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| Henry Fonda & Katharine Hepburn as Norman & Ethel Thayer, the devoted couple dealing with previous age, in 1981’s drama, “On Golden Pond.” Fonda’s hat belonged to Spencer Tracy, a present to Hank from Kate! |
I
have been revisiting films of my youth that I have never seen since their preliminary
launch, to see in the event that they reside as much as my reminiscence. I watched On Golden Pond for the primary time since I noticed it in a theater
shortly after its Dec. 4, 1981 launch. It was fascinating to see On Golden Pond now, as a 66 yr previous,
from once I was 22 years previous. Discuss perspective!
I
loved On Golden Pond again within the
day as a sentimental story starring two Hollywood legends. At the same time as a ’70s teen,
I beloved basic films and older folks. I watched all of the older stars from
Hollywood’s heyday of their golden period glory on the afternoon films, like
Henry Fonda and Katharine Hepburn.
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| “On Golden Pond” was a modestly profitable play that grew to become a sleeper hit film. |
As
an grownup, I lived in Traverse Metropolis, MI for 3 a long time. Finally, I moved
up on a hill in a neighborhood adjoining to the Traverse Metropolis Nation Membership. All
the homes have been constructed post-war and almost of the unique house owners nonetheless lived up
there. A lot of the residents have been retirees and I had simply turned 30!
Most
of these fantastic neighbors are gone now, however I’ve very fond recollections of
them. Considered one of my favorites was Claire Nixon, who I all the time referred to as “The
Katharine Hepburn of Traverse Metropolis.” I used to be her and husband Don’s neighbor
for a few years. For individuals who discover On
Golden Pond phony, I encourage to vary. Claire and Don have been Traverse Metropolis’s
model of On Golden Pond. Claire was
very a lot Kate’s Ethel Thayer, stuffed with power and good-natured bossiness. She
was additionally very outdoorsy, on Cedar Lake in the summertime and downhill snowboarding round
northern Michigan within the winter. Don was the man who was all the time engaged on
one thing, his storage as organized as an Ace Ironmongery shop. Don may very well be a
curmudgeon, however he was actually a stand-up man. As a neighbor, he was most
useful to this man, who did not know repair something! Of the 2, Claire
outlived Don, till age 90. Just like the Thayers, Claire and Don bickered, however have been
completely devoted.
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On Golden Pond is a really mainstream and easy
story, but it surely’s not simplistic. From Ernest Thompson’s play, the story focuses
on a senior couple whose semi-estranged daughter comes to go to them on the
household cottage on the title location. She brings her fiancee and his son. They
go away the son together with her mother and father for a month, whereas they go off to Europe to
marry. Their interplay with the boy shines a lightweight onto the household dynamic.
When the daughter returns, the stage is about for reconciliation.
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| Katharine Hepburn is Tremendous Kate as Ethel Thayer in 1981’s “On Golden Pond.” |
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| Jane Fonda as daughter Chelsea perhaps be dysfunctional, however has a bod to die for, in 1981’s drama, “On Golden Pond.” |
I
suppose all three of the celebrities’ performances are well-done, however their particular person persona
presentation is telling. Katharine Hepburn is at her most Kate, whereas Jane’s targeted a bit a lot on trying fab at
40-something. On Golden Pond actually will get
a lot of its resonance from Henry Fonda’s sincere portrayal of a tough man,
not not like himself. Fonda was the basic buttoned up man of his period, heat
and charismatic on movie, cool and taciturn off-camera. Although he has his share
of grumpy previous man humor, Fonda presents himself as he really was on the time,
previous and frail. The scene the place Henry appears at himself bemusedly within the mirror,
subsequent to a photograph of his good-looking younger self, is wistfully touching. Fonda’s
scenes as cranky Norman baiting daughter Chelsea’s boyfriend (Dabney Coleman)
then getting referred to as on the earnest dentist, is actually performed. The identical later,
the place he is taking digs on the prodigal daughter. When she lastly snaps again,
he appears stunned. And there are a number of scenes the place Norman’s
more and more revealed frailty are courageous decisions for an actor lengthy famend as a
tower of power. There is no self-importance or preservation of picture from Henry Fonda
right here, not like his feminine co-stars. His Oscar win, lengthy overdue, was most
deserved.
