Rabbit is a 26-year-old former high school basketball star struggling to adapt to adulthood. He feels suffocated by his marriage, his impending second child, and his job selling kitchen gadgets. Possessing an unarticulated spiritual hunger, he impulsively abandons his family to chase an undefined sense of freedom. He constantly measures his current life against the effortless grace of his athletic youth.

Janice is Rabbit's pregnant wife, trapped in an unhappy marriage and burdened by overwhelming domestic demands. She struggles with feelings of inadequacy and a lack of personal agency, frequently turning to alcohol and television for comfort. She harbors genuine love for her husband but finds herself unable to bridge the emotional distance between them.

Jack Eccles is a young, well-intentioned Episcopalian minister who employs a modern, psychology-inflected approach to faith. He takes a personal interest in his parishioners' marital crisis, attempting to mediate their reconciliation through secular activities like golf. His intellectualized faith and chaotic domestic life leave him ill-equipped to address deep spiritual despair.

Ruth is a pragmatic, world-weary woman who offers Rabbit an alternative to his domestic life. She possesses a tough, cynical exterior that masks an underlying vulnerability. Despite her transactional history with men, she develops a genuine emotional connection and demands a level of commitment that challenges her new partner.

Marty is Rabbit's former high school basketball coach, now living a lonely life marked by past scandals and alcohol use. He eagerly takes his former star player into his cramped attic room, attempting to relive his coaching glory days. He serves as a living warning about the destructive nature of clinging to past triumphs.

Mary is Rabbit's formidable and critical mother. She harbors a fiercely possessive love for her son and views him as inherently good despite his actions. She bitterly resents her daughter-in-law, believing her son was trapped into an unfulfilling life.

Earl is Rabbit's weary, defeated father. He works steadily in a printing shop and feels deeply alienated from his son. He views the younger man's rejection of steady work and family stability with quiet, lingering disappointment.

Mrs. Springer is Janice's overbearing and anxious mother. Deeply concerned with social appearances and middle-class stability, she fiercely protects her daughter's interests. She views her son-in-law with intense contempt for the disruption and public disgrace he brings to her family.

Mr. Springer is Janice's pragmatic father and a successful used-car dealer. While he disapproves of his son-in-law's actions, he prioritizes maintaining social order over expressing personal grievance. He actively offers financial and employment assistance to force his family back into a conventional lifestyle.

Nelson is Rabbit and Janice's young son. He represents the concrete reality of domestic obligation that his father frequently seeks to escape. Throughout the household turmoil, he relies on extended family members for stability and care.

Rebecca June is Rabbit and Janice's newborn daughter. Her safe arrival sparks moments of profound awe and temporary spiritual clarity for her father. However, her presence in the apartment also amplifies the intense pressures and responsibilities weighing on the fragile household.

Mim is Rabbit's sister, who appears more aligned with their parents' expectations than her brother. She possesses a clearer sense of direction in life, effectively managing social situations and maintaining independence from the central family drama.

Lucy is Reverend Eccles's cynical and perceptive wife. She maintains a strained, argumentative relationship with her husband, frequently mocking his pastoral methods and pointing out his underlying insecurities. She views the men around her with sharp, unsentimental clarity.

Fritz is the Angstroms' local Lutheran minister. He represents an older, more severe theology that demands ministers act as fiery exemplars of faith. He harshly rebukes modern, therapeutic approaches to religion, demanding an uncompromising adherence to spiritual mystery.

Mrs. Smith is an elderly, wealthy widow who hires Rabbit to tend her extensive gardens. She finds comfort in his physical vitality and shares stories of her late husband, offering a rare, peaceful connection to the natural world far removed from the city's tensions.

Ronnie is a former high school basketball teammate, now balding and cynical. He actively challenges the idealized, heroic narrative his old teammate has constructed about their youth, introducing uncomfortable truths about their shared past and social circles.

Margaret is an acquaintance who accompanies the group on an ill-fated double date. She engages in a volatile dynamic with her older companion, culminating in a physical altercation that abruptly ends their evening.