Character Analysis
(Avoiding Spoilers)
Grew Up… as the baby of the family. With two older brothers, Denise is the only girl, but that didn’t mean that her parents doted on her with any special attention. Still, Denise looks back on her childhood nostalgically and has more loyalty to her parents than either of her brothers.
Living… in Philadelphia, at the lowest point of her life. After taking a job as head chef at a hip new restaurant, The Generator, Denise started a casual affair with her boss – only to end up sleeping with her boss’s wife. Denise put her entire career at risk, just to feel really loved for once in her life.
Profession… chef. Denise is actually starting to get some due recognition. She was recently featured in a glossy magazine spread and is the talk of the town for her new position as head chef at The Generator.
Interests… human connection. Denise, a terribly lonely person, seeks out connection wherever she can find it. When she fails to make a true connection romantically, she recedes into her old family ties, and tries to help her mother reunite the clan for “one last Christmas.” Once there, in her childhood home, she will have long talks with her brothers and attempt to regain their sympathy.
Relationship Status… single…kind of. Denise is caught in a strange love triangle between her boss, Brian, and his wife, Robin. She spends a lot of time getting close to their whole family, only to start a blistering affair that could easily end her career as well as their marriage. It’s a treacherous tightrope she’s walking, but she’s willing to take the risk – possibly just to see how much she can hurt herself.
Challenge… untangling her love triangle without destroying her career. Denise has quite a task ahead of her to interweave her love for her family, her love for herself, and her love for her professional life. She seems to easily stray from the straight path, as distractions lurk around every corner.
Personality… masochistic. Denise is the cause of many of her problems, with the notable exception of her father’s Parkinson’s disease. Otherwise, Denise is the one to bring pain upon herself, and sometimes she seems to actually like it – or at least enjoy wallowing in it. At a party with her boss Brian, she puts out a cigarette on her body. Denise is trouble and she’s not afraid to let people know it.
Get to Know her in...
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After almost fifty years as a wife and mother, Enid Lambert is ready to have some fun. Unfortunately, her husband, Alfred, is losing his sanity to Parkinson's disease, and their children have long since flown the family nest to the catastrophes of their own lives. The oldest, Gary, a once-stable portfolio manager and family man, is trying to convince his wife and himself, despite clear signs to the contrary, that he is not clinically depressed. The middle child, Chip, has lost his seemingly secure academic job and is failing spectacularly at his new line of work. And Denise, the youngest, has escaped a disastrous marriage only to pour her youth and beauty down the drain of an affair with a married man-or so her mother fears. Desperate for some pleasure to look forward to, Enid has set her heart on an elusive goal: bringing her family together for one last Christmas at home.
