| | | When life is at its finest... when love is at its fullest...
Features: DVD, Special Edition
For Norman and Ethel Thayer, this summer On Golden Pond is filled with conflict and resolution. When their daughter Chelsea (Jane Fonda) arrives, the family is forced to renew the bonds of love and overcome the generational friction that has existed for years. Norman (Henry Fonda) must find his way through his anger and fear of growing old, while Chelsea struggles to rebuild their relationship. Ethel's (Katharine Hepburn) consistent support of her "knight in shining armor" is inspirational in its simplicity. This is a movie to ponder and always keep in your heart.
"Fonda...is no less than brilliant..." Leonard Maltin's Movie & Video Guide
Editor's Note
Based on the play by Ernest Thompson, ON GOLDEN POND tells the deceptively simple tale of one family's summer. The story centers around the bickering but loving relationship between Ethel and Norman Thayer (Katharine Hepburn and Henry Fonda), an elderly couple who are spending their 48th summer at their New England country home and celebrating Norman's 80th birthday. When their independent, insecure daughter, Chelsea (Jane Fonda), and her new boyfriend, Bill Ray (Dabney Coleman), come for Norman's birthday, they also end up asking the couple to look after Billy Ray (Doug McKeon), Bill's teenage son, while they travel to Europe. Over the summer, Norman becomes closer to Billy Ray than he has ever been to his daughter, sparking Chelsea's long-repressed resentment when she returns. In this beautifully filmed story, there are many things going on along the surface of Golden Pond, including the presence of the loons--who represent all things wonderful about their summer house and their life to Ethel. Director Mark Rydell elicits deeply touching performances from his cast (particularly Henry Fonda in his final screen appearance), and the dialogue of Thompson's script is equally graceful. The odds were against this decidedly quiet, small ensemble piece when it was released in 1981, but the timeless material and the confident direction triumphed.
Plot Summary
While spending their 48th summer at their New England country home, an elderly couple discover much about themselves and their family. Director Mark Rydell's quiet, reflective film won three Oscars at the 1981 Academy Awards.
| Features | Cast & Crew Information | | Interactive Menus | | Scene Access | | Spanish Subtitles | | Theatrical Trailer | | Production Notes | | "Making Of..." Documentary | | Audio: 2.0 Dolby Surround | | Digitally Mastered | | Widescreen Version | | Reverse Spiral Dual Layer Disc | | Director's Commentary Track |
| Technical Info
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Release Information
| | Studio: Artisan |
| Release Date: 2/1/2005 |
| Running Time: 105 minutes |
| Original Release Date: 1981 | | Catalog ID: 14781 | | UPC: 00012236147817 | | Number of Discs: 1 |
Audio & Video
| | Original Language: English | | Available Audio Tracks: English | | Video: Color |
Aspect Ratio | | 1.85:1 |
| Cast & Crew
| Awards |
Oscar (1982) |  | Henry Fonda, Winner, Best Actor | | Katharine Hepburn, Winner, Best Actress | | Ernest Thompson, Winner, Best Screenplay Based On Material From Another Medium | | | Billy Williams, Nominee, Best Cinematography | | | Mark Rydell, Nominee, Best Director | | | Jane Fonda, Nominee, Best Supporting Actress | |
Golden Globe (1982) | | Henry Fonda, Winner, Best Motion Picture Actor-Drama | | Ernest Thompson, Winner, Best Screenplay | | | Mark Rydell, Nominee, Best Director | | | Katharine Hepburn, Nominee, Best Motion Picture Actress-Drama | | | Jane Fonda, Nominee, Best Motion Picture Actress In A Supporting Role |
| Memorable Quotes| "The loons! They're welcoming us back!"----Ethel Thayer (Katharine Hepburn) to Norman Thayer (Henry Fonda) | | "You're my knight in shining armor, and don't you forget it. You're gonna get back on that horse, and I'm going to be right behind you."----Ethel to Norman |"I don't like horses."----Norman |
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| | Professional Reviews | Variety
"...A class act....Major, meaty roles for Katherine Hepburn and Henry Fonda....[They] work superbly together..." 11/18/1981New York Times
"...[Its stars] add more than color....ON GOLDEN POND has the bite of good old cheddar..." 12/04/1981 p.C10 Premiere
"[A] film played, for which Henry Fonda won his only Oscar....Rarely has Jane's vulnerability been so evident." 11/01/2005 p.121 |
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