — Dennis becomes an aggressor against Flower's sheltering group.

  Dennis arrives at the treehouse while Flower is sheltering the friends, and the women drive him and the other farmer away by dropping bags of feces.

• Dennis → Elwood (Alliance Partners) — They operate the farm as a hostile criminal partnership.

  The plot states that Dennis and Elwood run the marijuana farm together and jointly pursue the friends after the crop is accidentally burned.

Story Analysis

Three friends pursue a childhood treasure mystery through wilderness disasters, hostile pursuers, unexpected allies, and a bittersweet resolution.

Plot Progression

1. The Map Reopens The Past — After a childhood companion's funeral, the friends return to their old treehouse and find a treasure map. They decide to continue the abandoned search by canoe.
2. River Perils And Ruin — A failed attempt to catch fish attracts a grizzly bear and destroys the group's gear. A damaged map leads them over a waterfall, leaving them stranded without their canoe.
3. The Farmers Give Chase — The travelers enter a marijuana farm and are mistaken for thieves. Their escape accidentally burns the crop, turning the farmers into determined pursuers.
4. Shelters In The Wilderness — Flower and Butterfly provide refuge in their treehouse and repel the farmers. Del Knox then protects the friends and reveals his connection to the lost treasure.
5. The Cave And The Betrayal — The friends locate the crash site and learn that the ransom was burned for survival. The farmers capture two travelers with help from Sheriff Briggs, but a grenade traps the attackers.
6. A Fortune And Farewell — Del shares surviving money with the friends, who choose different futures after the ordeal. Del departs to give the dead treasure seeker a proper burial.