Wakefield (2017) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

Howard Wakefield is a successful attorney in New York City who disappears into his garage attic after a power outage. He initially enjoys freedom from the marriage, then becomes introspective and confronts his jealousy and resentment. His arc moves from selfishness toward a more nuanced understanding of his family and what he values. By the end, he considers returning not as the same man but with a new understanding.

• 🕵️ Secretive
• 🪞 Self-discovery
• ⚖️ Moral complexity

An art curator and former dancer, Diana is Howard's wife who resents his flirtations and the uneasy dynamic in their marriage. When Howard disappears, she must manage the household, face her own desires, and decide what fidelity means for her life. Her perspective evolves as she weighs independence against commitment, and the possibility of romance with the memory of the past.

• 💼 Ambition
• 🎨 Art world
• 💔 Marital strain

Taylor is the older daughter who witnesses her father's disappearance and the upheaval that follows. She navigates the tense shift in family life with a mix of curiosity and resilience, offering a child’s precise, honest view of the changes at home.

• 👧 Daughter
• 🧭 Growth
• 🕊️ Innocence

Giselle is the younger daughter who experiences the family disruption from a child’s vantage point, absorbing the tension and changes around her while maintaining a quiet resilience.

• 👧 Daughter
• 🧸 Family
• 🕊️ Quiet resilience

Dr. Sondervan is the neighbor who runs a small home for mentally disabled youth and becomes a practical link to Howard's world outside the house. He provides access to the attic and offers compassionate, steady support within the community.

• 👨‍⚕️ Healer
• 🧠 Mentor
• 🏘️ Community

Babs is Diana's overbearing mother-in-law, a voice of tradition who pressures the family while also offering protection and care. Her presence complicates decisions about trust and loyalty as the story unfolds.

• 👵 Family matriarch
• 🗣️ Overbearing
• 🏡 Family ties

Dirk Morrison is a sharp, competitive Wall Street trader whose past romance with Diana adds moral ambiguity to the present. His reappearance challenges Diana's choices and keeps memory alive in the wake of Howard's disappearance.

• 💼 Wealth
• 💔 Past relationships
• ⚖️ Moral ambiguity

Herbert is a resident at Dr. Sondervan's home who discovers Howard and follows him back to the attic, providing a window into the lives of the residents and their curiosity.

• 🧒 Youth
• 🕵️‍♂️ Curiosity
• 🧠 Insight

Emily is another resident at Dr. Sondervan's home who becomes part of the broader community around Howard's disappearance, reflecting themes of friendship and identity among the residents.

• 🧑‍🎓 Youth
• 🧭 Friendship
• 🧩 Identity

Victoria Bruno appears as a city neighbor, contributing to the realistic urban backdrop; she offers occasional, low-key glimpses into the neighborhood as the family drama unfolds.

• 🏘️ Neighbor
• 🗺️ City life
• 🕰️ Ephemeral appearances

Howard's self-imposed exile forces a harsh mirror on his character, exposing jealousy and resentment he kept hidden. He initially revels in freedom from responsibility, but months of absence reveal the cost to his family and himself. The arc moves from escape to a reckoning with what he truly values.

Howard's disappearance tests the balance between personal liberty and duty to others. His actions ripple through Diana and the children, creating emotional complexity and tension. The film weighs the lure of an unburdened life against the duties of marriage and parenthood.

Marital strain, parental roles, and the influence of in-laws form the spine of the narrative. Diana, the daughters, and Babs provide layered perspectives on trust, memory, and forgiveness. The story treats the family as a living puzzle reshaped by absence and the possibility of return.