Our Souls at Night movie review (2017) | Roger Ebert

A half-century ago, this legendary pair were a couple of kooky unshod newlyweds doing Neil Simon shtick in the marital lark “Barefoot in the Park.” Now they are reunited thanks to Netflix, which has been fond of Fonda ever since she and her “Nine to Five” buddy Lily Tomlin teamed up as unlikely roomies on the sitcom “Grace and Frankie.”

Just like widow Addie and widower Louis, neighbors in a cozy Colorado town whose paths have crossed now and then over the years, the two stars possess a certain ease and unspoken rapport when in each other’s presence, even if Redford’s character initially is somewhat taken aback by the idea of senior citizen sleepovers. He and Fonda boast a combined 114 years of acting experience, and appeared together in two lesser films in the ‘60s, “Tall Story” and “The Chase,” as well as “The Electric Horseman” in 1979. And at their ages—Cat Ballou turns 80 later this year and the Sundance Kid hit 81 last month—they have everything to gain and nothing to lose by becoming a twosome at this autumnal stage in life, much like Addie and Louis.

Based on a novel by Kent Haruf and directed by Ritesh Batra (“The Lunchbox”), the setting is what one would imagine if Bedford Falls existed in cowboy country. There are banjos on the soundtrack, majestic mountain scenery and the Highwaymen on the radio. Even better, it is adapted by writers Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, who were responsible for penning two of the best teen weep-athons of recent vintage, “The Spectacular Now” and “The Fault in Our Stars.” The hormonal surges in “Our Souls at Night” aren’t quite the rollercoaster ride they are in those adolescent affairs. But this steady-as-it-goes approach to a senior snuggling has its ups and downs, too.

One thing that I appreciate about the script, besides how most of the creakiest of old-age clichés are avoided—OK, Louis jokingly says “What?” on the phone while talking to daughter Holly (Judy Greer) when she brings up the topic of hearing aids—is that echoes of their “Barefoot in the Park” roles are imprinted on this couple. Fonda is the bold, free spirit who makes the first move and breaks the ice in forging a relationship while Redford is the staid, uptight worrier who sneaks in Addie’s backdoor so people don’t talk. And, yet, they do. When he strolls into the local coffee shop after entering through the front door for the first time, he is taunted by the local gossip (Bruce Dern, Fonda’s husband in “Coming Home”).  “You’ve been pretty busy for sure,” he smirks, before adding, “We all wish we had your energy.”