On Golden Pond
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On Golden Pond
Plot
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, RoviReview
As America staggered out of its post-Vietnam Carter-era late-'70's numbness, films became one of the means to healing the country's psychic wounds. Consequently, 1981's On Golden Pond became one of a string of films anchored by the generational theme of parent-child rapprochement. One of the things that set this film apart from its contemporaries was the first-time pairing of real life father and daughter Henry and Jane Fonda. In order to evoke the requisite nostalgic tone, director Mary Rydell's film is seeped in sepia-golden hues courtesy of veteran cinematographer Billy Williams III. The film's conflict resolution process is too pat and the direction too self-congratulatory to allow it status as a classic, but there is genuine pathos plus some remarkable work done by Katharine Hepburn and Best Actor Oscar winner Henry Fonda. The elder thespians raise their roles from what could have been clichés (the doting wife, the dottering coot) into the realm of archetypes. The supporting characters fare less well, as the script sometimes short circuits their development in order to get to the next big emotional moment. Despite these complaints, On Golden Pond succeeds because of its appealingly humane plea for generational healing and the wonderful work of Hepburn and Henry Fonda. ~ Dan Jardine, RoviCast
- Katharine Hepburn - Ethel Thayer
- Henry Fonda - Norman Thayer Jr.
- Jane Fonda - Chelsea Thayer Wayne
- Doug McKeon - Billy Ray
- Dabney Coleman - Bill Ray
Credit
Barry Primus - Casting, Dianne Crittenden - Casting, Dorothy Jeakins - Costume Designer, Gary Daigler - First Assistant Director, Mark Rydell - Director, Stephen B. Grimes - Second Unit Director, Robert Wolfe - Editor, Dave Grusin - Composer (Music Score), Tom Tuttle - Makeup, Stephen B. Grimes - Production Designer, Ida Random - Production Designer, Billy Williams - Cinematographer, Terry Carr - Producer, Bruce Gilbert - Producer, Martin Starger - Producer, Jane Bogart - Set Designer, Emad Helmey - Set Designer, David Ronne - Sound/Sound Designer, Kay Rose - Sound Editor, Ernest Thompson - Screen Story, Ernest Thompson - Screenwriter, Ernest Thompson - Play Author| On Fortune's Wheel (1913 Film), On Foot to Santiago de Compostela (2007 Film) | |
| On Guard (1997 Film), On Guard-Bunco (1970 Film) |
Wikipedia on Answers.com:
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On Golden Pond (1981 film)
| On Golden Pond | |
|---|---|
 Movie poster by Bill Gold |
|
| Directed by | Mark Rydell |
| Produced by | Bruce Gilbert |
| Written by | Ernest Thompson |
| Starring | Katharine Hepburn Henry Fonda Jane Fonda |
| Music by | Dave Grusin |
| Cinematography | Billy Williams |
| Editing by | Robert L. Wolfe |
| Studio | ITC Entertainment |
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
| Release date(s) |
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| Running time | 109 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $119,285,432[1] |
On Golden Pond is a 1981 American drama film directed by Mark Rydell. The screenplay by Ernest Thompson was adapted from his 1979 play of the same title. Henry Fonda won the Academy Award in what was his final film role. Co-star Katharine Hepburn also received an Oscar, as did Thompson for his script, and there were a further seven Oscar nominations for the film. The movie co-stars Jane Fonda, Dabney Coleman and Doug McKeon.
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Contents
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Plot
An aging couple, Ethel and Norman Thayer, spends each summer at their cottage on a lake called Golden Pond. They are visited by daughter Chelsea, who is somewhat estranged from her curmudgeon of a father. Chelsea introduces them to her new fiance, Bill, and asks the Thayers to permit Bill's young son Billy to stay with them while she and Bill have some time to themselves.
The boy is annoyed by being left with elderly strangers with no friends nearby and nothing to do. He resents Norman's brusque manner at first, but eventually comes to enjoy their Golden Pond fishing adventures together. Chelsea returns, a little exasperated and envious of the fact that Norman seemingly has bonded with a stranger's child in a way he never quite did with her.
Production notes
Jane Fonda purchased the rights to the play specifically for her father, Henry Fonda, to play the role of the cantankerous Norman Thayer.[2] The father-daughter rift depicted on screen closely paralleled the real-life relationship between the two Fondas.
