Character Relationship Map: Another Year

Characters

• Tom (played by Jim Broadbent) — protagonist

  An older geologist and the husband of Gerri. He maintains a comfortable, loving relationship with his wife while navigating the lives of their unhappy friends and family. He hosts social gatherings, a...

• Mary (played by Lesley Manville) — protagonist

  A middle-aged divorcee and receptionist who is Gerri's friend and colleague. She struggles with depression and loneliness, often masking it with false happiness. She drinks excessively, experiences ro...

• Gerri (played by Ruth Sheen) — supporting

  A counsellor and the wife of Tom. She shares a stable, affectionate marriage while managing the emotional turmoil of her circle. She confronts Mary's rude behavior, later offers compassion and practic...

• Ken (played by Peter Wight) — supporting

  An overweight, unhappy old friend of Tom. He compulsively consumes food, alcohol, and tobacco. He visits the Hepples for a summer barbecue, where he makes an awkward romantic advance that Mary firmly...

• Joe (played by Oliver Maltman) — supporting

  The thirty-year-old only child of Tom and Gerri, working as a housing solicitor. He is single but in a stable relationship with Katie. He remains polite but uninterested when Mary flirts with him, and...

• Tom's Colleague (played by Stuart McQuarrie) — minor
• Ronnie (played by David Bradley) — supporting

  Tom's brother, who is grieving his wife's death and estranged from his son Carl. He becomes aggressive during funeral arrangements but accepts Tom and Gerri's offer to stay in London for support, beco...

Canonical Relationships

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

• Tom's Colleague → Tom (colleague)
• Mary → Joe (Romantic Unreciprocated Interest) — Mary's attempted romantic connection with Joe exposes her loneliness.

  At the barbecue, Mary flirts with Joe, whom she has known since he was little, but he remains friendly and does not reciprocate.

• Tom → Ronnie (Family Brother) — Their sibling relationship becomes important when Ronnie is grieving and needs support.

  Ronnie is explicitly described as Tom's brother.

• Mary → Ken (Romantic Rejected Suitor) — Their brief encounter reinforces the characters' conflicting loneliness.

  After the barbecue, Ken makes a clumsy romantic advance while Mary drives him to the train station, and Mary irritably rejects him.

• Gerri → Joe (Family Mother) — Gerri is Joe's mother and helps maintain the family's warmth and stability.

  Joe is identified as the Hepples' only child, and Gerri shares a supportive family life with him.

• Tom → Joe (Family Father) — Tom is Joe's father and remains part of his supportive family network.

  Joe is identified as the Hepples' only child, and Tom attends family events with him.

• Tom → Gerri (Family Spouse) — Their stable marriage provides the film's emotional center.

  Tom and Gerri are described as an older married couple with a comfortable, loving relationship.

Story Dynamics

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

• Tom → Mary (Social Host) — Tom participates in offering Mary a stable social environment, although he is unhappy when she arrives unannounced.

  Tom and Gerri host Mary within their household social circle, including the barbecue and the later dinner.

• Gerri → Ronnie (Alliance Temporary Host) — Gerri helps extend the Hepples' household support to Ronnie.

  Gerri joins Tom in inviting Ronnie to stay with them in London after the funeral.

• Tom → Ken (Social Old Friend) — Tom maintains a long-standing friendship with Ken despite Ken's unhappiness.

  Ken is described as Tom's old friend from his student days, and Tom and Gerri host a barbecue for him.

• Gerri → Mary (Social Friend) — Their friendship is strained by Mary's behavior but eventually receives cautious repair.

  Mary is identified as Gerri's friend and colleague, and she visits the Hepples' home repeatedly.

Story Analysis

Across four seasons, a stable couple observes the loneliness and crises of people around them while offering imperfect forms of support.

Plot Progression

1. A Comfortable Center — Tom and Gerri's loving marriage establishes a stable emotional center. Mary and Joe are introduced as people whose lives contrast with that stability.
2. Summer Misreadings — Ken visits the Hepples for a barbecue, while Mary's loneliness surfaces through drinking and flirtation. Her unsuccessful encounters with Joe and Ken deepen the sense of emotional isolation.
3. Autumn Fracture — Mary reacts badly when Joe brings a new girlfriend to the Hepples' home. Her hostility creates a serious rift between Mary and Gerri.
4. Winter Grief — The family attends Ronnie's wife's funeral, where Ronnie's estrangement from his son erupts into anger. Tom and Gerri respond by offering Ronnie a temporary home.
5. An Uncertain Welcome — Mary arrives after her car is wrecked and breaks down in the Hepples' home. Gerri confronts her, then offers counseling, warmth, and a place at the family dinner.