Jane Fonda Movies
Hollywood legend has it that Bette Davis was forced to talk to a blank wall rather than her co-star Henry Fonda during filming of her close-ups in Jezebel; the reason was that he had repaired to New York to attend the birth of his daughter Jane.A child of privilege, the young Jane Fonda exhibited the imperious, headstrong attitude and ruthlessness that would distinguish both her film work and her private life. The teenage Fonda wasn't keen on acting until she worked with her father in a 1954 Omaha Community Theatre production of The Country Girl. Slightly interested in pursuing a stage career at that point, Fonda nonetheless studied art both at Vassar and in Europe, returning to the States to work as a fashion model. Studying acting in earnest at Lee Strasberg's Actors' Studio, Fonda ultimately starred on Broadway in Tall Story, then made her film debut by re-creating this stage appearance in 1960.
A talented but not really distinctive player at that time, Fonda astonished everyone (none as much as her father) by becoming one of the first major American actresses to appear nude in a foreign film. This was La Ronde (1964), directed by her lover (and later her first husband) Roger Vadim. The event was heralded by a giant promotional poster in New York's theater district, with Fonda's naked backside in full view for all of Manhattan to see. Vadim decided to mold Fonda into a "sex goddess" in a series of lush but forgettable films; the best Fonda/Vadim collaboration was Barbarella (1968), which scored as much on the actress' sharp comic timing (already evidenced in such American pictures as Cat Ballou [1968]) as it did on her kinky costuming. In the late '60s, Fonda underwent another career metamorphosis when she became involved in the anti-Vietnam War movement. Her notorious visit to North Vietnam at the height of the conflict earned her the sobriquet "Hanoi Jane," as well as the enmity of virtually every ex-GI who fought in Southeast Asia.
Even so, Fonda's film stardom ascended in the early '70s; in 1971, she won the first of two Oscars for her portrayal of a high-priced prostitute in Klute (her other was for Coming Home [1978]), and Fonda's career flourished despite a sub-rosa Hollywood campaign to discredit the actress and spread idiotic rumors about her subversive behavior (one widely circulated fabrication had Fonda destroying the only existing negative of Stagecoach because she despised John Wayne).
In the 1980s, the actress realized several personal and career milestones: she worked with her father on film for the only time in On Golden Pond (1981); she assisted former peace activist Tom Hayden, whom she had married in the early '70s, in his successful bid for the California State Assembly; and she launched the first of several best-selling exercise videos. She also won an Emmy for her performance in the TV movie The Dollmaker (1984). After her marriage to Hayden ended in the early '80s, Fonda married media mogul Ted Turner in 1991 (the couple would divorce in 2000), and began curtailing her film appearances, all but retiring from the screen after her lead role opposite Robert De Niro in 1990s Stanley & Iris. Fonda was no less the social activist in the 1990s than she was two decades earlier; among her projects was the production of several "revisionist" dramatic specials and documentaries about the history of Native Americans, duly telecast on Turner's various worldwide cable services.
Just when it seemed audiences might have seen the last of Fonda on the big screen, she returned in 2005 with the romantic comedy Monster-in-Law. Starring Fonda as a meddling mother bent on disrupting the planned nuptials of her son (Michael Vartan) and his fiance (Jennifer Lopez), the film went on to be a modest box-office success despite mixed reviews from critics. 2005 also saw the release of Fonda's best-selling autobiography My Life So Far, after which she took some time off. She got back in the saddle a few years later with 2007's Georgia Rule, playing the hard-driving grandmother of a rebellious teenager played by Lindsay Lohan. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1981
Although the Actors Studio and Lee Strasberg have been famous for many decades in the U.S., this documentary is the first film to go into the studio and record sessions with actors, showing Strasberg in action. Aside from interviews with Strasberg, he is also seen responding to filmed performances of Eleonora Duse and other Hollywood giants of times gone by, and interacting with others as a mentor and friend. Even Strasberg's inspiration, Konstantin Stanislavsky himself, is shown talking about acting with two students toward the end of his life. Jane Fonda explains how she benefitted by Strasberg's instruction, and the results of his efforts are shown in clips of James Dean and Marlon Brando, two of his more famous students. By the time the final segment of the documentary has closed, viewers have a much better idea of why Lee Strasberg was so successful with hundreds of actors over the long span of his professional life. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lee Strasberg, Ellen Burstyn, (more)
- 1966
The star of the Broadway version of Any Wednesday was Sandy Dennis. Headlining the 1966 film version is Jane Fonda, who imbues her character with enough quirkiness to satisfy both herself and the endearingly mannered Ms. Dennis. Fonda plays the dippy mistress of philanderer Jason Robards, who visits his paramour only on Wednesdays (hence the title). Dean Jones costars as the erstwhile swain who messes up Robards' routine by falling in love with Fonda. Screenwriter Julius J. Epstein does a expert job at expanding Muriel Resnick's play for the screen without robbing it of its inherent charm. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jane Fonda, Jason Robards, Jr., (more)
