I thought I had seen this film at one time or another, but when I sat down to watch this film with my parents, wife, aunt(who requested to watch it) and uncle, I realized that I had never seen this film until now. Fonda & Hepburn give wonderful performances in this very real sometimes funny and sometimes heartbreaking film.

I found this film very moving, as my parents and aunt and uncle are getting into their 80's with my dad, who will be 82 in Novenber. It's a great tribute to two great actors and to the story of the inevitability of getting old......you have to keep on going, until you can't go any more! Some of the dialogue seems a little corny and forced, but it's really not enough to tarnish such a good movie! The film also deals with different relationships in this family and having real life daughter Jane Fonda cast as the daughter of her father's character in the film adds to the realism. The DVD transfer is very good and there are some worthwhile extras including a making off the film, Kathern Hepburn bio and commentary.

FOR NORMAN AND ETHEL THAYER,THIS SUMMER
ON GOLDEN POND IS FILLED WITH CONFLICT
AND RESOLUTION.

WHEN THEIR DAUGHTER ARRIVES,
THE FAMILY IS FORCED TO RENEW THE BONDS
OF LOVE AND OVERCOME THE GENERATIONAL
FRICTION THAT HAS EXISTED FOR YEARS.

NORMAN MUST FIND A WAY TO OVERCOME
HIS FEAR OF DYING.WHILE CHELSEA TRYS
TO BOND WITH HER FATHER TO REBUILD
THEIR RELATIONSHIP.

THIS IS A MUST OWN FILM.

On Golden Pond is a sentimental favorite for me. Henry Fonda and Jane Fonda are just heartbreaking together, you could feel the tension and sadness in their peformances. Katharine Hepburn is a gem as well, I really like her in this film, her vulnerable side is her ace in the hole. This film won best picture and Henry Fonda received his first Oscar shortly before he passed away. On Golden Pond shall move you to tears, get the tissues ready!

Now this movie was well worth buying not only was it funny but sent a very warm message to any mothers heart.

One of the best movies of all times. Everyone needs to see, its great and so realistic.

Fonda and Hepburn won Oscars for this movie. This film gave Fonda his only Best Actor Oscar. It is a great story about an old couple who are take care of a teenager while their daughter goes on vacation with the boy's father. The acting is phenomenal, superb, excellent and every other synonym. One should play close attention to the relationship on camera between the characters of Jane (who plays the daughter) and Henry Fonda. Jane Fonda actually bought the rights of the movie so that her father could play the lead. Jane has said that this film help resolve many issues between father and daughter. This movie also marks the first time Hepburn and Henry Fonda worked together. During the movie he wears a hat which belonged to Spencer Tracy. Hepburn did all her won stunts, including the diving into the cold water (she was an adept swimmer). The movie is just great, it is very well acted, it has an amazing story and it is a classic.

This movie is a great movie of how love can last into your older years of life.
This movie reminds me of going to my Grand Parents house in the summer, we would go fishing & water skiing all day.
When we got home we would clean the fish we caught.
This movie reminds me of how my grand parents loved each other.
I have fond memories of my grand parents even if their not with us now.
Just cause your not young any more doesn't mean your dead.
Always remember that the older folks in your life, is your window
to the past.
I rate this DVD a 9 from 1to10!! A MUST SEE!!

I have always enjoyed a good homely movie and this one has always stood out with me.
Both Katharine Hepburn and Henry Fonda shine in this movie, Katharine been the happy go lucky wife who makes it so clear how much she enjoys life and cares for her husband.
Henry Fonda plays the part of a bitter person having trouble excepting old age with a very funny side to everything he says, I particularly love the scene towards the end of the movie when Henry has what is a very bad angina pain and he falls down and Katharine thinks he has died and he comes to and Katharine tells him this, and Henry Fonda's reply is, How did I look, that really cracked me up, its a great movie and one I would recommend to the whole family.

