Robert Redford opened up in a 2019 interview about a gift from his late son James that remains one of the most meaningful gestures of his life. The veteran actor, known for his strength and composure, grew visibly emotional as he recalled the moment, saying it was “a reminder of love in its purest form.”
The story dates back to a quiet Christmas long before James’s passing in 2020. Redford remembered that his son had insisted on giving him something personal — not expensive, but from the heart. “He didn’t have much money back then,” Redford said softly. “But he wanted to give me something that would last, something I could hold onto.”
That gift turned out to be a small, handmade leather journal. James, who shared his father’s love for storytelling, had designed and stitched it himself, writing a message on the first page: ‘For Dad — so your stories never stop.’ Redford said he was stunned by the thoughtfulness behind it. “It was simple, but it carried everything — memory, connection, legacy.”
At the time, Redford was working through one of the most creatively intense periods of his career, balancing directing, acting, and running the Sundance Institute. “I was constantly moving, always chasing the next project,” he admitted. “But that gift made me stop. It made me think about what really matters.”
The journal became a companion to him for years. Redford said he often took it on set or to his quiet cabin in Utah, jotting down thoughts, sketches, and reflections about life. “Sometimes, I’d open it and see his handwriting,” he said, “and suddenly the world felt softer, lighter.”
When James later became a filmmaker himself, the journal took on even deeper meaning. “He found his own voice,” Redford said proudly. “We used to talk about stories — how they can heal, how they connect people. That journal was where that conversation began.”
After his son’s death, the journal became one of Redford’s most cherished possessions. “I keep it on my desk,” he revealed. “It’s the one thing I look at before I start writing or reading a script. It reminds me that every story begins with love — and ends with it.”
Friends say that even years later, Redford still carries a quiet reverence when speaking about that moment. “He doesn’t talk much about grief,” one close associate noted, “but when he mentions the journal, you can feel how much he misses James.”
For Redford, the gift stands as a symbol of everything his son represented — creativity, compassion, and heart. “He gave me back something I didn’t even know I’d lost — the joy of simply creating,” he said. “That little book brought me home.”
The actor often encourages young filmmakers to find meaning beyond fame or awards, a philosophy shaped in part by that gift. “It’s not about the size of what you give,” he told an audience at a Sundance event. “It’s about the soul behind it.”
Reflecting on the memory, Redford said the leather has worn soft with age, but the words inside remain untouched. “It’s still here,” he said, touching his chest. “Every time I open it, it feels like James is speaking to me. That’s the real gift — not the journal itself, but the love that never faded.”
Watch movie:
*Content is hosted on a partner site.
