Stanley & Iris = Stanley and Iris

A feel-good romantic drama with a social conscience, “Stanley & Iris” tackles the serious problem of illiteracy which affects one out of every five American adults. Recently widowed and working mother of two teenage children, Iris (Jane Fonda) is struggling, both financially and emotionally. Stanley (Robert DeNiro) lives alone with his elderly father and is unable to read or write, a problem he has lived with for his entire life. The two meet when Stanley comes to the aid of Iris after her handbag is stolen, soon discovering that they are co-workers from the same local commercial bakery. And so begins a friendship. However, it is not long before Iris becomes aware of Stanley’s problem and when he eventually loses his job because of his illiteracy, Stanley asks for Iris’s help in teaching him to read. The bond of friendship and support gradually draws Stanley and Iris together into an affair of the heart. Strong performances by DeNiro and Fonda provide depth and soul into what could have been a somewhat schmaltzy and overly sentimental film. Cast also includes Swoosie Kurtz, Martha Plimpton, Harley Cross, Jamey Sheridan, Feodor Chaliapin. Based on the novel “Union Street” by Pat Barker, screenplay by Harriet Frank, Jr and Irving Ravetch.