Paris, Texas ending explained

What happens

Travis brings Jane and Hunter together in a Houston hotel, then drives off alone into the night. Reunited with her son, Jane has what he came to give her, and Travis decides he has no place in their lives.

The last image

Travis's truck pulls away through the Houston night as Jane and Hunter hold each other in the hotel room.

Three readings

1 · An act of generosityHe gives the mother and son back to each other and asks for nothing.

2 · Guilt and penanceHe believes he doesn't deserve a family, so he exiles himself again.

3 · Running away once moreLeaving spares him from facing the harm he caused, and from staying.

What it says

The film refuses the reunion you might expect, because love here means stepping away. Travis can reach people only through glass, a phone or distance. The ending leaves his choice unjudged, and the film is more honest for it.