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
- 1990
Jane Fonda is the host of this fitness video for young children. The instructor for the video is J.D. Roth who hosts the children's program Fun House. Roth and some children are trying to make their way into the Fun House and learn a dance, the "Swamp Stomp," in order to gain access. Dancers in the costumes of wild animals teach low-impact dance moves appropriate for children ranging in age from three to seven. Throughout, the instructor encourages children to find the fun in fitness, recommends that they drink water before and after exercising, and reminds them that it's okay if they can't get through the whole tape. ~ Leslie Birdwell, 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
In this socially conscious drama with romantic overtones, Iris (Jane Fonda) is a working mother with a job at a large commercial bakery who is still getting over the death of her husband, though her circumstances don't give her much time to grieve. She's sharing her house with her two children, Kelly (Martha Plimpton) and Richard (Harley Cross), her unemployed sister Sharon (Swoosie Kurtz), and her thuggish brother-in-law. The tensions at home become even greater when teenage Kelly announces that she's pregnant. One of the few bright spots in her life is her blossoming friendship with Stanley (Robert DeNiro), a nice guy who works in the bakery's cafeteria. However, Iris starts noticing a few odd things about Stanley and it slowly dawns on her that he can't read. When the boss figures this out, Stanley loses his job -- an especially troubling development, as Stanley has just had to put his father in a retirement home. Homeless and out of work, Stanley turns to Iris with a special request -- he'd like her to teach him how to read. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jane Fonda, Robert De Niro, (more)
In this historical drama based on Carlos Fuentes' novel, Harriet Winslow (Jane Fonda) is a naive woman who, hoping to broaden her horizons, accepts a job as a governess in Mexico in 1913. However, Harriet unknowingly finds herself thrown into the middle of the Mexican revolution, where she attracts the attentions of two very different men: an elderly American gentleman (Gregory Peck) who has come to Mexico to die, and Tomas Arroyo (Jimmy Smits), a general with Pancho Villa's army of rebels who is fighting for the freedom of his people. The American's attraction to Harriet is more intellectual (though he unmistakably finds her attractive), while Arroyo holds a greater romantic allure to Harriet, who is still a stranger to the ways of love. In time, she gains a new sense of freedom and self-knowledge in Mexico, but while the victories of Villa's forces bring out an unseemly arrogance in Arroyo, Harriet makes a surprising discovery about the Old Gringo -- that he is in fact the fabled author Ambrose Bierce, who vanished years before. Old Gringo was the first American film for director Luis Puenzo, and the next-to-last for star Jane Fonda. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jane Fonda, Gregory Peck, (more)
- 1989
Jane Fonda has found the key to stress reduction: long, slow stretching. Her 1989 program starts with a 20-minute segment of light aerobics. She has always been a proponent of getting the heart rate up to improve cardio-health. After that brief workout, another 20-minute segment allows the viewer a full-body stretch. Even for the inflexible, Fonda's movements are easy. The plan is completed with a 15-minute segment of tension relief that targets all areas of the body. Fonda's programs have always been safe and reliable methods to tone up and calm down. ~ Sarah Ing, All Movie Guide
- 1988
- Add The Hollywood Collection: Gregory Peck - His Own Man to QueueAdd The Hollywood Collection: Gregory Peck - His Own Man to top of Queue
Gregory Peck narrates his film biography complete with movie clips and interviews with friends. ~ 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
- 1988
An exercise video featuring Jane Fonda that is not difficult, but it can get you into shape. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1987
Jane and celebrity trainer Dan Isaacson provide two weight-training courses in this video -- a 45-minute beginner-intermediate class and a 40-minute class for more advanced students. Both classes make use of dumbbells and ankle weights. During the exercise routines, the viewer is told which muscle groups are being targeted, how many repetitions should be done, and how weight training can help shape and tone muscles. Many who use this tape believe it helps them gain added muscle strength as well. Viewers are given the option of increasing the weight of the dumbbells as the exercises progress. Excellent stretching exercises are included, which help relax various muscles once the dumbbells have been put away.
