Stanley (Robert De Niro) is a hardworking man who can't read; Iris (Jane Fonda) is a newly widowed woman who, to pay the bills, takes on a low-paying job at the bakery where Stanley works. The two don't meet until the day Iris's purse is stolen and Stanley finds her distressed on the street. In spite of their differences, they fall in love; Iris helps Stanley overcome his illiteracy, and Stanley teaches Iris how to hope again.