25 Bridges of Madison County Quotes From the Popular Book and Movie
Published May 15, 2023
Fans of romantic dramas will enjoy these Bridges of Madison County quotes.
The Bridges of Madison County was a book written by author Robert James Waller in 1992 that was adapted into a movie of the same name in 1995.
The movie was directed and produced by Clint Eastwood and starred Eastwood and Meryl Streep, among others.
The story did well in both book form and in the film as the book was a New York Times Bestseller, and the movie grossed over $182 million at the box office against a $22 million budget.
The plot is set in 1965 in Madison County, Iowa.
It centers on National Geographic Photographer Robert Kincaid and Francesca Johnson, another man’s wife.
When Francesca’s husband and children leave to attend the state fair for four days, she meets Robert, who is in the area to photograph the county’s historic bridges.
Take a look at these Bridges of Madison County quotes to learn more about the story.
Bridges of Madison County Quotes from the Book
Enjoy these popular quotes from the book.
1. “I love you profoundly and completely. And I always will.” — Robert James Walker
2. “This kind of certainty comes but once in a lifetime.” — Robert James Walker
3. “It’s clear to me now that I have been moving toward you and you toward me for a long time.” — Robert James Walker
4. “The old dreams were good dreams; they didn’t work out, but I’m glad I had them.” — Robert James Walker
5. “This is why I’m here on this planet, at this time, Francesca. Not to travel or make pictures, but to love you.” — Robert James Walker
6. “The heart never forgets, never gives up, the territory marked off for those who came before.” — Robert James Walker
7. “The human heart has a way of making itself large again even after it’s been broken into a million pieces.” — Robert James Walker
8. “And with the loss of free range, the cowboy disappears, along with the mountain lion and gray wolf. There’s not much room left for travelers.” — Robert James Walker
9. “I sometimes have the feeling you’ve been here a long time, more than one lifetime, and that you’ve dwelt in private places none of the rest of us has even dreamed about.” — Robert James Walker
10. “And in that moment, everything I knew to be true about myself up until then was gone. I was acting like another woman, yet I was more myself than ever before.” — Robert James Walker
Bridges of Madison County Quotes from the Film
If you’re more of a “watch the movie” kind of person, these quotes are for you.
11. “You never in your life think that love like this can happen to you.” — Francesca
12. “I had thoughts about him I hardly knew what to do with, and he read every one.” — Francesca
13. “Help me. Help me not lose loving you.” — Francesca
14. “We are the choices that we have made, Robert.” — Francesca
15. “Don’t kid yourself, Francesca: you are anything but a simple woman.” — Robert
16. “This is your home. This isn’t nowhere.” — Robert
17. “Most people are afraid of change, but if you look at it as something you can always count on, then it can be a comfort.” — Robert
18. “We’re hardly… hardly two separate people now. Some people search all of their life for this and never find it.” — Robert
19. “Who knew that, in between bake sales, my mother was Anaïs Nin?” — Carolyn
20. “But love won’t obey our expectations. Its mystery is pure and absolute.” — Francesca
More Bridges of Madison County Quotes for Romantics
If you can’t get enough of Bridges of Madison County, enjoy these quotes.
21. “Complex things are easy to do. Simplicity’s the real challenge.” — Robert James Walker
22. “Like two solitary birds flying the great prairies by celestial reckoning, all of these years and lifetimes we have been moving toward one another.” — Robert James Walker
23. “The reality is not exactly what the song started out to be, but it’s not a bad song.” — Robert James Walker
24. “Though I think I put it better the day we parted when I said there is a third person we have created from the two of us. And I am stalked now by that other entity.” — Robert James Walker
25. “Such physical matters were nice, yet, to him, intelligence and passion born of living, the ability to move and be moved by subtleties of the mind and spirit, were what really counted.” — Robert James Walker
What Happens to Robert and Francesca?
For the four days her family is out of town, Robert and Francesca have an intense affair.
She never tells anyone, but when her children are going through her belongings upon her death, they find out about her affair.
After reading the letter she left them, they reluctantly agreed to her request to spread her ashes by her lover instead of her husband.
Share these Bridges of Madison County quotes with your friends that love romantic dramas, and post any comments about the movie or book in the comment section below.