~ Elizabeth Smith, All Movie Guide
~ Elizabeth Smith, All Movie Guide
- 1987
This exercise video features actress, activist, and fitness guru Jane Fonda in a program designed to prevent a sports-related injury, and to speed recovery in the event one occurs. Muscle flexibility and strength are key aspects of the program. Fonda demonstrates simple exercises and stretches that the athlete can do prior to and after sports activity to reduce stress and strain on the body, to ensure its continued health and endurance. ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, All Movie Guide
CIA director Snyderburn (Joe Don Baker) talks former agent Leonard (Bill Cosby) into returning to the job in this failed Bond-style spy comedy. Leonard's mission is to stop the evil Medusa (Gloria Foster) from taking over the planet by controlling the behavior of the world's animals. The highlight of the film is when lobsters, fish, and frogs begin to attack the humans in a reversal of the food chain. Jane Fonda makes a brief appearance as she talks to Leonard while filming one of her exercise videos. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bill Cosby, Tom Courtenay, (more)
- 1987
This powerful exercise video takes you through a full hour and a half aerobic exercise program. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1987
Actress Jane Fonda encourages strength and flexibility in this fitness program involving hand-held weights, ankle weights, and an exercise bench. Movements are designed to develop and tone the muscles in many body areas and improve range of motion and suppleness through stretching. The workout is presented in two sections -- beginning and advanced. ~ Alice Duncan, All Movie Guide
In this excellent thriller, crisply directed by Sidney Lumet, Alex Sternbergen (Jane Fonda), a washed-up, alcoholic actress who never quite made it, wakes up one morning in an unfamiliar, luxurious loft apartment, only to find the corpse of a stranger next to her in bed. Alex can remember nothing of the night before. In a panic, she tries to flee but is unable to get a flight out of Los Angeles, and short of cash, she hitches a ride with Turner Kendall (Jeff Bridges), a disabled former policeman who happens to be fixing his car in the airport parking lot. Alex tries to get rid of Turner and returns to the loft which she cleans in a futile attempt to get rid of her finger prints. Turner continues to take an unappreciated interest in Alex and keeps turning up unexpectedly, much to her annoyance. Finally, desperate and on the run, and never sure that she didn't commit the murder, Alex allows Turner to help her. Alex also confides in and is helped by her ex-husband and friend Joaquin Manero (Raul Julia), the only man she completely trusts. Despite Alex's suspicion of Turner, she slowly falls in love with him. The movie quickly moves to a surprising conclusion, and creates a good deal of suspense, particularly when Alex is confronted with a corpse that just won't stay put. The highlight of the film is the performance by Jane Fonda reminiscent of her magnificent performance as Bree Daniels in Klute. The Morning After never rises to the quality of Klute, but Fonda's performance was strong enough to earn her an Oscar nomination. ~ Linda Rasmussen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jane Fonda, Jeff Bridges, (more)
- 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
Agnes of God is an "opened up" adaptation of the minimalist stage play by John Pielmeier. Meg Tilly plays a young nun who secretly gives birth to a baby; the child's body is later found strangled to death. Court-appointed psychiatrist Jane Fonda is sent to the convent to investigate, a task made difficult by the weathervane behavior of mother superior Anne Bancroft. To draw out Tilly, who remembers nothing of the birth, Fonda suggests that hypnosis is called for. Playwright Pielmeier poses many questions--is Tilly a pure-and-simple murderess, or was there something "divine" in her act?--but offers frustratingly few answers. The evocative photography is by longtime Ingmar Bergman associate Sven Nykvist. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jane Fonda, Anne Bancroft, (more)
- 1985
In her fifth exercise tape, Jane provides the viewer with challenging aerobic exercises set to vibrant background music. Both posture and form are emphasized during the segments designed for beginners and more advanced exercise enthusiasts. However, if the viewer is a beginner looking for a low-impact aerobic workout, this video may be too challenging. It is better tailored to the needs of the intermediate and early-advanced student. Many of Jane's fans will notice that a number of these workout steps are highly similar to those contained in her first Workout. Tips are provided to help master the breathing techniques that are always critical to an effective workout.
~ Elizabeth Smith, All Movie Guide
~ Elizabeth Smith, 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
- 1984
Jane Fonda stars in this made-for-TV movie, which uses the backdrop of World War II and urbanization to tell the story of one woman's fight to keep her family together. Gertie Nevels (Fonda), the wife of a Kentucky sharecropper, wants nothing more than to one day own her own farm. Thriftily hiding her savings from husband Clovis (Levon Helm), she prepares to make her dream come true -- until Clovis summons her to come join him in Detroit, where he's gone to work in a factory to help with the war effort. Arriving with her children in tow, Gertie finds Clovis all settled into a tenement-like block house and living the life of a union man. Soon, though, the downside of urban life -- from monstrous neighbors and repressive schools to the pitfalls of the industrial landscape itself -- threaten Gertie's family both individually and as a whole. Despite Clovis' freewheeling way with money and his propensity to blame her for the family's problems, Gertie continues to save money. A lifelong whittler, she begins selling hand-crafted wooden dolls, and when the union goes on strike, Gertie finds herself supporting the family. Adapted from Harriet Arnow's novel by Hume Cronyn and Susan Cooper, who would go on to collaborate on the similarly themed Foxfire in 1987, The Dollmaker was directed by feature and TV veteran Daniel Petrie. It debuted on ABC on May 13, 1984, and earned Fonda an Emmy for her work. ~ Brian J. Dillard, 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
- 1983
First introduced in 1983, Jane Fonda's Pregnancy, Birth and Recovery Workout offers a 45-minute prenatal and postnatal exercise routine, plus a 20-minute segment for postnatal only women. In addition, Fonda provides a 20-minute look at birth, baby massage, and infant care. The video is designed for active women who wish to continue to exercise throughout pregnancy, as well as the mother-to-be who wishes to begin a safe workout program during pregnancy. Some aspects of this video are not reflective of current exercise guidelines and recommendations. For example, Fonda and her participants work out barefoot, while today's guidelines suggest the use of shoes for stability. With a physician's approval, new moms may wish to add the following Jane Fonda videos to their routines: Stress Reduction Program, Complete Workout, and Low Impact Aerobic Workout. ~ Sally Barber, All Movie Guide
