Our Souls at Night: Quotes and Notes

Robert Redford and Jane Fonda star in “Our Souls at Night,” The film is based upon the novel of the same name by Kent Haruf and was directed by Ritesh Batra. Redford and Fonda play neighbors in a Colorado town called Holt, who both lost their spouses years ago. They have been living their lives in solitude, more or less, when Fonda’s character gets this idea:

Jane Fonda as Addie Moore

Addie Moore: Would you be interested in coming to my house sometime to sleep with me? (Pause) Did I take your breath away?
Louis Waters: (chuckling) Yeah.
Addie: Louis, it’s not about sex. I lost interest in that a long time ago. It’s about, um… it’s about getting through the night, you know?
Louis: Can I think about it?
Addie: Certainly, of course.
Louis: I’ll give you a call. I’m sure Diane had your number here somewhere.

Robert Redford as Louis Waters

Louis: So, uh, I’ve been thinking about what you suggested. I think I’d like to try it.
Addie: Oh! Well, uh, when… when were you thinking?
Louis: Tomorrow night?
Addie: What time tomorrow?
Louis: Nine.
Addie: Okay, tomorrow works for me. I’ll see you then.

Addie didn’t have any trouble falling asleep the first night!

And that’s how it starts. Louis and Addie spend an awfully awkward first night together, that started out like this:

Addie: How about we get to know each other? Go ahead, ask me a question. Anything.
Louis: Pretty cold for spring, huh?
Addie: Oh really. We’re gonna talk about the weather?
Louis: What else is there to talk about?
Addie: Literally, anything else.

It ended with Addie falling asleep as soon as she turned on her side with her back to Louis. Just when he loosened up enough to want to tell her something he was thinking, she was snoring! Their next sleepover goes a bit better as they begin to feel more comfortable with each other.

Louis: So… why me?
Addie: What, you think I’d just pick anyone?
Louis: Well, no, just curious. I just wondered.
Addie: I always thought you were someone I could talk to and you’re a lot better looking than Jerry Henderson.

Holt is a small town and these nocturnal visits don’t go unnoticed. The guys in the local coffee shop hear about it and Louis is greeted with snickers and sly innuendo when he comes in for a cup of java.

Bruce Dern as Dorlan Becker

Louis: So I guess we’re not a secret anymore
Addie: How”s that?
Louis: You know Dorlan Becker?
Addie: Bald guy, used to own the men’s store, why?
Louis: He’s a real piece of work.
Addie: Uh huh.
Louis: Well, anyway, he wanted to know how come I had so much energy.
Louis: (as Addie laughs) What’s so funny?
Addie: What’d you tell him?
Louis: Well, I– I got mad.

Judy Greer as Holly Waters and Matthias Schoenaerts as Gene Moore

That’s not the only curveball thrown their way. They both have adult children with issues. Holly, Louis’ daughter, was damaged in her childhood when Louis temporarily abandoned her and his wife, Diane, for another woman. Addie’s son, Gene, is going through some marital problems and also lost his business. He leaves his son, Jamie, with Addie for the summer.

Iain Armitage as Jamie Moore

Over the summer, Louis and Addie’s relationship grows as they begin to look forward to each other’s companionship, and after Jamie’s arrival, take care of him together. Louis even gets Jamie a dog.

When Gene gets wind of this unconventional arrangement, he comes back and takes Jamie home. His disapproval is a little odd, esp when early on in the film, Addie mentioned that Louis was a good teacher to Gene. Jamie wants to stay with his “Nana” but that’s not an option.

You should really watch the film for the rest– you’ll find it on Netflix. You’ll find out much more about what makes Louis and Addie tick, how they cope with the ghosts of the past and the challenges of the present. It’s a beautiful story.

If you’ve never seen Jane Fonda and Robert Redford’s older films, you may even be inspired to watch them, such is their chemistry. In 1960, Fonda and Redford both made their big screen debuts in “Tall Story” but Tony Perkins was her leading man (the same year he starred as Norman Bates in “Psycho”). Redford had a role as an uncredited basketball player. Fonda got a Golden Globe as Most Promising Newcomer for that. We wonder if Redford wished he was Fonda’s leading man at the time.

Six years later, he was playing her husband in “The Chase” (1966). Marlon Brando, as Sheriff Calder, was the star of that one with Redford as an escaped prisoner. It has quite a cast. The following year, the two stars had a big hit as newlyweds in the romantic comedy “Barefoot in the Park” (1967).

Their last on-screen romance was in “The Electric Horseman” (1979) with Redford as a former rodeo champion who runs off with a thoroughbred horse. Fonda, as a news reporters, tracks him down and they fall for each other.