On Golden Pond [DVD]

awesome turn around time

Beautiful memories great old world nostalgic

Much of this film revolves about the coming of age of the two main male characters: 13-year-old Billy (Doug McKeon), who is facing the teenage years and approaching adulthood with a bit of trepidation and the anger that only a teenager can manage; and 80-year-old Norman (Henry Fonda), who is facing approaching death with a bit of trepidation and the anger that only a New England curmudgeon can manage.These two seeming opposites form an unlikely friendship with one another, as Billy is left, not by choice, with his (step-)grandparents for the summer. The forming of the relationship between the two is really beautifully and realistically handled and quite entertaining to watch. Consider this exchange just after Billy's parents have gone off, leaving him:Billy (brash and teenager-like): This is all [BS]!Norman (looking up from his book): You like that word, don't you?Billy (defiantly): Yeah!Norman: (nodding) Good word. (Goes back to reading)This really takes the wind out of Billy's sails. You can see the wheels turning in his head. He had been all set to put on his angry teenager hat and rebel against the old fuddy-duddy attitude, and instead, it turns out that his grandparents may be old, but they are NOT as stiff as he thought. Hmm! Guess some re-thinking is in order.By the way, speaking of language. Back when the film was first out in the 1980s, my family (mom and grandparents) recommended it to one of my great-aunts (and corresponding uncle), who we thought would really enjoy it. To our surprise, they were quite shocked. All they could talk about was the "Language!" My goodness. I do not find any of the (pretty mild) language at all gratuitous. [BS] is pretty much the naughtiest word IN this film; and if you have ever been around any teenagers from California in the last 30 years, you know that they certainly do say things like that (and worse) in real life. (I guess if you are going to find that sort of thing hopelessly distracting to your enjoyment of the movie, you should stick to films rated G.)A few days later, Billy finds himself standing between his grandparents in the front seat of their powerboat. "So, how fast does this old tub go, anyway?" Norman spins the throttle, and the acceleration pastes Billy into the back seat in a crumpled heap. This is way cool, even if you ARE a teenager from California! Before long, Billy and Norman are inseparable buddies. (I should add that Norman also gets the occasional comeuppance from Billy in return, but you will have to see the film to experience those.)But there other equally rich characters and relationships; Ethel, Norman's wife (Katherine Hepburn), whose sweet exterior overlays a heart of solid oak, and who loves Norman deeply in spite of himself. And their daughter, Chelsea (Jane Fonda) who is largely estranged from them, and is shocked to see young Billy forming the bond of friendship with Norman that she never had as his own daughter. There is great emotional range in all of these combinations. (Dabney Coleman as Chelsea's new husband and Billy's father is really just a throwaway comic-relief character, but good as far as that goes.) By the way, you could easily argue that Jane Fonda turns in the weakest performance of the film. This is not to say that she did a bad job, because I for one don't think that is true at all; what it shows is just how high a level of artistry this entire film maintains.And oh, is this a beautiful film. The nature photography alone is breathtaking. And Dave Grusin's musical score is nothing short of magical. (The main title music accompanying Norman and Ethel's drive through the heavenly New England countryside is so simple, and so elegant, but its quiet beauty is also haunted by a touch of sadness. This music sets the tone for the entire film, and indeed, the main title theme returns often in different guises throughout.) I hate to repeat the tired phrase "You will laugh, you will cry" but it is true. This film has joy, and sadness, and laughter, and pain, and beauty, just as much as life itself does. If the word "bittersweet" were not already in the language, someone would have had to invent it for this film.If you allow this film to touch you at all, (and, true, some people, like my older, now-departed relatives mentioned before, just do not understand it or allow it to reach them) it will become a lasting part of you; at least, I found this to be true for myself. And that is really the highest praise you could give any work of art in any medium.

