Cousins

Cousins

Year: 1989

Runtime: 109 mins

Language: English

Director: Joel Schumacher

ComedyRomance

Love at first sight. Consequences to follow. Two couples go to a mutual friend’s wedding and end up swapping partners.

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Timeline & Setting – Cousins (1989)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Cousins (1989). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Location

Wedding venue, family home

The story unfolds around a wedding that doubles as a large family gathering. The venue functions as a pressure cooker where long-simmering tensions come to light. The setting feels intimate and domestic, grounded in a close-knit family dynamic during a festive occasion.

🏠 Family setting 💒 Wedding atmosphere

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 13:52

Main Characters – Cousins (1989)

Meet the key characters of Cousins (1989), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Larry Kozinski (Ted Danson)

Larry is a successful yet restless husband whose affair with Maria exposes fragile loyalties. He oscillates between charm and selfish impulses, revealing a longing for connection that his marriage cannot fully satisfy. His choices drive the plot and force him to confront what he truly wants from love and family.

💬 Affair 🧭 Moral conflict 👨 Family responsibilities

Maria Hardy (Isabella Rossellini)

Maria is intelligent and independent, torn between her loyalty to her daughter and the thrill of a dangerous romance. She seeks emotional honesty and ultimately wrestles with whether love can coexist with commitment. Her decisions catalyze the film's emotional arc.

❤️ Romance 💔 Betrayal 👩 Family

Tish Kozinski (Sean Young)

Tish is Larry's wife, who navigates the shock of discovering her husband's infidelity while maintaining dignity. She demonstrates resilience and a sense of boundary-setting, choosing what she believes is best for her own well-being and family stability.

💍 Marriage 🧭 Boundary-setting 💪 Resilience

Tom Hardy (William Petersen)

Tom is a car salesman whose own affairs fuel the tension between couples. He is self-serving and volatile, yet his actions push others to confront uncomfortable truths about commitment and fidelity.

💼 Infidelity 😡 Jealousy 🧩 Complications

Edie Hardy Kozinski (Norma Aleandro)

Edie is Maria's widowed mother and Phil's partner-in-law; she embodies a blend of warmth and survival pragmatism. She acts as a stabilizing figure in the family and watches the drama unfold with a shopper's practical calm.

👵 Family matriarch 💬 Wisdom 💖 Loyalty

Phil Kozinski (George Coe)

Phil is the charismatic uncle whose sudden death acts as a catalyst for the family drama. His memory lingers over the gathering, influencing how characters behave and how grievances surface during the wake.

💥 Catalyst 🕯️ Remembrance 👨 Family

Vincent Kozinski (Lloyd Bridges)

Vince is Phil's brother and a father figure whose presence exposes the hidden loyalties within the family. He offers support, attraction, and a voice of pragmatic sense amid the chaos, shaping the wedding's emotional trajectory.

👔 Family 🗣️ Advice 💞 Romance

Chloe Hardy (Katharine Isabelle)

Chloe is Maria's daughter who becomes a lens into the consequences of adult decisions. Her actions at school reveal the unintended ripple effects of the adults' relationships on the younger generation.

👧 Child 🧠 Insight 🪞 Reflection

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 13:52

Major Themes – Cousins (1989)

Explore the central themes of Cousins (1989), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

💔 Infidelity

The film centers on the emotional fallout of an extramarital affair between Larry and Maria. Their secret meetings threaten the stability of two marriages and strain bonds with children and parents. The narrative probes guilt, temptation, and the consequences of choosing passion over commitment. The tension escalates as suspicions rise and the couples confront rumors, loyalty, and heartbreak.

👪 Family dynamics

A sprawling family gathering exposes competing desires, loyalties, and hierarchies. Generational gaps color perspectives on love, duty, and happiness. The wedding becomes a stage where characters reveal hidden resentments and negotiate new alliances. The film uses humor and drama to explore how family love can coexist with flawed choices.

🌊 Love & new beginnings

Ultimately Larry and Maria choose to pursue a life together, signaling forgiveness and the possibility of second chances. The narrative concludes with them sailing away with their children, embracing a future built from honesty and hope. The ending reframes marriage as a flexible bond shaped by trust, growth, and shared dreams. The epilogue offers a forward-looking vision of family happiness beyond conventional expectations.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 13:52

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Cousins Summary

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Cousins Summary

Cousins Timeline

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Cousins Timeline

More About Cousins

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