STANLEY AND IRIS

US, 1990, 195 minutes.
Jane Fonda, Robert de Niro, Swoosie Kurz, Martha Plimpton, Harley Cross, Fyodor Chaliapin, Jamey Sheridan, Zohra Lampert.
Directed by Martin Ritt.

Stanley and Iris is a pleasing film about ordinary people, factory workers in a big American city. It also highlights poverty, death, illiteracy and its consequences.

The film was written by Harriet Frank Jnr and Irving Ravetch, writers of many films for director Martin Ritt over several decades. Ritt directed this film. It has excellent naturalistic performances by Jane Fonda and Robert de Niro in the title roles. They act with an ease and conviction which endears them to the audience.

The film focuses on relationships, integrity, literacy and illiteracy. In the end it moves on to the fulfilment of the American dream of success which is genuinely American but may not be as attractive to audiences from other nations. However, there is a sweetness and wisdom about the film.

1. The impact of the film? A piece of Americana? The 80s and 90s? Ordinary people, poverty, literacy?

2. The American city, the factories, homes, streets? Authentic? The panning shots of the city and the opening credits? John Williams atmospheric score?

3. The title and the focus on the characters, the original novel title being Union Street?

4. Audience presumptions about life in the city, poverty, unemployment, literacy, success, wealth and the American dream?

5. Jane Fonda's interpretation of Iris: seeing her at work, on the bus, robbed and fighting back, Stanley helping her, going home and the easy bond between the two, respect? With her son Richard, with Kelly and the concern about her health? Sharon and Joe living in the house, the meal, the fight, getting the children to go for a walk? Managing the house, feeding the family, the use of money? Her organizational skills, the memory of her dead husband, her looking after him completely during his final illness?

6. Iris's ordinary life: going to the shoe mending shop, at work with the girls, going to the canteen, seeing Stanley in trouble, explaining that he couldn't read, her observations in the shoe shop? The bike ride home? Sharing outings with Stanley, the strong friendship? Her hurting him about his illiteracy and asking why he didn't do something about it?

7. Robert de Niro performance as Stanley: the story of his life, his father on the move, young, going to different schools? Asleep, not learning to read? At home with his father? Taking his father to the home? The shoes and his demands? Fighting for Iris, the bike ride? His bond with his father, the new home, discussions, the park bench and
eating the apple? Sharing with him, the sad news about his death and his not having a phone call? His inability to spell his father’s name? Grief? Loosing his jobs, shovelling and cleaning? His desperation? The clash with Iris when she pushed him?

8. The plea to Iris, filling in the form, coming to her place drunk? Opting out of the class? At home, friendship with Richard, walking through the park and naming the trees? The scenes of learning , gaining strength, but the hardships, the map and getting lost in the City? The bond with Trish, the sexual advance, the inability to consolidate their love? The change in Iris ? Wandering the streets, coming in, his invention?

9. Iris and her support of Stanley, teaching him, amazement at the inventions? The party and love for Sharon? The fight with Kelly, her pregnancy? The hurt, her visiting her in the hospital, telling the story of her birth and Iris's beginning to love her? At home, the bond with Stanley, love-making? The Boston hotel? His going to Detroit? her ordinary work, at the factory? Stanley's return and the future?

10. Her life at home, illness, her pregnancy, fight with her mother, the birth of the baby, learning about her mother's love for her, deciding to work in the factory?

11. Sharon and Joe, unemployment, drinking, fighting? Iris's support?

12. Stanley's father, age, support for his son, going to the home, his saying good things about the home and the bed and the room, out with his son, the pathos of his sudden death?

13. The work places, the bosses, giving people the sack, girls in the cake factory, the foreman and his pressures, the canteen? Waiting on bus lines etc.?

14 . The importance of the money, the initial robbery, management of money, illiteracy and poverty?

15. The theme of literacy, its consequences in the modern world?

16. A piece of Americana, finale with the American dream, everything is possible?