▁began ▁design ing ▁at ▁the ▁opening ▁of ▁the ▁film . ▁Over ▁a ▁wide ▁shot ▁showing ▁family ▁and ▁friends ▁at ▁work , ▁text ▁inform s ▁the ▁vie wer ▁that ▁Richard ▁died , ▁a ▁victim ▁of ▁a ▁car ▁accident , ▁seven ▁years ▁later , ▁and ▁that ▁M ild red , ▁who ▁never ▁rem ar ried , ▁continued ▁to ▁live ▁in ▁the ▁house ▁Richard ▁built ▁for ▁her ▁until ▁her ▁death ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 8 . ▁The ▁last ▁line ▁of ▁text ▁is ▁a ▁quote ▁from ▁the ▁re clus ive ▁M ild red . ▁ ▁Cast ▁ ▁Jo el ▁Ed g erton ▁as ▁Richard ▁L oving ▁A ▁t ac it urn , ▁white - bl onde ▁Virgin ian ▁brick layer , ▁and ▁the ▁husband ▁of ▁M ild red . ▁On ▁the ▁character ▁of ▁Richard , ▁Nich ols ▁stated , ▁"[ Rich ard ] ▁speak s ▁in ▁a ▁cli pped ▁manner , ▁then ▁it ' s ▁the ▁way ▁he ▁holds ▁his ▁head ▁in ▁front ▁of ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁body , ▁how ▁self - cons cious ▁he ▁seemed ▁in ▁front ▁of ▁the ▁camera . ▁He ' d ▁laugh ▁and ▁quickly ▁cover ▁his ▁lips ▁over ▁his ▁[ to b acco - st ained ] ▁teeth . ▁He ' s ▁a ▁brick layer ▁... ▁they ' re ▁h unch ed ▁over ▁all ▁day ▁long , ▁and ▁they ▁turn ▁their ▁bodies ▁into ▁these ▁assembly ▁lines ▁for ▁lay ing ▁brick . ▁What ▁I ▁gave ▁[ Ed g erton ], ▁in ▁terms ▁of ▁coh er ent ▁character ▁on ▁the ▁page , ▁he