This gag worthy and highly artificial concoction throws in every late twentieth century cliché on cross generational bonding: a tremulous geriatric couple who appear to have been loaned by the "Carol Burnett Show", (remember when Carol and Harvey Korman did the elderly couple--and he grabbed her by the leg?)which is to say, they are as bristly and acerbic as a hairbrush in their testy public exchanges, but in their tender moments, they just brim with tearful, "genuine" reminiscent emotions.

In other words, it traffics in the type of Jimmy Carter era "authenticity" that consists in and of overalls, flapjacks, and maple syrup. One keeps expecting Will Geer to appear.

And who better to interpret this type of thing, than the dessicated "Hank" Fonda and Kate Hepburn, both of whom had long since discarded their by now forgotten, (but oh how much more appealing!) suaver selves in the more moth eaten environs of the RKO prop department.

Visually the film is suffused with Vermont travelogue optics--stereotypical slanting sunbeams on the lake ad nauseam, and it must be added, to the point that the whole thing looks like a very extended margarine commercial.

The script follows suit--for amidst the unbearable schmatlz, it takes pains to contain all the Norman Learish style "hep" touches--scatological humor, profanities, etc. (after all, lest we forget, Jane Fonda is in this too) meant to assure the audience that, we are dealing with "real" people, that this is in fact the late 20th century, and Ozzie and Harriet don't live here any more. Thus we are treated to such endearing witticisms as "let's suck face!". And yes it really is that embarrasing.

In short, it has all the sham sincerity of a Hallmark greeting card for an Octagenerian. You know the type--with the oaken bucket and the black eyed Susan peeping out?

Diabetics are herewith advised to avoid.

Those seeking a better take on these basic themes are herewith directed to: "I Never Sang for My Father" or "The Whales of August."

I'm spending the summer in New Hampshire, not far from where this movie was filmed. Seeing the gorgeous scenery throughout the film was a real treat and the performances by Henry Fonda, Katherine Hepburn and Jane Fonda... really special.
Jane Fonda never felt she had her father's approval (Henry Fonda) and Katherine Hepburn tries to bring them together during this summer on the lake in NH. Hepburn worries about her husband's memory lapses and his focus on the end of life. The return of the loons to the lake each summer parallels this elderly couple's return to their lake cottage.
Henry Fonda finds new interest in life teaching his daughter's soon-to-be stepson how to fish and boat on the lake while she is in Europe with the 13 year old boy's father.
The complex relationships, the beauty of a NH lake summer, and the great acting by all makes this a film that doesn't age.

If anyone ever tells you, you are too old to do great things, this movie will make you think twice about that statement. Both Henry Fonda and Kathryn Hepburn do a great performance in this film. There really is no real plot to this film per say, unless you call living to 80 or 70 years old a great achievement, which I do; now being 50 myself. When you look at most grave stones in a cemetary, most don't live to be 40 years old and those that die young are cremated, never telling how they came to an early end in their life.

However, one underlining message flies home from the get go with this film; you are never too old to live life and enjoy it. It also will cause the young to think what might lie ahead of them in their golden years, should they live to be so old. I especially enjoyed the presence of Doug McKeon, who plays the "grandson" in the story named Billy Ray, Jr.. This kid's got a great personality he brings into this role and also brings a great deal of warmth between himself and Henry Fonda's character, Norman Thayer, where we see the very old looking at the very young; an age old contrast. The boy certainly thinks his elder counter part is not too old to do young things, which makes for great character interaction in the film.

The story studies the interaction of a rather dysfunctional family, with ample room for character development and revelation, which it does. There are many humorous moments and tear jerking moments, as well through it all.

So if you want a quiet evening with a story that will give you nothing but good dreams after you watch it, this one will do it for you. Great for the whole family to watch.

The video was perfect...actually improved visually from original movie. Product arrived as promised...Met expectations.

A keeper. Buy it. Make your kids and grandchildren watch it.

