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Rating: 5 out of 5
Getting older can be a pain in the ass. As you get older, you remember the memories you have developed over the years. From age 5 to about 18, my brother and I would visit my grandparents in Kansas City for the summer. I would leave one week after school ended and return one week before school started. Looking back on those years, I remember how great and carefree life was. My grandparents owned a farm with horses and a large pond. I remember how amazing it was to spend time there. I consider those summers the best years of my life as I grew up with two people who inspired me and had many adventures.
I bring this up because I watched On Golden Pond, which reminded me of what my grandparents probably went through. My brother and I were young, and as the years passed, they saw that we had grown up and soon would leave the nest to start our own lives. Just like the two main characters in the film, they soon saw that everyone had left the nest and knew that they wouldn’t be in this world much longer as they got older.
Directed by Mark Rydell from a screenplay by Ernest Thompson adapted from his 1979 play of the same name, On Golden Pond is a story of family, time, and memories. Aging couple, Ethel (Hepburn) and Norman (Fonda) Thayer have recently returned to Golden Pond in northern New England. The couple has visited their cottage home every summer since early on in their marriage. Ethel and Norman are pretty different but love each other dearly. Ethel is free-spirited and loving, while Norman is a curmudgeon who is starting to suffer from memory loss. When the pair first, Ethel states that the loons are calling to them, welcoming them back for the summer. This summer, their daughter Chelsea (Fonda), who they have been estranging with as Norman and her don’t really get along, feels that she must be there for Norman’s 80th birthday. Chelsea and her fiancé, Bill (Coleman), and his 13-year-old son Billy (McKeon) are on their way to Europe and ask the elder pair to watch Billy Jr. for a couple of weeks. During this time away, Norman and Billy Jr. bond over many adventures but, most importantly, their quest to catch the legendary fish, Walter. When Chelsea returns, she states that she is married but realizes that Billy Jr. has the relationship she always wanted with her father. This might be the last and final time the pair can resolve their differences.
First, this film was beautifully done, and I enjoyed watching it again. This is my second time watching it. I thought the movie revolved around grandparents caring for their grandson, but I was wrong. It is somewhat like that, but it was mainly about an elderly couple doing one last trip to their summer home. Ethel and Norman are quite the pair in this film as they seem so opposite from each other. Norman is such a Scrooge that he complains about everything. He is totally that “back in my day” person whenever he meets someone. When putting gas in his boat, he complains about the price of gas. He seems to have a Napolean attitude that no one is quite up to his standard. When Bill states he wants to sleep in the same room as Chelsea, he goes through this whole sexual monologue that is quite entertaining. Yet, the old man connects with Billy Jr. He showed that he can have a meaningful relationship with someone younger than him. The pair go fishing many times, read Treasure Island and Tale of Two Cities, and talk about picking up girls. What a pair. On the other hand, Ethel is such a free spirit that you can’t help but enjoy her every time she is on screen. She always puts Norman in his place and tells it how it is. She has no concern about embarrassing herself. She calls out to the loons and is one of the most loving people in the movie.
The movie’s central themes are relationships and forgiveness. I read that Jane Fonda bought the rights to this play because it paralleled the relationship between her father, Henry Fonda, and herself. Chelsea and Norman really don’t get along as she hasn’t visited the pair for years. She feels like Norman doesn’t love her or even respect her. She states that he has always been trying to chase for his love but could never get it. When the pair finally sit down and talk, they somewhat work out their problems, with Chelsea proving that she can do a back flip. In return, Norman gives her a medal. With relationships, the film focuses on the building friendship between Norman and Billy Jr. The pair grow on each other, and the best scene is after Norman gets hurt. After laying around for a week, the pair try to sneak out to go fishing, only to be caught. Their relationship hits a peak when they finally catch the elusive Walter. Also, the pair love using the word “bullshit.”
This film wouldn’t be as great if it wasn’t for the fantastic performances of Katharine Hepburn and Henry Fonda. I don’t know if anyone else could be as great as those two in the film. Hepburn is the absolute G.O.A.T in film history. Meryl is on her tail, but damn, Hepburn just knows how to bring something special to every role she is in. In this one, she was a caring mother and wife who tried her best to help mend fences between the broken family.
I haven’t seen that many films with Henry Fonda. In this one, he plays Norman to perfection as the old man starting to lose his memory. In his old age, Fonda shows Norman as a straight-up grumpy man who tests everyone. Fonda seems to channel his personal relationship with Jane into this role as they really seemed on edge around each other.
On Golden Pond is one of those films that will surprise you. I was pleasantly surprised and enjoyed every second of watching this film. Katharine Hepburn and Henry Fonda are fantastic in their respective roles and should be commended. Watch this film on family, friendship, and forgiveness.
