Stanley et Iris

`Stanley and Iris' is a heart warming film about two people who find each other and help one another overcome their problems in life. Stanley's life is difficult, because he never learned to read or write. Iris is a widower with two teenage children working in a bakery where she meets Stanley. She decides to teach Stanley how to read at her home in her spare time. Over time they become romantically involved. After Stanley learns to read, he goes off to a good job in Chicago, only to return to Iris and ask her to marry him.

It's a really good film without nudity, violence, or profanity, that which is rare in today's films. A good film all round.

'Stanley and Iris' show the triumph of the human spirit. For Stanley, it's the struggle to become literate and realize his potential. For Iris, it's to find the courage to love again after becoming a widow. The beauty of the movie is the dance that Robert DeNiro and Jane Fonda do together, starting and stopping, before each has the skills and courage to completely trust each other and move on. In that sense it very nicely gives us a good view of how life often is, thus being credible. Unlike some other reviewers I found the characters each rendered to be consistent for the whole picture. The supporting cast is also carefully chosen and they add a depth of character that the main characters get added meaning from the supporting performances. All in all an excellent movie. The best thing I take from it is Hope.

Excellent acting by the 2 main stars, De Niro and Fonda, make this a movie well worth seeing. A story about an illiterate, and a woman who helps him learn to read. In return, he helps her stop clinging to her past husband and learn to enjoy life again. It was interesting to see a slice of American life that's different from the glamour (huge homes with swimming pools) that is so often the backdrop to Hollywood movies (yawn).

Working girl Iris (Jane Fonda) keeps bumping into Stanley (DeNiro), a cook. After realizing that he can't read, she accidentally gets him fired. After some ups and downs, Stanley asks if she will help him learn to read. More ups and downs. Of course they fall in love. But there's more to the story. Some other fun people in here - Swoosie Kurtz is her sister; Kathy Kinney (Mimi from Drew Carey) is a coworker. Feodor Chaliapin was Grandfather in Moonstruck. Stephen Root (Newsradio, Milton from Office Space) is Mr. Hentley at the nursing home. It's pretty good. It's a SLOW mover. But Deniro and Fonda must have liked the script. Directed by Martin Ritt; passed away at the end of 1990, so this was his last film. Nomiinated for Hud. Also did Norma Rae in 1979. Story based on a book by Pat Barker. DeNiro made this about the same time as Goodfellas. As of today, Deniro has SEVEN films in production! Fonda took about a fifteen year break, which was approximately the time she was married to Turner. This film is pretty good. Some big names for a simple little story.

I found this to be a so-so romance/drama that has a nice ending and a generally nice feel to it. It's not a Hallmark Hall Of Fame-type family film with sleeping-before-marriage considered "normal" behavior but considering it stars Jane Fonda and Robert De Niro, I would have expected a lot rougher movie, at least language-wise.

The most memorable part of the film is the portrayal of how difficult it must be to learn how to read and write when you are already an adult. That's the big theme of the movie and it involves some touching scenes but, to be honest, the film isn't that memorable.

It's still a fairly mild, nice tale that I would be happy to recommend.