On Golden Pond (1981)

Director:

Mark Rydell

Writers:

Ernest Thompson (play)
Ernest Thompson (screenplay)

Release Date:

22 January 1982 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

A TRIPLE ACADEMY AWARD-WINNER!

Plot:

The loons are back again on Golden Pond and so are Norman Thayer, a retired professor, and Ethel who...

Plot Keywords:

Summer | Marriage | Cottage | Retired | Motorboat

Awards:

Won 3 Oscars. Another 10 wins & 21 nominations

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)

Katharine Hepburn	...	Ethel Thayer
Henry Fonda	...	Norman Thayer Jr.
Jane Fonda	...	Chelsea Thayer Wayne
Doug McKeon	...	Billy Ray
Dabney Coleman	...	Bill Ray
William Lanteau	...	Charlie Martin
Christopher Rydell	...	Sumner Todd (as Chris Rydell)

Runtime:

109 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:L | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Finland:S | Portugal:M/6 | Singapore:PG | Spain:T | Sweden:7 | UK:PG | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Concord, New Hampshire, USA

Company:

IPC Films

Trivia:

In the scene near the beginning of the film where Norman Thayer (Henry Fonda) calls the operator to see if the phone is working, he looks at a framed photograph on the desk and asks "Who the hell is that?" While the picture presumably is an old photo of Norman, his wife, Ethel (Katharine Hepburn), and their daughter Chelsea (Jane Fonda), the photo (circa 1941) actually shows Fonda and four-year-old Jane with Fonda's real-life first wife (and Jane's real mother), Frances Seymour Brokaw.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When Billy Ray is circling the sailboat in the lake, you can see the shadow of helicopter used to film the scene.

Quotes:

Norman: Would you like the room where I first violated her mother?

Movie Connections:

Featured in AFI's 100 Years... 100 Passions: America's Greatest Love Stories (2002) (TV)

A treasure

Cinematically, "On Golden Pond" is a breathtaking movie. The enveloping surrounds of the woods, the shimmering gold of the pond at dark, the loons, the details of the water plants. Rarely I have seen such a eye captivating piece of film. And set to the gentle, breezy thought provoking music makes it nothing short of perfect.

Reduced to a single plot line, this movie would sound rather silly. It is one of those films in which the lead actors already supercede the brilliance of the writing. This of course could be expected from two of Hollywood's best loved veterans. There were things in the movie I could see coming due to experience, but the amount of plot turns was amazing. There was also enough direction, good in the sense the director achieved getting what he wanted, but without interfering too much with the performances.

Henry Fonda, in his final performance as the cranky, lovable Norman, made me sit up and take notice in his only Oscar deserved role. I had seen him previously in earlier films like "The Grapes of Wrath" and "12 Angry Men", but I disliked both of them. His pivotal performance in the interaction of the 13 year old Billy was incredibly funny, moving and something that many people could relate to because of the generation gap.

The film truly captured the spirit of Katharine Hepburn, not very much unlike the loving, cheerful Ethel herself. At least twice in her legendary career she was passed over for two Oscars she deserved, for "The Philadelphia Story" and "The African Queen". It was great of the Academy to hand Kate her last well deserved award.

The other support actors managed to do a pretty great job. The exception was Jane Fonda for her performance as Chelsea. It may or may not have been her fault, but her acting was pretty weak, regardless of the script.

Underneath it all, there are messages. Things that we could help mend but with our continued prejudiced beliefs never happen. The example of this was the tense relationship of Norman and Chelsea, a problem staring them in the face but could have been solved if only there were a little faith. In real life, we don't have to look much further than our front door to find these things.

"On Golden Pond" has taken its place as one of my favourite movies. The nominations and Oscars it received that year was well deserved. I love the movie mostly through the fact that violence and special effects are not needed to drive it, too typical of movies right now. It was made at a time when these things were too sadly emerging, so it was really a breath of fresh air amongst sameness. The movie was wholesome indeed, but it had something else. It was compelling drama, and real to life honesty and humanity are all that is needed to make it a movie great. And its all these elements for which it should be credited.

Rating: 9/10