On Golden Pond (1981)

Usually, when an actor of Henry Fonda's age and reputation wins an Oscar for a late-career performance (in this case Fonda's last performance), the award is a de facto lifetime achievement award. In this case, the Oscar was actually merited by the work itself: Fonda is just wonderful here. Lines that might not have been funny on the page are laugh-out-loud funny in the film thanks to his delivery, and his character is believably complex and deeply sympathetic. I love Henry Fonda, and I particularly love him in On Golden Pond. As with so many of his films, this one is worth seeing for him alone.The film as a whole is best described as the all-time greatest Hallmark Hall of Fame TV movie. You can easily make the case that it's schmaltzy, safe, and predictable - but why bother, when the movie is so enjoyable? The cinematography and Dave Grusin's score are lovely, and Fonda is not the only actor turning in career-best work.But, an admission: this was the first movie I ever saw in a theater. I was four years old, and I remember the whole night so clearly. I was in love with the movies instantly. Forty or so years later - at a point when I've seen dozens of Fonda movies and Hepburn movies, everything from Bringing Up Baby and Young Mr. Lincoln to Once Upon a Time in the West and Rooster Cogburn - I still enjoy On Golden Pond.

On Golden Pond is famous for many reasons, and if you haven't seen it yet, you're missing out on some of the most memorable moments of semi-modern, semi-classic film history.Katharine Hepburn and Henry Fonda play an old married couple who return to their lake cottage to celebrate Henry's 80th birthday. He's a crotchety old man who's grumpy all the time and doesn't like getting older. Katharine supplies the warmth in the family, including their relationship with their daughter, Jane Fonda. Jane and Henry don't get along, mirroring their real-life relationship, and when she comes to the lake house to mend their old wounds, it's an uphill battle.Dabney Coleman costars as Jane's fiancé, and Doug McKeon plays Dabney's teenage son who bonds with Henry. Both Katharine and Henry received Oscars for their performance, as did Ernest Thompson for his adapted screenplay. It's hard to choose one famous moment from the film, since there are so many: Katharine's "go go go" speech, Jane's backflip, Henry and Jane's hug, Jane's tearful "I want to be your friend" line, and Henry's pronunciation of his wife's name. It's definitely worth watching, especially if you're a fan of anyone in the cast, or if you have issues with your father.

I've loved this movie since the first time I saw it. Love the chemistry between Katharine Hepburn and Henry Fonda, great to watch two old pro's of Hollywood's golden era go at it and chew up some screen time. Loved the scenery and the music. Loved the fishing! I like to fish, so this movie holds a special appeal. One thing; most of the reviewers on here have been saying that Jane Fonda's performance as Chelsea was weak. I don't see it that way - I thought she did a good job, especially in her scenes with Katharine Hepburn. They really look enough alike to be a mother and daughter, and their chemistry in the couple of the one on one scenes they acted out together was remarkable! So, bore, bore, bore, you folks who were not impressed with Jane's performance here, to quote Ethel Thayer: I just don't think you're looking closely enough!

Although it won a whole swag of awards, this is actually a rather conventionally constructed stage play in which a delightfully testy old codger in Act One turns out to have a heart of gold in Act Three. Henry Fonda handles this role with both acumen and style – quite overwhelming the rest of the cast with the exception of young Doug McKeon who stands up to him most convincingly. Henry's more celebrated sister, Jane Fonda, uses the film mainly so show off her somewhat aged figure. Poor taste, I call it! Fortunately, Hepburn is always reliable Hepburn. On the other hand, Dabney Coleman is boorish, but fortunately he is not in the film all that much! Rexford Metz's helicopter photography and the 2nd unit work are excellent. On the other hand, Mark Rydell's direction is as dull as usual. I'm hoping that one of these days I'll get a nice surprise. Unlikely! He won the world's top Best Director award for this one, so he's unlikely to change his style. As one of his contemporaries said to me: "What does it matter how clumsy and lead-footed it looks in a cinema? If what you're doing looks good on TV, go for it!"