A voluptuous outer space agent travels to another galaxy in search of a missing inventor in this science fiction send-up. Barbarella (Jane Fonda), an interstellar representative of the united Earth government in the 41st century, is dispatched to locate scientist Durand Durand, whose positronic ray, if not recovered, could signal the end of humanity. Outfitted in an array of stunning Star Trek/Bond girl outfits and cruising around in a plush, psychedelic spaceship, Barbarella travels to the Tau Seti system and promptly crash-lands. She then spends the rest of the film discovering the joys of interstellar sex with a keeper of feral children (Ugo Tognazzi), a blind, beatific angel (John Phillip Law), and an inept revolutionary named Dildano (David Hemmings). Slowly but surely, she also finds her way to Durand Durand by moving from one exotic, Wizard of Oz-style locale to another. Along the way, she meets the kindly Professor Ping (a surprisingly verbal Marcel Marceau), a Eurotrash dominatrix named the Great Tyrant (Rolling Stones gal pal Anita Pallenberg), and the Concierge (Milo O'Shea), a strangely familiar lackey of the Great Tyrant who tries to destroy Barbarella with his great big organ of love. Jean-Claude Forest, who created the character Barbarella in 1962 for V-Magazine, served as visual advisor on the adaptation. The film's missing scientist character famously inspired the band name of '80s pop stars Duran Duran (who altered the spelling slightly). Almost two decades later, the film also inspired electronic act Matmos, which was named after the aqueous personification of evil unleashed by the Concierge at the movie's climax. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jane Fonda, John Phillip Law, (more)
As originally screened at the Tribeca Film Festival, at the Cannes Film Festival, and on Turner Classic Movies, the mammoth, epic-length documentary Brando chronicles in encyclopedic detail (and with a consistently reverent overtone) the life and career of the man widely regarded as the most formidable American actor of the 20th century - famous for not only reshaping, but reinventing the craft of film acting and teaching audiences how to view a motion picture performance. Divided into chronological, thematically-unified segments, the film first treats Marlon Brando's dysfunctional upbringing - his alcoholic mother, his abusive father, his stint at a military academy - before charting his acting tutelage at the behest of Stella Adler and his early cinematic and theatrical roles, including work for Elia Kazan, who famously made many aggressive (and unsuccessful) attempts to discipline the headstrong actor onscreen. Throughout this segment, many Hollywood A-list actors appear - among them, Al Pacino, Johnny Depp and Robert Duvall - expostulating at length on Brando's influence over their approaches to performance, and attempting with great effort to define the elusive style known as "method acting" that Brando helped to create. The second half of the documentary moves into Brando's career during the '70s, '80s and '90s, covering the production of The Godfather, the actor's noteworthy political activism, and his tumultuous personal life. Francis Ford Coppola, who of course teamed with Brando for the first Godfather installment and for Apocalypse Now, is noticeably absent from the proceedings. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Al Pacino, Johnny Depp, (more)
- 1994
This video seeks to help viewers understand how our culture has evolved to a point where dress sizes and fashion tend to ignore the realities of the way most women are built. What is "ideal beauty" and why does our culture place so much value on being thin? Both women and men might find it interesting to learn how American women really view themselves. How do women hold on to some semblance of self-esteem when living in a culture that seems to tell them that they have little value if they are overweight? Examine why there's a double standard that allows so many men to almost completely ignore their weight and ability to dress fashionably. ~ Elizabeth Smith, All Movie Guide
- 1994
This documentary takes a look at the continuing work of feminists to establish reproductive rights for women. The issue of the right to control one's own body is presented as one that is crucial to the welfare of women. The fight for birth control began in America at the time of the great wave of immigration during the Industrial Revolution. Women and men were working in dangerous and substandard conditions to raise their children. Many wanted fewer, not more, children. Deaths of mothers during childbirth and infant mortality were shockingly high. The battle for women and children's health continues to the present. The film looks at the decision of Roe vs. Wade and the efforts to overturn it. ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, All Movie Guide
- 1994
Throughout the 20th century, women have met the challenges and struggles of balancing work and family. Narrated by Jane Fonda, A Century of Women: Work & Family weaves fictional and factual stories to illustrate the history of women in the workforce, as well as their roles as wives and mothers. Performances and testimonies from a stellar group of women including Meryl Streep, Gloria Steinem, Twyla Tharp, and Maya Angelou facilitate the film's innovative method of storytelling. Archival film, photographs, and interviews retrace historical events -- from the founding of the PTA to early unions -- that changed our social landscape. Diaries, letters, and personal memories honor women of the past and make it clear that the balancing of labor and family was a matter of life and death. ~ Brooke Hodess, All Movie Guide
- 2003
Before the Motion Picture Production Code transformed virtually all movie heroines into unworldly virgins in the year 1934, actresses were able to get their teeth into meaty roles which allowed them the full gamut of emotions, a vast array of sexual experiences, and, most importantly, an innate wisdom beyond their years. Based on the book by Mick LaSalle, the 60-minute cable documentary Complicated Women provides modern viewers with fascinating glimpses of celebrated Hollywood actresses during the pre-code years (1929-1933). Highlights include Norma Shearer's advocacy of an open marriage in 1930's The Divorcée (a role which earned her an Oscar); Jean Harlow's casual carnal hijinks with Clark Gable in 1932's Red Dust; Barbara Stanwyck sleeping her way to the top of the business world in Baby Face (1933); Greta Garbo's knowing portrayal of the bisexual Queen Christina in the 1933 film of the same name; and, of course, the censor-baiting innuendoes of Mae West. The premise of Complicated Women can be summed up thus: they weren't all "good girls" in those pre-code years, but they were certainly far more interesting and multilayered than the corsetted iron butterflies of the post-code era. In addition to vintage film clips, the documentary features interviews with a handful of survivors from Depression-era Hollywood, among them actress Frances Dee, whose portrayal of a masochistic thrill-seeker in 1933's Blood Money still packed a wallop seven decades later. Narrated by Jane Fonda, Complicated Women kicked off a month-long festival of pre-code films on the Turner Classic Movies cable channel. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jane Fonda
