...why was Travis's wife cast with a woman 35 years younger than Harry Dean Stanton? Does the narrative or characterization provide a reason for this almost two-generation gap? I find it fairly uncomfortable to imagine he was married to a woman younger than the children of many people his age.
"Why would anyone do drugs when they could just mow a lawn?"
It's a great film and what you are saying wasn't important for the film and it didn't bother me at all.
shareBobLoblawLawBlog437,
It's up for interpretation imho. I would say there is a reason (Warning! Spoilers below):
Their marriage/relationship doesn't work out, and Travis' gets increasingly jealous and suspects that Jane is cheating on him (which I don't think is true).
The big age difference is a big part of the cause for his jealousy imho.
RIP Ian Richardson (1934-2007) http://akas.imdb.com/name/nm0007183