I was quite young when I first saw this movie and I didn't really grasp alot of the more subtle messages within the scenes, but as an adult now I watch this movie and it never ceases to move me.I have always been a diehard Katherine Hepburn fan so I knew that as time went on I would find more to love in her performance as well as Henry Fonda's, and I have.Not only is this movie visually stunning in the way it was filmed, but the humor and bittersweet relationship between Henry and Kate rings so true to life. As a couple who have been married for many decades, they have learned to accept the flaws and love the virtues in each other, having grown so close together in their marriage that their daughter, played by Jane Fonda, never really felt like she fit.Honestly, the character of the daughter, Chelsea, doesn't really add much to the storyline for me as much as the step grandson does.This was such a beautiful story for so many reasons, but it was the way that these two people entering the twilight of their lives loved each other so much, so well, that they truly understood each other to the point of not knowing where one ended adn the other began. Kate's character, Ethel, is as much in love with her husband on his 80th birthday as the day she married him. While she is an upbeat, positive person by nature, she buoys her curmugeon husband, Norman, as he comes to terms with the fact that their time together and their time in this life, was growing short.They go to the house on Golden Pond every year, and on this visit Norman wonders if he will make it to another summer on the pond and if he does come back, will he remember it or the many years of memories that were forged there. He's angry at life because it passed him so quickly, leaving him with a sense of frustration for the things that went undone, the conversations unspoken, the choices never made. He wonders if his wife has regrets about those choices and yet he won't bring himself to ask, instead he tries to push her away so that when his time comes, it won't hurt her so badly.And, when their daughter and her boyfriend come out to the lake for Norman's big 80th birthday party, they leave behind the boyfriend's 13 year old son, Billy, behind while they head off to Europe.Ethel convinces Norman to agree to keep the boy for the summer while Chelsea goes off with her boyfriend as a favor to their daughter, a gift, an olive branch to the daughter who carries a massive chip on her shoulder, so Norman agrees because, quite honestly, he cannot deny his beloved Ethel anything she wants.There is tremendous humor and poignancy in this story as Norman realizes that he isn't just the old man that he chafes at being, he's still got something to teach to this young boy who is willing to listen and learn. Norman teaches the boy how to fish, about classic literature, how to fix the hinges on the porch screen door, and in doing so he recaptures a moment in time that he thought had passed.And watching this is his wife, who loves him more than he realizes, and who is all too aware of the time that keeps moving them forward.The movie is about love, human frailty and the understanding borne of both that brings home the point that it is never too late to start a conversation that is long overdue. It's about seeing the world through someone else's eyes, sharing experiences and knowledge that would otherwise be lost and accepting that while you can never go back in time, you can cherish the memories you made while doing the best you could in the moment.I love this movie and I would never consider my movie collection complete without it.

