On Golden Pond (1981)
- Starring:
- Katharine Hepburn, Henry Fonda, (more)
- Director(s):
- Mark Rydell
- Theatrical MPAA Rating:
- PG
- Format(s):
- DVD
| Digital SD
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Synopsis of On Golden Pond
There's little that happens in On Golden Pond that isn't thoroughly predictable from the start, but the film is blessed with so much star power, charm and honest sentiment that everyone in the audience is willing to ignore the cliches and go the distance. In his last film, Henry Fonda plays Norman Thayer, a cranky 80-year-old retired professor, making his annual pilgrimage with his wife Katharine Hepburn (in her only teaming with Henry Fonda) to their New England summer cottage. Their solitude is interrupted when the couple's daughter Chelsea (Jane Fonda) arrives with her fiance Bill (Dabney Coleman) and his son Doug McKeon in tow. It takes a while, but Jane Fonda and Coleman, about to go on a vacation of their own, persuade Henry Fonda and Hepburn to take care of McKeon. Henry Fonda and the kid dislike each other from Square One, and it looks as though this summer (which may very well be Henry Fonda's last) will be a depressing experience. Gradually, Henry Fonda and McKeon grow to love one another; their bond is strengthened during a near-fatal accident while fishing. It is through the warm relationship between Henry Fonda and the boy that the old man and his daughter Jane Fonda are at last able to display affection towards each other--the first time they've done so in years. Gorgeously photographed by Billy Williams, On Golden Pond is a wonderful valedictory for Henry Fonda, who died not long after the film's completion; Katharine Hepburn has less to do, but few can do so much with so little. Academy Awards were bestowed upon Henry Fonda, Hepburn, and screenwriter Ernest Thompson (who adapted the film from his stage play). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Theatrical Feature Running Time:
- 105 mins
Complete Cast of On Golden Pond
- Katharine Hepburn - Ethel Thayer
- Jane Fonda - Chelsea Thayer Wayne
- Dabney Coleman - Bill Ray
- Chris Rydell - Sumner Todd
- Henry Fonda - Norman Thayer Jr.
- Doug McKeon - Billy Ray
- William Lanteau - Charlie Martin
- Director(s):
- Mark Rydell
- Writer(s):
- Ernest Thompson
- Producer(s):
- Bruce Gilbert, Martin Starger, Terry Carr
- Theatrical MPAA Rating:
- PG(Questionable for Children, Adult Language, Profanity)
- 1982 - British Academy of Film and Television Arts - Best Actress
- 1981 - Golden Globe - Best Picture - Drama
- 1981 - Hollywood Foreign Press Association - Best Screenplay
- 1981 - Hollywood Foreign Press Association - Best Picture - Drama
- 1981 - Hollywood Foreign Press Association - Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama
- 1981 - National Board of Review - Best Actor
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