On Golden Pond

Rating:
Summary: Bad Acting
Review: I could not understand how others thought that both the acting and the attempt at reality was entertaining. Please forgive me but much of what I saw was forced and not very enjoyable to watch. I guess I missed something.

Rating:
Summary: Gack!
Review: I have tried to watch this movie more times than I can count and every time I fall asleep. It would have kept my attention better if an angry bear broke in the house and mauled a few of them.

Rating:
Summary: A Disappointment
Review: I remember watching this when it first came out. I had just entered my 20's, and at the time I don't think I even knew who Henry Fonda was. I think I knew who Katharine Hepburn was. I can't really remember my opinion of it then, except vaguely I think I thought it was only mediocre.

Now I am 42, and I enjoy classic film. I have seen many Katharine Hepburn films. I have only seen a few Henry Fonda ones because he has never been a favorite male actor of mine. Actually, he for the most part bothers me somehow, and I can't put my finger on it. It is the same way that Fred MacMurray really bothers me. How did these 2 ever keep on in the movies? Very weird icky leading men.

Anyway, my daughter wanted to see this film, to see KH and HF in old age roles. The library had it, and we watched it last night. My main feeling is the same...only mediocre, nothing that great. Sure, there is some beautiful photography in there. But noone really impressed me with their acting, and I found the story a bore. I don't get into dysfunctional family films, and I don't like modern films (mid- 1960's to present). I don't think there were many such films in the classic film period. A few come to mind...A Bill of Divorcement with Katharine Hepburn and John Barrymore, and Dodsworth, with Walter Huston and Ruth Chatterton. But back then, movies were just so much better, more interesting. People did more than whine. Jane Fonda just seemed like a whiner. All thru the film I just kept thinking, get over it. The past is the past. Move on. Quit whining. I don't think she was a good actress here. Some of the lines she said just didn't convince me. Some of Henry Fonda's lines didn't have much feeling in them either. Back to Jane...she didn't always have to be in a swimsuit, tight shorts, halter tops...she must have wanted to show off her body a lot here.

I was very offended at all the swearing and bad language in this film. Since I do not watch modern films, to hear this is very shocking. Hearing 2 old people use vulgar language is sad. Hearing children use vulgar language is likewise sad. It didn't impress me. There was no need for these people to talk like that. Another reason I like the classics...people could talk then and had vocabularies. Also, they kept their clothes on.

I felt the story was hokey...too much of a "quick fix" in the end in the relationship with Jane and her dad. Years of a neglected relationship can't be fixed in 20 minutes.

I doubt I will ever watch this again. And I would definately not recommend it for children with all the bad language and the dysfunctional relationships. Katharine Hepburn definately did much better work than this film.

Rating:
Summary: One Genuine Movie Classic!
Review: I remember with fondness having been booked into a seat next to one of Jane Fonda's production assistants flying back to Boston from Los Angeles early in the 1980s. This was how I learned of the film shooting going on that summer up in rural New Hampshire at Great Squam Lake (the actual setting for the mythical Golden Pond). I really enjoyed having an animated conversation with the young lady, who was obviously very bright and very knowledgeable about various aspects of the movie production, and made sure I was in line to see the new film when it within the following year. Evidently it was rushed through both production and release due to Henry Fonda's failing health and the desire to try to set him up for would certainly be his final attempt to receive the Academy Award that had so long eluded him. After seeing the movie, there was doubt he deserved the award he eventually received for this role of a lifetime.

It was indeed a bravura performance, one that is as quintessentially American as apple pie or the fourth of July, and one that will long endure as both a popular and critical favorite. Fonda played Norman Thayer, last of the great American curmudgeons, to perfection, and did so with such convincing energy and verve as to remove any and all doubt he knew from personal experience of what he spoke. Moreover, Everything about the production is first rate, from the splendid adaptation of the Broadway play to a screenplay to the wonderfully bucolic and even idyllic setting of one of New Hampshire's more scenic and pristine lake areas. The cast is also superb, and I was quite surprised that Katharine Hepburn did not receive an Oscar for her stellar performance as Ethel Thayer, the long suffering but devoted wife to Norman.

