Two Is a Family (2016) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

The story unfolds across three key locations. It begins on the sunny French Riviera where Samuel lives a carefree life by the sea. London becomes the primary setting where Samuel raises Gloria and navigates a custody battle in a language he doesn't speak. New York serves as the backdrop for Kristin's return, representing the cross-Atlantic tension that drives the family conflict.

• French Riviera
• London
• New York
• settings
• locations

The film is set in the contemporary era, spanning eight years from the present century. The narrative unfolds across France and the United Kingdom, using modern technology like internet correspondence and DNA tests as key plot points that anchor the story in today's world.

• contemporary
• modern era
• time period
• eight years

The film centers on Samuel's quest to create a makeshift family around Gloria, exploring how love, loyalty, and responsibility can form a real family despite no biological connection. The emotional core comes from the quiet, stubborn hope that family can endure practical obstacles and cross-border challenges.

• family
• found family
• parenthood
• love
• loyalty

Gloria's terminal illness casts a shadow over every decision in the film, heightening the stakes of the custody battle and the fear of loss. Samuel's protective devotion becomes a lifeline as medical and legal pressures push the family to the edge, lending a melancholic tone that shapes the characters' choices.

• illness
• terminal illness
• sickness
• medical
• Gloria's condition

Samuel fabricates an imaginary mother for Gloria via the internet to give her a sense of family and belonging. A DNA test later pierces this illusion, forcing characters to confront truth versus protection. The film explores how love can compel deception and how identity can be both a shield and a burden.

• identity
• deception
• truth
• DNA test
• imaginary mother

Samuel is a laid-back runner and womanizer living by the sea in the south of France. When Kristin entrusts him with baby Gloria, he travels to London and raises her without speaking English, building a makeshift family. His improvisational parenting and quiet vulnerability drive the emotional core of the story.

• Samuel
• protagonist
• father figure
• caregiver

Kristin is Gloria's biological mother who returns from New York and sets off a custody battle, seeking to take Gloria back. She is protective and determined, challenging the life Samuel created while wrestling with the complexities of love, separation, and maternal responsibility.

• Kristin
• mother
• biological mother
• custody

Gloria is an eight-year-old girl whose terminal illness casts a pall over the family's choices. She forms a deep bond with Samuel while grappling with doctors' news and the truth about her parents. Her presence drives the emotional stakes and moral weight of the entire story.

• Gloria
• daughter
• child
• illness

Bernie is a French film-industry associate who helps Samuel in London, becoming a steady presence in their makeshift family life. His practical support and blunt honesty influence Samuel's decisions and help push the plot forward during the custody struggle.

• Bernie
• supporting character
• helper
• friend

The cross-border setting between France, London, and New York reflects the film's themes of displacement and found family. Samuel must navigate unfamiliar territory, literally and emotionally, by moving to London and raising Gloria in a foreign language, while Kristin's arrival from New York represents the broader Atlantic pull that forces the family to confront their bonds.

• cross-border
• France
• London
• New York
• international