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original film poster for Stanley and Iris
Directed by
Martin Ritt
Produced by
Arlene Sellers
Allen Winitsky
Written by
Harriet Frank Jr.
Irving Revatch (screenplay)
Based on the novel Union Street by Pat Barker
Starring
Jane Fonda
Robert De Niro
Swoosie Kurtz
Martha Plimpton
Music by
John Williams
Cinematography
Donald McAlpine
Editing by
Sidney Levin
Distributed by
Metro Goldwyn Mayer
Release date(s)
February 9, 1990
Running time
104 min.
Language
English
Gross revenue
$5.816 million (USA)
Allmovie profile
IMDb profile
Stanley and Iris (1990) is a romantic drama film directed by Martin Ritt and starring Jane Fonda and Robert De Niro. The screenplay by Harriet Frank Jr. and Irving Ravetch is based of the novel Union Street by Pat Barker.
The original music score is composed by John Williams and the cinematography is by Donald McAlpine. The film is marketed with the tagline “Some people need love spelled out for them.”
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Plot summary
Iris Estelle King is a working-class mother with a job at a large commercial bakery who is still getting over the death of her husband though her poverty does not give her much time to grieve. She is sharing her house with her two children, Kelly and Richard, her unemployed sister Sharon, and her thuggish brother-in-law Joe. Joe assaults Sharon and crime in the community is commonplace including robbery, burglary and assault.
One of the few bright spots in her life is her blossoming friendship with Stanley Everett Cox, a nice guy who she first meets when he comes to her aid when her purse is taken by a street thug. Stanley works in the bakery’s cafeteria. Stanley longs for country life and Iris is a city girl. However, Iris starts noticing a few odd things about Stanley. He cannot sign his name, does not drive and lives with his father. It slowly dawns on Iris that he can not read. When his boss figures this out, Stanley loses his job. Iris spots Stanley at a bar and he confides in her how difficult it is to be illiterate; you cannot find where you are going because you cannot read signs. The loss of his job is an especially troubling development, as Stanley is evicted and has to put his father in a retirement home. Stanley is homeless and out of work, but is living in a garage.
Iris’ tensions at home become even greater when teenage Kelly announces that she is pregnant. Stanley asks for Iris’ help in learning to read and their relationship blossoms. After several triumphs and failures, Stanley successfully overcomes his problem, eventually securing a patent for a machine he has invented that cools hot pastry. In the process, Iris stops grieving over her husband and finds love again. Kelly has a baby girl, whom she names Estelle. After moving to Detroit and finding success there, Stanley returns to New England for Iris and his family. As they prepare to go to Detroit as husband and wife, Iris asks Stanley if he thinks he can handle the problems of her family, to which he replies “Anything is possible.”
Main cast
Actor
Role
Jane Fonda
Iris Estelle King
Robert De Niro
Stanley Everett Cox
Swoosie Kurtz
Sharon
Martha Plimpton
Kelly King
Harley Cross
Richard King
Jamey Sheridan
Joe
Feodor Chaliapin, Jr.
Leonides Cox
Zohra Lampert
Elaine
Loretta Devine
Bertha
Kathy Kinney
Bernice
Trivia
- During the filming in Waterbury, Connecticut, local Vietnam veterans picketed the production protesting Jane Fonda’s controversial anti-war activities of a decade and a half earlier.
- This was actress Jane Fonda’s last film before she retired from acting (she returned to the screen 15 years later in the romance comedy Monster-in-Law (2005)).
- This was director Martin Ritt’s last film before his death on December 8, 1990.
- This film was shot on location in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and Waterbury, Connecticut.
External links
- Stanley and Iris at the Internet Movie Database
- Stanley and Iris at Allmovie
- Stanley and Iris at Rotten Tomatoes
This 1990s drama film-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
Retrieved from “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley_and_Iris”
Categories: 1990 films | American films | English-language films | Films based on fiction books | Films based on romance books | Romantic drama films | MGM films | 1990s drama film stubs