Also quite good is young Doug McKeon, playing the young and challenging son of the Thayer's wayward daughter's boyfriend, dumped on the elderly Thayers for the summer so the boyfriend and daughter can escape to France for a much-needed romantic escape. It is the developing relationship between Fonda's character and the young boy that ignites Thayer's compassion and warmth to show the warm and vibrant man lurking underneath that crusty exterior. In this sense, the son becomes the catalyst for Thayer's reconciliation with his daughter, which has been Ethel's most fervent hope for the summer. The movie is, for me at least, sheer magic, and I marvel at the banter and repartee written so intelligently into the script, for such wit and warmth is quite rare in today's films, which so often seem to be constructed around demographic appeal surveys rather than meaningful story lines. This one is a keeper, folks, and one you will want to see again and again. Needless to say, I highly recommend it. Enjoy!

Rating:
Summary: A sentimental story of family relationships
Review: I would be very suprised if the real life relationship between Jane Fonda and her father, acting legend Henry Fonda did not play heavily in their father/daughter relationship in the movie. Fonda won the academy award for best actor and his swan song performance of a cranky but loveable man reacting to the frustrations of growing old, certainly deserved it. An excellent cast including Kathrine Hepburn, Dabney Colemen and North Jersey (My state) bred Doug Mckeon make this movie a must see. The dialogue between Fonda and Hepburn will have you laughing and crying. Filmed at Squam Lake (Storyline Golden Pond) in New Hampshire the scenery is beautiful and background music is excellent. If you enjoyed the movie as much as I did you will want to run out and get the movie soundtrack featuring music and dialogue from the film. Unfortunetely it is only available in cassette.

Rating:
Summary: Poignant and Magnificent
Review: I've seen On Golden Pond at least thirty times since its release and never get tired of it. Henry Fonda is brilliant as the crabby Norman Thayer and he shines in his last screen performance. His interplay with Katharine Hepburn reminds one of the rare chemistry she enjoyed with Spencer Tracy in all the magical movies they made together. Everything Fonda says in this movie is real and believable, you'll never catch him overacting or playing one false note. It would be difficult to imagine anyone else in this role.

Fonda's scenes with daughter Jane are particularly moving considering their strained real life relationship. Their last embrace at the conclusion of the film will tug at your heart strings. It's a poignant and wistful look at growing old and facing death, two unpleasant but unavoidable subjects. Fonda and Hepburn are literally perfect in this film, which is also enhanced by a beautiful, haunting soundtrack. This is a film you can watch again and again and never weary of it.

Rating:
Summary: A classic
Review: It is interesting how mixed the other reviews of this film are.
People either hate it or love it. I'm in the latter group.
I'm a guy and I don't like sappy movies, and I don't really think this movie is sappy at all. From the opening credits (Magnificently filmed, with absolutely perfect music by Dave Gruzina) to the final farewell, this film tugs at your heart in subtle ways. The way the light filters thru the trees bathing Norman in a warm glow while picking berries will remind you of your first walk in the woods, and how they filled you with awe.
And the high spirited banter between Norman and Ethyl show you what true love really is - being best friends no matter what.
And while the scenes with daugher Jane Fonda complaining about her childhood seem a bit ridiculous, they really are not the focus of the movie. It is just about people trying to cope with aging, trying to hold on to what they've got, and trying to maintain a sense of humor and dignity while doing so.

Rating:
Summary: A beautiful transfer
Review: Just a comment about the Widescreen Review rating for that movie. It has given a 3 for picture quality and a 2 for sound. I bought the DVD this weekend and I think that the transfer is quite good and enjoyable. It captures the beauty of the scenery and the sounds of nature (looms, etc.) very faithfully. Interior scenes are not that bad either: not too dark, well lit.

The movie itself is very beautiful and inspiring. A very good movie about relationships. Katherine Hepburn, Henry Fonda and Jane Fonda and all the other supporting cast is excellent. Very touching.

Do not hesitate to buy this DVD. It is not that bad of a transfer. I personnally think it is a very beautiful transfer. I have a 36 inches Sony Trinitron Wega XBR TV set and the movie shows no sign of bad colorization, grain or other elements of a bad transfer.