- 1992
Fonda on Fonda offers an intimate look at one of America's most highly regarded megastars, the Academy and Tony award-winning film and stage actor, Henry Fonda. Daughter Jane Fonda hosts this account of the elder Fonda's life and career. Fonda's work spanned the golden years of Hollywood in which he appeared in 90 films. Fonda on Fonda traces the actor's stellar career using interviews and clips from his best-known films, including The Grapes of Wrath, Young Mr. Lincoln, Mister Roberts, and On Golden Pond, in which he shared the screen with Jane. The video offers rare insight into the world of one of Hollywood's most important performing families.
~ Sally Barber, All Movie Guide
~ Sally Barber, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jane Fonda
- 1967
Otto Preminger directed this star-studded adaptation of K.B. Gliden's novel about racial prejudice and emotional unrest in the Deep South. Henry Warren (Michael Caine) is a land owner obsessed with buying up all available land in a Georgia farming town. However, two parcels of land have escaped his reach, and he's determined to get them. The Scotts, an African-American family, own one of the lots that Henry is after; the matriarch of the family, Rose (Beah Richards), used to work as a servant for the family of Henry's wife, Julie Ann (Jane Fonda), so Henry sends Julie Ann to talk with her. However, not only doesn't Rose agree to sell, she gets so upset that she dies of a heart attack, and soon her headstrong son Reeve (Robert Hooks) is the owner of the land. Reeve refuses all of Henry's offers to sell out, and he even stands up to a racist lynch mob that tries to ransack his farm; when Henry attempts to prove that Reeve holds no legal deed to the property, Vivian Thurlow (Diahann Carroll), the town's black schoolmarm, is able to provide the documentation that the Scotts do indeed own their land. Meanwhile, Henry is also trying to buy some property farmed by Rod McDowell (John Phillip Law) and his wife Lou (Faye Dunnaway), a poor white couple who are Henry's cousins. The McDowell farm adjoins that owned by the Scotts, so Reeve and Rod agree to join forces against Henry, which leads to violent reprisals against them. While set in Georgia, Hurry Sundown was actually shot on location in Louisiana; it was the first film shot in the South with an integrated cast and crew, leading the producers to demand protection from State Troopers after members of the company received death threats. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Caine, Jane Fonda, (more)
- 1963
In this drama of romantic intrigue and infidelity, Sam and Christine Bonner (Arthur Hill and Jane Fonda) are a married couple whose relationship has hit a rough spot. While Sam loves Christina very much and would do anything for her, she feels unsatisfied and suffocated by him; she wants more space for herself and would like to have a baby. Sam is more than willing to help, but matters become more complicated when he introduces Christine to Murray Logan (Peter Finch), a friend from work, and his wife Sybil (Angela Lansbury). Murray and Sybil are not at all happy together; ever since an auto wreck claimed the life of their son, Sybil has been emotionally on edge and blames her husband for the death of her child. When Murray meets Christine, he finds himself attracted to her; she is also interested in him, but neither are in a position to do anything about it. Sam arranges for the two couples to take a vacation to Greece together, hoping a change of scenery will bring a spark back into their lives. However, Sam's father Frederick (Alexander Knox) falls ill just as the couples are about to leave, and he's forced to stay behind. While in Greece, Murray and Christine finally succumb to their desires and begin an affair; an angry Sybil retaliates by both having a fling with a local man and spilling the beans to Sam about Murray and his wife. John Houseman, later to become famous as an actor, served as a producer on this film. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Finch, Jane Fonda, (more)
- 1974
This documentary was made during the most intense period of fighting in the Vietnam War. U.S. participation in that conflict lasted from 1956 (approximately) until 1975. Here Jane Fonda and Tom Hayden travel to North Vietnam in order to show the North Vietnamese as actual human beings with legitimate needs and concerns. Their suffering from American and allied bombing attacks is clearly shown, along with interviews with Le Duc Tho (a Viet Cong peace negotiator) and others. Fonda was extremely active in the antiwar movement, and organized concerts and films supporting antiwar activities; this documentary was only a small part of her efforts in that period. This film, and the trip which made it possible, earned her the derisive epithet "Hanoi Jane." ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Hayden
- 1962
This entertaining video features Jane Fonda as she opens in her first role on Broadway. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1995
In this video, Jane Fonda shows everyone how to target and trim down their flabby abdominal muscles, buns, and thighs. Two 25-minute workouts are presented. Low-impact exercise fans will enjoy all of the routines demonstrated by Jane and two other instructors. Beginners will also feel right at ease. Be ready to do some standing leg lifts, squats, and simple aerobic dance moves. At the end of the exercises, viewers are shown stretching moves to help them feel both relaxed and invigorated. After using this tape regularly for several weeks, viewers should start noticing that their lower body muscles are more toned.