Screenwriter Thompson spent his summers along the shores of Great Pond, located in Belgrade, Maine, but the film was made on Squam Lake in Holderness, New Hampshire.[3] The house used in the film was leased from a New York physician and was modified significantly for the shoot: an entire second floor was added as a balcony over the main living area at the request of the production designer. After the shoot the production company was contractually obligated to return the house to its original state but the owner liked the renovations so much that he elected to keep the house that way and asked the crew not to dismantle the second story. A gazebo and a small boathouse were also relocated during the shoot.
Despite their many common acquaintances and long careers in show business, Henry Fonda and Katharine Hepburn not only had never worked together, but had never met until working on the film. On the first day of shooting, Hepburn presented Henry Fonda with her longtime companion Spencer Tracy's "lucky" hat, which Fonda wore in the film. Hepburn, who was 74 at the time of filming, performed all her own stunts, including a dive into the pond. The scene in which Norman and grand-stepson Billy run their boat, the "Thayer IV", into the rocks was filmed repeatedly. The vintage 1951 mahogany Chris-Craft boat, used strictly for the crash scene, was so sturdy that it kept bouncing off the rocks without any damage.[4][5][6] The crew had to modify the boat so it would break away in the wreck. The water level in Squam Lake was so low during the summer of production that Fonda and Doug McKeon could have stood during the scene in which they were supposedly clinging to the rocks for fear of drowning. The September water was barely knee deep, but it was cold enough that the pair had to wear wetsuits under their clothes. Hepburn, on the other hand, dove into the water without the aid of the wetsuit because she wanted the scene to keep its authenticity. Scenes in which Billy takes the boat out on his own were filmed on nearby Lake Winnipesaukee. While filming the scene where Fonda and Hepburn were watching the loons on the lake, the speedboat that zoomed by and disturbed them was so forceful it overturned their canoe in one take; Fonda was immediately taken out of the water and wrapped up in blankets as his health was fragile by that time. The speedboat was piloted by the screenwriter, Ernest Thompson.
When visiting Holderness, New Hampshire, one can take a boat tour of Squam Lake and view the filming sites from the movie. There is also a restaurant called "Walter's Basin," which is named after the trout called "Walter" that Billy catches with Norman. For filming, "Walter" was brought in from a trout pond at the nearby Castle in the Clouds estate. He was released after his capture back into Squam Lake. Leftover footage of Fonda and Hepburn driving through the New Hampshire countryside, as seen in the opening credits, was later used for the opening of the CBS television sitcom Newhart.
With a box office take of $119,285,432, On Golden Pond was the second highest grossing film of the year, following Raiders of the Lost Ark, which earned $209,562,121.[7]
Cast
- Katharine Hepburn, Lynne Lipton(singing voice) - Ethel Thayer
- Henry Fonda - Norman Thayer Jr.
- Jane Fonda - Chelsea Thayer Wayne
- Doug McKeon - Billy Ray
- Dabney Coleman - Bill Ray
- William Lanteau - Charlie Martin
Critical reception
Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times said "On Golden Pond was a treasure for many reasons, but the best one, I think, is that I could believe it. I could believe in its major characters and their relationships, and in the things they felt for one another, and there were moments when the movie was witness to human growth and change. I left the theater feeling good and warm, and with a certain resolve to try to mend my own relationships and learn to start listening better . . . watching the movie, I felt I was witnessing something rare and valuable."[8]
In his The New York Times review Vincent Canby said, "As a successful Broadway play, On Golden Pond was processed American cheese, smooth, infinitely spreadable and bland, with color added by the actors . . . the movie . . . still American cheese, but its stars - Henry Fonda, Katharine Hepburn, Jane Fonda and Dabney Coleman - add more than color to this pasteurized product. On Golden Pond now has the bite of a good old cheddar . . . Mr. Fonda gives one of the great performances of his long, truly distinguished career. Here is film acting of the highest order . . . Miss Hepburn . . . is also in fine form. One of the most appealing things about her as an actress is the way she responds to - and is invigorated by - a strong co-star . . . she needs someone to support, challenge and interact with. Mr. Fonda is the best thing that's happened to her since Spencer Tracy and Humphrey Bogart . . . an added pleasure is the opportunity to see Dabney Coleman [in] a role that goes beyond the caricatures he's usually given to play . . . On Golden Pond is a mixed blessing, but it offers one performance of rare quality and three others that are very good. That's not half-bad."[9]
TV Guide rates it 3½ out of a possible four stars, calling it "a beautifully photographed movie filled with poignancy, humor, and (of course) superb acting . . . there could have been no finer final curtain for [Henry Fonda] than this."[10] Channel 4 sums up its review by stating, "Henry Fonda and Katharine Hepburn both shine in an impressively executed Hollywood drama. [It] has its mawkish moments but there's a certain pleasure in that, and writer Thompson's analysis of old age is sensitive, thought-provoking and credible."[11]
Not all reviewers were impressed, however. David Kehr of the Chicago Reader called the film "the cinematic equivalent of shrink-wrapping, in which all of the ideas, feelings, characters, and images are neatly separated and hermetically sealed to prevent spoilage, abrasion, or any contact with the natural world . . . Mark Rydell's bright, banal visual style further sterilizes the issues. The film exudes complacency and self-congratulation; it is a very cowardly, craven piece of ersatz art."[12] Time Out London says, "Two of Hollywood's best-loved veterans deserved a far better swan song than this sticky confection."[13] Mad magazine satirized the octogenarian-themed film in their typical unsubtle manner, titling it On Olden Pond.
