Stanley & Iris (1990)

Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

So much average

Simply A Masterpiece

Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

The year: 1990: 3 films are released with Robert Dinero: Awakenings, Goodfellas: Stanley and Iris. Each carries their own weight: the talents found in Goodfellas can be seen in this film.When Deniros illiterate character runs in the rain to Fonda's character and in desperation yells "teach me to read," you feel the hurt, shame, limitations and prison an adult lives in being illiterate.This is why I love Bobby: also: Fonda is fantastic too.

Stanley & Iris takes a stab at a very overlooked topic: adult illiteracy. When Jane Fonda finds out Robert De Niro has survived his entire life hiding his illiteracy, she sets out to help him. She teaches him how to read, and they become friends. He's shy and she's still grieving over her late husband, so romance isn't in the cards—at first. . .Even though this isn't a film I have any desire to watch over and over again, it really is a good movie. Harriet Frank Jr. and Irving Ravetch write some interesting and realistic situations in the beginning of the film that show how Robert De Niro could get away with not being able to read. When the friendship between the two leads turns into something more, the love scenes are once again written realistically. Jane isn't ready for love, and her character's actions are consistent with her heart's needs. I won't spoil anything, but there's a scene where Jane sobs uncontrollably because she isn't ready to give her heart to someone new, and it's extremely touching. Many times, Hollywood produces a love story aimed at younger people who haven't suffered real heartbreaks yet and can approach love with bright eyes. Stanley & Iris is an adult love story. Anyone who's loved and lived to tell the tale will appreciate this movie.

The story meanders a bit but finally "gets there". Some side story lines about the sister and daughter could have been better developed or eliminated altogether, as they are, they seemed tacked on.Stanley and Iris are played by big name "stars" but that being said, they might have been more believable if played by "lesser lights". It's really hard to accept Jane Fonda having to be convinced that she is pretty. Come on ! Stanley's dad and Iris's son, Richard, get a special mention as very believable.The plight of the adult illiterate was explored quite thoroughly. One of the most fascinating aspects of this film was seeing all of the processes in the bakery but somehow I don't think that was what the filmmakers were "going for".For me : Worth a watch but not a "keeper".

Stanley & Iris is a romantic drama that features two big stars in Jane Fonda and Robert De Niro. The screenplay by Harriet Frank, Jr. and Irving Ravetch is loosely based on the novel Union Street by Pat Barker.Swoosie Kurtz,Martha Plimpton,Harley Cross and Jamey Sheridan co- star to play key supporting roles. This movie is about an odd love story between a widow and an illiterate.It was directed by Martin Ritt. In this socially conscious drama with romantic overtones, Iris is a working mother with a job at a large commercial bakery who is still getting over the death of her husband, though her circumstances don't give her much time to grieve. She's sharing her house with her two children, Kelly and Richard; her unemployed sister, Sharon; and her thuggish brother-in-law. The tensions at home become even greater when the teen-aged Kelly announces that she's pregnant. One of the few bright spots in Iris' life is her blossoming friendship with Stanley, a nice guy who works in the bakery's cafeteria. However, Iris starts noticing a few odd things about Stanley and it slowly dawns on her that he can't read. When the boss figures this out, Stanley loses his job which is an especially troubling development, as Stanley has just had to put his father in a retirement home. Homeless and out of work, Stanley turns to Iris with a special request which is he'd like her to teach him how to read.The elements are in place but they don't add up to great drama in this well-meant effort to personalize the plight of illiterate people.But nevertheless,it's as honest and direct and entertaining as the considerable talents of everyone involved can make it.There is also a good supporting cast here, and Fonda is effective in her role. But it's DeNiro who shines with a very affecting performance, as well as a natural chemistry with Fonda.That is why this movie with many flaws is a harmless little romance that's elevated by the charisma of its two stars.