Cathy
Cathy Jamison是個保守，沉悶，在Minneapolis中學任教的老師，直到有天得知自己罹患癌症，遭逢人生劇變，從那一刻起，她決定要改頭換面，徹底改變，活出自己的人生。以往她總是保守中庸，按部就班，典型的好太太和好媽媽，但Cathy其實已經厭倦那個溫良恭儉讓的角色，現在她想為所欲為，放縱自我。這是她生平第一次忠於自己的決定。誰說你不能把甜點當作開胃菜吃？時間寶貴，Cathy試著爭取時間，把握剩下的人生…
Cathy Jamison is a reserved, stifled, Minneapolis schoolteacher who receives life changing news and decides, from that moment on, to make drastic, long-overdue adjustments to the way she is living her life. She’s always been conservative and structured – the perfect suburban wife and mother – but Cathy is tired of being ‘the sensible one.’ Now she wants to let her freak flag fly. For the first time in her life, she is going to make choices that suit her needs. Who says you can’t eat dessert as an appetizer? Time is precious, and Cathy is grabbing life by the balls…
Paul
Cathy的丈夫。生性幼稚，Cathy因為受夠整天照顧他，而把他趕出家門。他並不了解真相，但試圖安撫她，希望情況好轉。在分居期間，他和另一名女子上床，由於Cathyt自己也外遇，因此最終獲得原諒。在Cathy和他坦言她罹患癌症後，他搬回家，變得過度敏感和細心。
Cathy's husband. Paul has a somewhat child-like approach to life, and Cathy kicks him out of the house because she is fed up looking after him. He doesn't really understand the situation but appeases her in the hopes that the situation can be repaired. While separated, he has a sexual encounter with another woman; this is ultimately forgiven in the face of Cathy's affair. After Cathy reveals her cancer to him, he moves back in and becomes overly-attentive and doting.
Sean
Cathy的古怪哥哥，事實上「古怪」還不足以形容他。選擇性離家，總是口不擇言，Sean總是我行我素，活在自己的世界，厭惡批評和除臭劑。和Cathy像是光譜的兩端，Sean擁有肆無忌憚的自由，內在沒有自我衝突，總是可以自得其樂。這或許可以解釋為什麼Cathy在歷經人生巨變時會急著想要找到他。
Sean is Cathy’s eccentric brother – and “eccentric” is putting it mildly. Selectively homeless and wildly outspoken, Sean appreciates life while he is living it, on his own terms at all times, critics (and deodorant!) be damned. He has always been the portrait of unbridled freedom – no inner conflicts, just comfortable and content – Cathy’s polar opposite. Which might be why she finds herself seeking him out as she goes through this big transition.
Adam
Cathy不守規矩的兒子，總是捉弄Cathy，因為能夠引起她注意。但Cathy認為自己不夠好，要是一位更「好」的媽媽。當她開始抓住Adam架到牆上時，她向他堅決地解釋：「從現在開始，我會認真把你教好！」
Adam is Cathy’s bratty son, playing pranks on his mother and keeping her on her toes. But Cathy wishes she had been a better parent to Adam, and is starting to take the reins. When she literally grabs Adam by the throat and pushes him up against the wall, she explains adamantly, "From now on, I’m going to raise you so hard your head is going to spin.