Nick is a 57-year-old waste-management executive who lives with his wife in Phoenix. He grew up in the Bronx and was deeply affected when his father vanished during his childhood. A cryptic, tragic incident involving a firearm during his youth led him to spend time in a juvenile detention facility. In his adulthood, he obsesses over a baseball he believes is from the famous 1951 game between the Dodgers and the Giants.

Klara is an established, 72-year-old artist known for repurposing garbage and discarded materials for her work. She began her adult life in the Bronx as the wife of a schoolteacher before shedding that domestic identity to pursue her artistic ambitions. She frequently reinvents herself, even changing the spelling of her name to reflect her independence.

Manx is a working-class father living in Harlem who constantly schemes to improve his family's financial situation. He views himself as a provider, though his methods often involve petty theft or betraying the trust of his loved ones. He prioritizes quick cash over long-term stability or emotional connections.

Matt is Nick's younger brother who grows up to become a weapons researcher after serving in the Vietnam War. He feels deeply uncomfortable with his role in the military-industrial complex and constantly questions the morality of his work. He possesses a highly analytical mind, which he once applied to chess before abandoning the game.

Cotter is a 14-year-old Black teenager from Harlem with a deep love for baseball. He is quick on his feet and highly observant of the racial dynamics around him. His determination to secure a piece of baseball history puts him at odds with the adults in his life.

Marian is Nick's wife, living a seemingly comfortable but unfulfilling life after her children move away from home. She works to maintain a connection with her husband but frequently finds him emotionally distant. This dissatisfaction drives her to seek excitement and emotional intensity elsewhere.

Brian works in waste management alongside Nick and finds genuine inspiration in the sheer scale of landfills. He maintains a casual attitude toward his personal and professional commitments. He engages in a relationship with his friend's wife without matching her level of emotional investment.

Marvin is an obsessive collector who dedicates his life to tracking down the baseball from the "Shot Heard ’Round the World." He believes that all knowledge can be uncovered by analyzing tiny details, a philosophy he calls the dot theory of reality. His relentless pursuit of objects masks his grief over losing his wife.

Sister Edgar is an elderly nun known for her strict, sometimes terrifying disciplinary methods in the classroom. In her later years, she works tirelessly to provide food and assistance to the impoverished residents of the Bronx. She harbors intense fears about germs and disease, frequently wearing rubber gloves.

Ismael, also known as Moonman 157, is a former graffiti artist who painted massive murals on subway trains to force the city to acknowledge his existence. Now older, he lives in an abandoned area called the Wall, where he oversees a group of runaways. He repurposes discarded vehicles to generate money for his community.

Bronzini is a science teacher who deeply appreciates the history and slow rhythms of his Bronx neighborhood. He tries to instill logic and the scientific method in his students. He is a patient man who struggles to understand his wife's growing dissatisfaction with their domestic life.

Jimmy was a small-time bookie who took bets from local residents, including police officers. He cultivated a reputation for having a flawless memory, claiming he never needed to write down wagers. His sudden disappearance leaves a permanent scar on his family.

Rosemary is the pragmatic mother of Nick and Matt. During her time in the Bronx, she focused on keeping her family financially afloat after her husband disappeared. She privately holds onto secrets about her husband's actual competence, choosing to let her sons believe their own myths.

George Manza, known as George the Waiter, is a quiet fixture in the Bronx neighborhood who struggles with heroin addiction. He appreciates the small kindnesses shown to him by local teenagers. He keeps a dangerous firearm in his home, which leads to a life-altering incident.

Charles works at an advertising agency and collects baseball memorabilia. He spots an opportunity to bond with his son by purchasing a potentially historic item from a stranger.

Chuckie grows up to serve as an airman during the Vietnam War. He feels pessimistic about his marriage and deeply regrets losing a valuable item his father once gave him.

The director of the FBI, Hoover is obsessed with order, secrets, and public morality. He views anti-war protestors as sexually deviant while repressing his own desires and vulnerabilities behind a mask of patriotic duty.

Big Sims is a Black waste-management professional who becomes acutely aware of how much garbage society produces. He harbors a deep mistrust of civic institutions due to the systemic racism he faces.

Janet is Matt Shay's partner. She feels comforted by Matt's work in the weapons industry, believing it keeps her safe from foreign threats.

Esmeralda is a 12-year-old runaway surviving in a desolate, impoverished neighborhood. Her difficult existence deeply concerns the local religious community.

Miles is an independent movie distributor and documentary maker. He avoids serious commitment but exposes Klara to obscure films that challenge her artistic perspective.

Richard is a middle-aged man who works in a grocery store and cares for his unwell father. He feels miserable, isolated, and angry at society, seeking connection through unsettling methods.

Amy is a young woman who maintains a chaotic, incompatible relationship with Nick. She travels with him to Mexico during a difficult point in their relationship.