As I near 70 years of age, I did not like to see Henry
Fonda do this role. I prefer to remember Fonda as Tom Joad in The Grapes of Wrath, The Ox-Bow Incident, Twelve Angry Men, Fort Apache or any of his marrvelous performances. Yes, we all grow old and die.The one redeeming feature of this film is that Jane Fonda at that time still had a great body. As for Hepburn, she was all right. Unfortunately, she nagged Spencer Tracy to also appear in his last movie, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? At the time that movie came out, Mort Sahl made the comment, "What would have happened if she asked Stokley Carmichael to dinner?" Sorry for getting onto the wrong film, but while I am at it, I thought the latest Titanic, with its multimillion dollar budget was bested by a 1950's version made in England with a budget of about $52. The love story between Leonardo and his twist could have taken place on a bait boat in San Pedro.

My parents are in their 80's and asked for a copy of this. They're both facing life threatening illnesses, and they loved seeing a movie about people who had been together as long as they had. It's a wonderful portrayal of love and the ravages of age.

Digital viewing of a great movie was added to my library.

I could watch this movie a million times over. I love it!

What a splendid adaptation of a stage play into a movie! Despite the age of the movie, it still holds relevant to relationships among family members. Jane Fonda's character has a huge chip on her shoulder because no matter what she does, in her mind, she's never good enough for her overbearing father. The fact of the matter is that her father (plays brilliantly by her real life father, Henry Fonda) simply doesn't know how to express his emotion and yet, he's doing the best that he can. Then, there's the mother (vintage Hepburn) who's both loving to the daughter and supportive of the husband. Whilst the old couple is camping on Golden Pond, Jane's character brings along her soon-to-be-wed boyfriend and his delinquent son. It's the time spent between Jane's father and that boy that the story unravels of the true feelings that the father has for his daughter which he has repressed over the years. In the end, everything comes together & the family reconciles. A tour-de-force by two of the screen's legends, effortless & yet captivating at the same time. An unmissable experience.

Accurate description of sale item at a competitive price regarding our exchange rate. Excellent service with no hassles and a very good selection of titles.It works very well which is why I use it.The particular story is played very well by Catherine Hepburn,Henry Fonda and his daughter Jane.

ON GOLDEN POND may be twenty-five years old but the film is of such high quality that it has retained the luminous quality that garnered so many awards when released. It not only has a fine script adapted by the playwright Ernest Thompson from his own play, but it benefits from the sensitive direction by Mark Rydell and a cast of superb actors.

The story is rather simple: Ethel (Katherine Hepburn) and Norman (Henry Fonda) Thayer have returned to their summer home beside Golden Pond and while they are elderly, their lives are still significant. They receive a rare visit from their distant daughter Chelsea (Jane Fonda) who stops by with her current boyfriend Bill (Dabney Coleman) to drop off Bill's ruffian teenage son Billy (Doug McKeon) to reluctantly stay with them while Chelsea and Bill are off to Europe. It is a battle of age differences: Billy sees no future in starting a relationship with the old turkeys and Norman is resentful at the youth's attitude (Ethel is the wise mediator). Slowly but surely the three bond, age differences diminish as negatives and Billy sees Norman as a wise teacher he has never had. Chelsea returns at summer's end with her now husband Bill and faces confrontation with Norman for never being the father she needed: Chelsea knows Norman has spent his life rejecting her because she was not the 'son' he wanted! Finally the family reconciles past differences and Ethel and Thayer face their aging and its effects as they listen to the loons on the lake.

Hepburn, both Fondas, Coleman and McKeon give outstanding performances, but it is the knowledge that this was H. Fonda's last film and for all intents and purposes Hepburn's last film AND the only time the Fonda father/daughter team acted together on the screen that makes the film even more meaningful. The awards were many and well deserved, not only for the picture, but also for the actors and the production crew. It is a shining example of Hollywood films rising to the standards of Indy movies that makes it such a treat. Grady Harp, August 06

in the tradition of "i laughed, i cried" movies, On Golden Pond is definently at the top of that list. combining smart dialouge, a lovely story, and two of the screens best actors you got a formula for success. Henry Fonda and Katharine Hepburn play two elderly people who go up to there cottage on Golden Pond to spend a summer. over the course of that trip, they befriend a lonely boy, evaluate there lives, and forge a relationship with there daughter (Jane Fonda). all the performers are great but the two standouts are Fonda and Hepburn. each one plays a foil to another, Fonda as Norman, is a crochity, wise cracking, disputible old man whil Hepburn as Ethel is a gentle, loving, all around caring person who acts as the peacemaker. when there both on screen, they are dynamite and both richley deserved those oscars. also, when both Fonda's are on screen they each show that no mater what they both love each other. a truley great film that will just leave you feeling great, On Golden Pond is recomended for anyone who loves movies.