American Film Institute recognition
- AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies - Nominated[14]
- AFI's 100 Years... 100 Passions - #22
- AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movie Quotes:
- "Listen to me, mister. You're my knight in shining armor. Don't you forget it. You're going to get back on that horse, and I'm going to be right behind you, holding on tight, and away we're gonna go, go, go!" - #88
- "Come here, Norman. Hurry up. The loons! The loons! They're welcoming us back." - Nominated[15]
- AFI's 100 Years of Film Scores - #24
- AFI's 100 Years... 100 Cheers - #45
- AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies (10th Anniversary Edition) - Nominated[16]
Accolades
- Academy Awards[17]
- Academy Award for Best Actor (Henry Fonda, winner)
- Academy Award for Best Actress (Katharine Hepburn, winner)
- Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay (Ernest Thompson, winner)
- Academy Award for Best Picture (nominee)
- Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress (Jane Fonda, nominee)
- Academy Award for Best Cinematography (nominee)
- Academy Award for Best Director (nominee)
- Academy Award for Best Film Editing (nominee)
- Academy Award for Best Original Score (nominee)
- Academy Award for Best Sound (Richard Portman and David M. Ronne, nominee)
- BAFTAs
- BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role (Katharine Hepburn, winner)
- BAFTA Award for Best Film (nominee)
- BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role (Henry Fonda, nominee)
- BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Jane Fonda, nominee)
- BAFTA Award for Best Direction (nominee)
- BAFTA Award for Best Screenplay (nominee)
- Golden Globes
- Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture - Drama (winner)
- Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama (Henry Fonda, winner)
- Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay (Ernest Thompson, winner)
- Golden Globe Award for Best Director - Motion Picture (nominee)
- Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Drama (Katharine Hepburn, nominee)
- Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture (Jane Fonda, nominee)
- Others
- Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures (nominee)
- Grammy Award for Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television Special (nominee)
- Writers Guild of America Award for Best Drama Adapted from Another Medium (winner)
References
- ^ "On Golden Pond, Box Office Information". Box Office Mojo. http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=ongoldenpond.htm. Retrieved March 9, 2012.
- ^ "Barbarella comes of age", The Age, May 14, 2005. Accessed January 9, 2008. "If Barbarella was an act of rebellion, On Golden Pond (1981) was a more mature rapprochement: Fonda bought the rights to Ernest Thompson's play to offer the role to her father."
- ^ Squam Lake website
- ^ The Brass Bell - Official Publication of the Antique Boat Club serving the interests of owners of Chris Craft and other antique and classic boats. October, 1985. p.10.
- ^ Savage, Jack. "Chris-Craft - Enthusiast Color Series". P. 79
- ^ New Hampshire Business Review. May, 1982.
- ^ On Golden Pond at BoxOfficeMojo.com
- ^ Chicago Sun-Times review
- ^ New York Times review
- ^ TV Guide review
- ^ Channel 4 review
- ^ Chicago Reader review
- ^ Time Out London review
- ^ AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies Nominees
- ^ AFI's 100 Years...100 Movie Quotes Nominees
- ^ AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies (10th Anniversary Edition) Nominees
- ^ "The 54th Academy Awards (1982) Nominees and Winners". oscars.org. http://www.oscars.org/awards/academyawards/legacy/ceremony/54th-winners.html. Retrieved 2011-10-08.
External links
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Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: On Golden Pond (1981 film) |
- On Golden Pond at the Internet Movie Database
- On Golden Pond at AllRovi
- On Golden Pond at Rotten Tomatoes
- On Golden Pond at Box Office Mojo
| Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Coming Home |
Academy Award winner for Best Actor and Best Actress | Succeeded by The Silence of the Lambs |
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