~ Elizabeth Smith, All Movie Guide
~ Elizabeth Smith, All Movie Guide
- 1983
An exercise video that includes a fast-paced warm-up and exercise, balance and stretching. Includes a 20 minute routine for those with too few hours in the day. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1984
This exercise video features actress and activist turned fitness guru Jane Fonda. Her exercise regimens have helped many people to achieve a level of fitness they had not known before. This program takes the fitness enthusiast to a higher level, with a more challenging workout. The routine is designed to reach a higher peak of performance with exercises that strengthen and lengthen muscles, while stepping up the cardiovascular rate to improve overall health and endurance. ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, All Movie Guide
- 1988
Jane Fonda's classic 1988 workout tape, still a best-seller, combines fat-burning aerobic routines with stretching and conditioning for lithe, toned muscles. Easily adaptable to fit in the busiest of schedules, Fonda's tape can be done all at once for a 70-minute, full-body workout, or you can break it down into three shorter segments: 35 minutes of aerobics, 15 minutes of upper-body conditioning, and 20 minutes of lower-body conditioning -- weights optional. Appropriate for all fitness levels. ~ Sarah Welsh, All Movie Guide
- 1984
Viewers will find that nearly every inch of their bodies receives attention if they follow Jane Fonda's lead as she goes through this 50-minute workout. The title is appropriate since newcomers to regular exercise will feel right at home. They can decide how much of the tape they want to play at any one time as they build up their strength. Care is taken throughout to strengthen and protect both the neck and lower back areas. Everyone who needs help increasing their strength, flexibility, muscle tone, and circulation should consider trying out this entry-level program. Soft background music adds to the pleasure of this video.
~ Elizabeth Smith, All Movie Guide
~ Elizabeth Smith, All Movie Guide
- 1993
Four of Jane's simpler and most popular exercise routines are demonstrated in this video. This variety is helpful to those who become bored rather easily while working out. The clips come from her Stress Reduction, Lean Routine, Low Impact, and Complete Workout tapes. Both high-impact moves and less stressful ones are shown so that nearly everyone can do this workout right along with Jane. Viewers may be a little surprised to see some unusual fashions, like the leg warmers that so many people once wore while working out. During 15 minutes of this 50-minute film, Jane shares some of her own dieting tips. She also shares her ideas about which foods should be eaten and how they should be prepared in order to minimize weight gain and help everyone keep attractive, healthy figures. ~ Elizabeth Smith, All Movie Guide
- 1991
This exercise video is designed for children from four to eight, and is demonstrated by Jane Fonda. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1990
In this exercise video for youngsters, Jane Fonda, J.D. Roth, and a team of fitness experts help kids get fit by dancing. The dance -- the Fun House Funk -- is loaded with exercises kids will be able to do, while having fun at the same time. The routines are designed for ages seven and older. ~ Linda J. Shriver, All Movie Guide
- 1990
This exercise video includes segments on nutrition, fat-burning exercises and weight control. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1990
This exercise video features a light aerobic workout that includes more stretching and less sweating. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1986
The multifaceted Jane Fonda dons her hat of fitness guru to lead the viewer through a session of low-impact aerobic exercises. These gentle movements are designed to burn calories, increase cardiovascular activity, promote flexibility, and strengthen muscles, while reducing the risk of injury. The practitioner will be the beneficiary of a noticeably more toned and relaxed body, and a calmer mind. ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, All Movie Guide