I just went through all the reviews put in here for this marvelous story. We are presently celebrating the 25th anniversary of the making of this film on Big Squam Lake in NH, and still are impacted by this production. We remember much, and know the film represents so many of the older people who have to come to this beloved lake for generations. The tensions expressed in the film between Hank Fonda and his daughter are so typical of the inter-generational differences the USA is experiencing, and some of the lightweight, yuppie comments about this work printed here indicate that, too. I know many people on the lake who are so like this aging couple, and I always love to see the film represent those realities I have encountered. This NH lake works fine for raising young children, just like it did for the lad in the film, and folks on Squam intend to "keep it like it WAS" for those reasons. We pray that younger adult, excessively affluent types with nothing between their ears continue to stay away....... You can believe this film production crew found the right New England lake to create this masterpiece! We so love it here.

Fine movie, well presented on DVD. I happen to live on Golden Pond and can relate to all the scenery which is typical Lakes region New Hampshire, and of course the acting is excellent. A fine addition to my library.

Henry & Jane finally became Dad & Daughter just in time, as a few months later, Henry passed away. I can relate as I was an only daughter & felt like MY Pop wanted a boy. Never the less,
Kate Hepburn is wonderful as Ethyl Thayer("sounds like I'm lisping!") Do NOT watch it on regular TV as they edit the best stuff. A coming of age for ALL ages!

THE ACTORS EPITOMIZE THE AGING PROCESS WITH THEIR ANTEDOTES , TRUE AND IMAGEINED, WHICH IS STILL TRUE TO SOME. IT SHOWS US WE CAN FIGHT IT TO THE BITTER END OR COPE AND LET IT GO. THE SIDE STORY OF HAVING A REASON TO GO ON AND EVEN SHINE IS TOLD WITH THE YOUNG BOY AND HIS NEEDS UNMET BY HIS FATHER. FILLED FOR JUST A FEW WEEKS BY AGING FRIENDS IS AN EXAMPLE OF CARING FOR EACH OTHER.

The rumors about Ben Affleck and Matt Damon starring in a remake of "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid"* got me thinking:

*(I can't believe what a marvelous idea that is, by the way. For one thing, they have REAL chemistry -- not pretend chemistry like Paul Newman and Robert Redford. And what's with Redford naming everything of his "Sundance"??? Get over it -- it was forty years ago!!!)

What other so-called "classics" can be improved with modern filmmaking styles?

- "Jaws": obviously, CGI effects would allow you to see the shark all the time, which would be TONS scarier.

- "Star Wars": George Lucas constantly changes them anyway, so why not start over completely on the old ones? Not only could Jimmy Smits play a larger role in the "Episode IV: A New Hope" like he's supposed to, but you could cast Paul Walker as Luke Skywalker, Tara Reid for Princess Leia, Ashton Kutcher to play Han Solo, and Michael Clarke Duncan as Chewie. Plus, Jar-Jar could make a cameo appearance to delight the fans!

- "To Kill a Mockingbird": Is there a better person to play Atticus Finch than affable George Clooney? I think not. Nor could anybody be more suited for the role of Scout than the always-adorable Dakota Fanning. And Chris Tucker was born to play the black dude accused of assaulting a redneck lady. Plus, the ending could be redone so that Boo Radley turns out to be, like, a ninja or something, hiding in the house all the time because he's a government assassin. He uses Keyhole Spy Satellite technology to find out the kids are in trouble.

- "Lawrence of Arabia": Considering the current geopolitical climate, it should be retitled as "Lawrence of A Future U.S. Territory" and star somebody more masculine than Peter O'Toole. The Rock, for example. (Although they both have manly, phallic names.)

- "Sabrina": the first two tries didn't cut it. This time, have Pixar take a crack at it.