A must for every movie buff.

Rating:
Summary: on golden pond
Review: Makes you stop and think of getting old and being alone, This movie will make you smile and make you sad but it tells the truth of getting old, and being middle age now makes you wonder but everyone needs a chil like those two did to keep them alive and going I will be buying this tape It is a must for ones collection

Rating:
Summary: "He's just trying to find his way... same as you."
Review: Much of this film revolves about the coming of age of the two main male characters: 13-year-old Billy (Doug McKeon), who is facing the teenage years and approaching adulthood with a bit of trepidation and the anger that only a teenager can manage; and 80-year-old Norman (Henry Fonda), who is facing approaching death with a bit of trepidation and the anger that only a New England curmudgeon can manage.

These two seeming opposites form an unlikely friendship with one another, as Billy is left, not by choice, with his (step-)grandparents for the summer. The forming of the relationship between the two is really beautifully and realistically handled and quite entertaining to watch. Consider this exchange just after Billy's parents have gone off, leaving him:

Billy (brash and teenager-like): This is all [BS]!
Norman (looking up from his book): You like that word, don't you?
Billy (defiantly): Yeah!
Norman: (nodding) Good word. (Goes back to reading)

This really takes the wind out of Billy's sails. You can see the wheels turning in his head. He had been all set to put on his angry teenager hat and rebel against the old fuddy-duddy attitude, and instead, it turns out that his grandparents may be old, but they are NOT as stiff as he thought. Hmm! Guess some re-thinking is in order.

By the way, speaking of language. Back when the film was first out in the 1980s, my family (mom and grandparents) recommended it to one of my great-aunts (and corresponding uncle), who we thought would really enjoy it. To our surprise, they were quite shocked. All they could talk about was the "Language!" My goodness. I do not find any of the (pretty mild) language at all gratuitous. [BS] is pretty much the naughtiest word IN this film; and if you have ever been around any teenagers from California in the last 30 years, you know that they certainly do say things like that (and worse) in real life. (I guess if you are going to find that sort of thing hopelessly distracting to your enjoyment of the movie, you should stick to films rated G.)

A few days later, Billy finds himself standing between his grandparents in the front seat of their powerboat. "So, how fast does this old tub go, anyway?" Norman spins the throttle, and the acceleration pastes Billy into the back seat in a crumpled heap. This is way cool, even if you ARE a teenager from California! Before long, Billy and Norman are inseparable buddies. (I should add that Norman also gets the occasional comeuppance from Billy in return, but you will have to see the film to experience those.)

But there other equally rich characters and relationships; Ethel, Norman's wife (Katherine Hepburn), whose sweet exterior overlays a heart of solid oak, and who loves Norman deeply in spite of himself. And their daughter, Chelsea (Jane Fonda) who is largely estranged from them, and is shocked to see young Billy forming the bond of friendship with Norman that she never had as his own daughter. There is great emotional range in all of these combinations. (Dabney Coleman as Chelsea's new husband and Billy's father is really just a throwaway comic-relief character, but good as far as that goes.) By the way, you could easily argue that Jane Fonda turns in the weakest performance of the film. This is not to say that she did a bad job, because I for one don't think that is true at all; what it shows is just how high a level of artistry this entire film maintains.

And oh, is this a beautiful film. The nature photography alone is breathtaking. And Dave Grusin's musical score is nothing short of magical. (The main title music accompanying Norman and Ethel's drive through the heavenly New England countryside is so simple, and so elegant, but its quiet beauty is also haunted by a touch of sadness. This music sets the tone for the entire film, and indeed, the main title theme returns often in different guises throughout.) I hate to repeat the tired phrase "You will laugh, you will cry" but it is true. This film has joy, and sadness, and laughter, and pain, and beauty, just as much as life itself does. If the word "bittersweet" were not already in the language, someone would have had to invent it for this film.

If you allow this film to touch you at all, (and, true, some people, like my older, now-departed relatives mentioned before, just do not understand it or allow it to reach them) it will become a lasting part of you; at least, I found this to be true for myself. And that is really the highest praise you could give any work of art in any medium.