Der größte Erfolg für Regisseur Mark Rydell (Die Cowboys, The Rose, Der Gauner, Menschen am Fluß) war der 1981 gedrehte Film "Am goldenen See", der ein enormer Publikumserfolg mit einem Umsatz von 119,3 Millionen Dollar und damit der zweitumsatzstärkste Kinofilm des Jahres 1981 wurde. Damit spielte er in den USA mehr Geld ein als die üblichen Blockbuster "Superman II", "Cannonball Run" oder "For your eyes only". Lediglich Steven Spielbergs "Jäger des verlorenen Schatzes" war nicht einholbar.Obwohl die Verfilmung gerade auch durch die idyllische Location am See wirkt, entstand Rydells film nach einem Theaterstück von Ernest Thompson. Der Autor schrieb auch das Drehbuch zum Film.Die Hauptattraktion ist aber die Besetzung mit den Altstars Henry Fonda und Katharine Hepburn.Es war Fondas ebenso berühmte Tochter Jane, die unbedingt wollte, dass der Vater die Rolle des grießgrämigen, emeritierenden Universitätsprofessor Norman Thayer jr. spielt - ausserdem war es ihr Wunsch einmal gemeinsam in einem Film mit dem Vater aufzutreten.Die Vater-Tochter-Beziehung, die auf der Leinwand dargestellt wurde, entsprach weitgehend der Beziehung zwischen den beiden Fondas im wirklichen Leben.Traditionell verbringt das betagte Ehepaar Ethel (Katharine Hepburn) und Norman Thayer (Henry Fonda) ihren Sommer in ihrem Ferienhaus am Golden Pound See im Norden von New England. Ethel bemerkt bei der Ankunft, dass die Seetaucher auf dem See rufen, um die beiden willkommen zu heißen, doch Norman behauptet stur, dass er nichts hört. Norman wird bald 80 Jahre und er hat teilweise starke Probleme mit seinem Gedächtnis, er versucht diese Schwachstellen aber zu verbergen und spricht viel über das Älterwerden und den Tod, der immer näher kommt. Seinen Mitmenschen gegenüber verhält er sich meistens eher schroff, es ist aber eher so, dass er sich selbst vor Verletzungen damit schützen möchte.Etwas Abwechsung sorgt Charlie (Martin Lanteau), der die Post mit seinem Boot zu den Empfängern bringt. Ein Brief ist von Tochter Chelsea (Jane Fonda), die sich nur noch selten bei den Eltern meldet. Sie und ihr Vater sind sich fremd. Chelsea kündigt ihren Besuch mit ihrem neuen Verlobten Dr. Billy Ray (Dabney Coleman) an, der Zahnarzt ist. Auch dessen pubertierender Sohn Billy Ray jr. (Doug McKeon) kommt mit.Vor ihrer Abreise in den Urlaub nach Europa bitten Chelsea und Bill die Thayers, Billy einen Monat lang bei sich wohnen zu lassen, damit sie etwas Zeit für sich haben. Norman, der aufgrund seines 80. Geburtstags und seines Herzklopfens noch seniler und zynischer als sonst wirkt, stimmt Billys Aufenthalt zu.Billy ist zunächst sauer darüber, dass er mit älteren Fremden allein gelassen wird, die keine Freunde in der Nähe haben. Er nervt sich auch über Normans schroffe Art, aber schließlich findet er Gefallen an den gemeinsamen Angelabenteuern am Golden Pond. Billy beginnt auch, in der Hütte gerne Bücher zu lesen, die der Grießgram ihm empfohlen hat..."On golden Pond" - so der Originaltitel - ist natürlich ein Wohlfühlfilm, der ein gutes und warmes Gefühl hinterlässt.Die Annäherung des mürrischen Alten mit einem aufmüpfigen Jungen ist richtig was fürs Herz.Natürlich ist ein bisschen Kitsch mit dabei, aber durch die hervorragenden Schauspielerleistungen wird diese kleine Schwachstelle im Nu wieder wettgemacht. Der Film war auch neben "Stunde des Siegers" und "Jäger des verlorenen Schatzes" einer der Gewinner der Oscarverleihung 1982. In den Kategorien bester Film, Beste Regie Mark Rydell, beste Kamera, bester Schnitt, beste Nebendarstellerin Jane Fonda und bester Ton blieb es bei einer Nominierung. In den Kategorien der besten Schauspieler fegten die Altstars Henry Fonda und Katharine Hepburn die Konkurrenz weg und gewannen den Oscar. Auch der Autor Thompson konnte den Preis für das beste adaptierte Drehbuch entgegennehmen. Zu Recht - denn die Dialoge sind hervorragend. Es war die letzte Filmrolle des bereits erkrankten Henry Fonda.

I recently saw an very good amateur version of this play and was so touched by the story I had to buy the original DVD (also a copy for the friend who took me to the play). In spite of knowing the story I was still deeply touched by the relationships portrayed and yet again ended up in tears (I do not normally cry at films). The fear and confusion as well as more tender moments are seen in the elderly couple and are so beautifully portrayed by the clever scripting and brilliant actors. I loved the setting of the story and some very picturesque scenery. The humour, nostalgia, confusion and stubbornness are all intermingled so it never becomes too heavy. As someone who does not normally enjoy romantic or overly deep stories in films I still found this a very touching yet enjoyable film to watch.

Bought it for my mum thought it was great

Ein unfassbar guter Film! Der einzige, in dem Vater und Tochter Fonda zusammen spielten, außerdem Henrys letzter. Sanft, herzlich, nicht immer friedvoll, aber immer voller Respekt und…ja, später wird‘s deutlich, Liebe. Ein Film zum Freuen und Mitfühlen, ein Film für ein Päckchen Papiertaschentücher. Einfach wunderbar!!!

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