Recently when I heard that Florence, Colorado was chosen as the town to film the Netflix movie, Our Souls At Night, starring Jane Fonda and Robert Redford--I was pleasantly surprised. I can't deny that Fonda and Redford are great actors. And I am a fan of the late Kent Haruf, the Colorado author of the book, the movie is based on.
But there are some feisty people out there in my beloved Colorado.
My first clue was when I was driving to my bank in Florence and I saw someone had gotten some white shoe polish and written, "Go Home Hanoi Jane" on their SUV. My first thought was,"Heck, Fremont County is pretty feisty. I had no idea."
I admit the Hanoi Jane incidents were a bit before my time. I was alive then, but just graduating from high school when the Vietnam War was totally over. So, I had to look it up online last week.
I like to balance facts and see both sides. What Fonda did seemed a bit incomprehensible to me. But I saw where she made public apologies. People have long memories though.
I told a coworker about the, Go Home Hanoi Jane SUV, and her comment was,"Already?"
My coworker already has a section in ye olde antiques store devoted to Robert Redford and Jane Fonda and is also planning on offering copies of Our Souls At Night for sale. So, I had no idea she also had strong feelings about the subject.
She said her brother was in the Vietnam War and Fonda had spread some information that put him and his fellow soldiers in danger. She said she would have been so angry if he had died because of that. Of course. She said her brother has never forgotten.
But she had the attitude that this is the here and now, and she's preparing for an event that will showcase Florence to the whole world.
That's my attitude too. But I empathize with how people feel.
I had no idea how many people had direct or indirect experience with Jane Fonda's activities.
And today the news hit the major local media outlets that there was a casting call for extras for the movie. And the comment boards were lighting up. People indeed have long memories.
I won't recount any of the Hanoi Jane comments. Even though I have my political opinions, I won't recount all the negative comments about liberals.
But I will recount this one found on a Colorado media comment section: "The filming will take place in Florence. She's 78, he's 80. The title of the movie is "Our Souls at Night," not "Two Leathery Old People Try to Breathe at High Altitude," as originally proposed.
Oh my! Such feisty Colorado folks!
