The End (1978) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

The film is set in and around Los Angeles, California. Key locations include a hospital ICU, a mental institution, and scenes along the California coast. The urban, high-paced backdrop of Los Angeles underscores a modern, late-20th-century world where wealth and status intersect with mortality and meaning.

• los angeles
• california
• setting
• locations
• hospital
• mental institution

The story unfolds in the late 1970s in urban California. It captures the era's mood around fame, money, and personal crisis, as a man confronts a terminal illness and the desire to die. The period's social attitudes shape how characters respond to death, help, and repentance.

• 1970s
• late 1970s
• time period
• era
• california

The film explores three interconnected themes. Mortality is central as a terminal illness forces Sonny to reassess life and value. Confinement appears through Sonny's institutionalization and his struggle for control over his fate. Redemption emerges through acts of care from family and doctors that spark hope, suggesting living can be more meaningful than merely avoiding pain.

• mortality
• death
• terminal illness
• confinement
• redemption
• themes
• meaning

Sonny Lawson is an unscrupulous Los Angeles real estate promoter played by Burt Reynolds who learns he has a fatal disease. Believing he has months to live, he initially pursues suicide but is drawn into a dangerous struggle that tests his greed, pride, and the possibility of finding meaning in his remaining time. His arc shifts from domination to fragile hope.

• sonny lawson
• burt reynolds
• protagonist
• main character
• real estate

Jessica Lawson is Sonny's ex-wife, played by Sally Field. She is entangled in the delicate web around his fate, hiding his prognosis from him and becoming involved in his institutionalization. Her actions balance concern with manipulation, influencing Sonny's path toward or away from accepting his situation.

• jessica lawson
• sally field
• ex-wife
• character role

Marlon Borunki is a paranoid schizophrenic with dissociative identity disorder who befriends Sonny in the hospital. He initially supports Sonny's fatalist inclinations but ultimately helps him choose life. His unpredictable behavior and empathy create tension and drive the plot toward transformation.

• marlon borunki
• mental illness
• schizophrenia
• supporting character
• hospital

The mortality theme centers on confronting death, the search for meaning in limited time, and how relationships push a person toward or away from despair. The hospital, near-death attempts, and funeral fantasy reveal how fragile life can be and force Sonny to reevaluate what matters most.

• death
• terminal illness
• meaning of life
• life and death
• suicidal thoughts

The confinement theme illustrates how institutions can trap individuals searching for control over their fate. Sonny's commitment to a mental institution represents this literal and metaphorical imprisonment. The companionship with Marlon exposes cracks in the system and shows how vulnerability can drive both reckless choices and unexpected freedom.

• mental institution
• confinement
• control
• freedom
• imprisonment
• psychiatry

Dr. Maneet is a psychiatrist played by Joanne Woodward who briefly reignites Sonny's will to live. Her presence introduces a spark of meaning amid crisis and highlights the fragility of hope, as her death in Sonny's arms cuts short this turning point.

• dr maneet
• joanne woodward
• psychiatrist
• doctor
• hope

Julie Lawson is Sonny's daughter, played by Kristy McNichol. She represents a personal tie to life beyond wealth and power. Her interactions with Sonny reveal a longing for connection and a more humane view of his final days, anchoring the emotional stakes and underscoring the possibility of reconciliation.

• julie lawson
• kristy mcnichol
• daughter
• family
• reconciliation

The redemption theme suggests that acts of care from family and doctors can spark renewal even in the darkest circumstances. The film moves toward improbable hope as Sonny bargains with God and reassesses what he owes to those he loves. The ending hints that living can be more meaningful than merely avoiding pain.

• redemption
• hope
• forgiveness
• reconciliation
• faith
• god

The Los Angeles setting creates a world where wealth and status are prominent, making Sonny's material success feel hollow against his mortality. The hospital ICU and mental institution provide the physical spaces where his crisis unfolds, while the California coast offers contrasting moments of freedom and reflection.

• los angeles
• urban setting
• hospital
• california coast
• environment