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| Henry Fonda as Norman Thayer, taking a look at his present self with resignation, in 1981’s “On Golden Pond.” |
I
like the truth that Henry Fonda or On
Golden Pond’s story does not gloss over Norman’s irascible nature. Although I
discovered Jane Fonda presenting herself a bit an excessive amount of because the match film star (subsequent
yr she would launch herself because the exercise queen), her efficiency because the
perennially upset daughter rings true. The scenes of Jane’s Chelsea
opening as much as Fonda’s prickly father really feel painfully actual.
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| Kate Hepburn’s Ethel is empathetic to Jane Fonda’s Chelsea, however appears to position all of the blame for the unhealthy blood with father Norman (Henry Fonda) on her. From 1981’s “On Golden Pond.” |
Katharine
Hepburn’s “rise up and recover from it” angle rings true as Ethel
Thayer, if not accurately. In any case, why is it as much as the daughter to make up
with a lower than fantastic father? Then once more, this was the period when these
points have been first being publicly mentioned. Hepburn was well-known for her each
doting and dysfunctional relationship with alcoholic Spencer Tracy. Hepburn’s
devoted admiration towards Fonda’s Norman is similar to how she doted on
Tracy of their films, particularly Guess
Who’s Coming to Dinner?
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| Katharine Hepburn as Ethel offers Henry Fonda’s Norman the “you are my knight in shining armor” pep speak, a stunning second, from 1981’s “On Golden Pond.” |
Hepburn
does her hale and hearty bit, enjoying to the general public notion of her as
superhumanly indomitable. And when Kate’s Ethel Thayer is not hauling wooden,
manning a ship, or leaping within the water, she’s imparting knowledge to her grumpy previous
husband and daughter with a chip on her buff shoulder. When the film is at its
most critical, Hepburn is direct and interesting, as when she’s lifting her
diminished husband up and cheering him on. Ethel Thayer was Kate’s finest movie
function since The Lion in Winter,
bringing star energy and expertise, and successful her a fourth Oscar.
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| Kate Hepburn’s rendition of “Pleased Birthday” is one you’ll always remember, in 1981’s “On Golden Pond.” |
It
is fascinating how age notion has modified. Kate was 74 and Fonda 76 when On Golden Pond was launched. By at the moment’s
requirements they appear a decade older, in conduct and illnesses. Within the movie
Hank’s character turns 80 and Kate is 70ish. Fonda died lower than a yr later,
whereas Hepburn lived till 2003.
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| Hank Fonda & Kate Hepburn have been in they’re mid-70s once they made 1981’s “On Golden Pond.” He died later the following yr; she lived for 22 extra years. |
The
music was by Dave Grusin, whose music has been the soundtrack to many child boomers’
leisure lives, from The Graduate
to The Goonies, from themes like The Title of the Recreation to Good Instances. And Billy Williams lovely
and detailed pictures is memorable (he is lensed all the things from Girls in Love to Ghandi). Mark Rydell, an actor himself, was a director nice
with actors, particularly high-powered ones, from Steve McQueen to Bette Midler,
and right here On Golden Pond, the Fondas
and Katharine Hepburn.
On Golden Pond could also be a modest work, but it surely has
real advantage. The movie model brings the story to a different degree due to what
Henry and Jane Fonda’s willingness to convey of their father-daughter roles and
Katharine Hepburn’s power of character. That each one makes this pond value
reflecting on.
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| Norman & Ethel Thayer bid farewell to the loons, in 1981’s “On Golden Pond.” |
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| Kate Hepburn, “The Philadelphia Story.” |
This is the function that
redefined nice Kate’s picture, Tracy Lord in The Philadelphia Story.
After a near-decade of many duds combined with a number of gems, Kate got here again to
Hollywood, pleasant within the movie model, w/ Cary Grant, Oscar winners James
Stewart & Ruth Hussey. My have a look at ’40s display screen Kate:
https://ricksrealreel.blogspot.com/2025/06/kate-hepburns-signature-role-tracy-lord.html
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| Henry Fonda in”The Massive Road.” |
Right here’s
Lucille Ball and Henry Fonda, teamed for the primary time within the Damon Runyon
comedy-drama, 1942’s The Massive Road. My take:
https://ricksrealreel.blogspot.com/2022/04/lucille-ball-istic-in-big-street-1942.html
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| My toast to Claire Nixon! |
Right here’s my tribute to my late, nice neighbor & pal, Claire Nixon, the Kate
Hepburn of Traverse Metropolis!