- "On Golden Pond"? One word: nudity.

Obviously, my future as a studio-executive is bright.

I recently saw this film for the first time. I had continually refused to watch it because of Katharine Hepburn. But curiousity made me want to see both her and Henry Fonda's Oscar Winning Performances. Beautifully photographed with a haunting musical score this film scores on most counts, primarily because of Henry Fonda's outstanding Oscar Winning performance. He makes this film! Katharine Hepburn's role is secondary to his and her nervous twitching (NO SHE DID NOT HAVE PARKINSON'S DISEASE)and patrician mannerisms are a distraction. I know Jane Fonda held out for her to do the part but it is known for a fact that Barbara Stanwyck campaigned very hard to get it. No doubt, if Stanwyck had played it, she and Henry Fonda would have been reunited after forty years (they had made three films together in the past namely, "The Mad Miss Manton" (1938), "You Belong to Me" (1941) and their masterpiece "The Lady Eve"). Mr. Fonda always said that Stanwyck was his favorite leading lady it is with wistfulness that I wish she had played Ethel Thayer instead of Hepburn. No doubt she would have gotten her long overdue Oscar as well! Jane Fonda should have realized that "real movie magic" would have been made had Stanwyck gotten the role of Ethel Thayer. This won't be one of my favorite films (mainly because of Hepburn) but it has its merits namely the conflict between father and daughter (Fonda and Fonda), a fantastic performance by Timothy McKeon, the bratty 13 year old who comes to be the son Norman Thayer (Fonda) never had. What a tremendous chemistry between the two of them. While there is chemistry between Hepburn and Fonda, this film would have been a thousand times better with Stanwyck and Fonda.

On Golden Pond was Henry Fonda's last film, Katherine Hepburn's final starring film role and the only film with Henry and Jane Fonda. Just for this it's a must have DVD. Add to this Ernest Thompson's brilliant adaptation of his Broadway smash.

Norman and Ethel Thayer (Hank and Kate) are at the end of their lives (Great line: Ethel: "I met this nice middle age couple just like us." Norman: "Ethel we're not middle aged. Middle aged refers to the middle third of your life. You're old, I'm ancient."). They are spending their summer at their cabin. When their daughter Chelsea (Jane Fonda) arrives for a visit with her new boyfriend (Dabney Coleman), she springs a surprise on them. She wants Norman and Ethel to take care of Bill, jr. while she and Bill, sr. go to Europe.

At first, things don't go well but Norman bonds with Billy and Billy gives Norman a new focus on life. When Chelsea returns, it's time for her and Norman to mend fences.

This is a fine film that examines relationships at the end of life and mending the broken fences. Many say that Fonda won the Oscar for "Lifetime Achievement" but this is a brilliant performance. Hepburn was a perfect match for Fonda and after six decades, she proved why she is considered the greatest actress of all time. You can tell that this was a film of love for Jane as she absorbs every line and every scene.

This is one of the great films of the 80's.

DVD EXTRAS:
Reflections on Golden Pond - A 30 minute feature on the making of the film and principally on cinematographer Billy Williams. A very good documentary.

Katherine Hepburn Remembered - A 16 minute tribute to the great actress made shortly after her death for this DVD release.

Commentary Tract by Oscar winner Ernest Thompson

Archival Commentary Tract by Director Mark Rydell

It is said that the swan sings only once in its life. A beautiful, first and last chant. Through ages swans have been considered the icon of the eternal faithfulness. Surely this comparison should be with loons, but I am afraid I prefer swans.
Norman and Ethel Thayer are facing the end of their lives together. Norman is a man who sees how bitter and cruel time and agen can be with a man. And he cannot cope with that. Ethel is the other side of the coin, always trying to enjoy what life can give to her. Getting old is not easy, specially today when it is seen almost like a vice in a society that only asumes that youth and beauty are worth . The film deals with all the aspects in life we have to face while getting older, or better, when we know there is not much time left. Like Norman has to deal with the fact that his head is not as brilliant as it used to be,. While Ethel wants to keep by her side the man she loves. Or Chelsea their daughter trying to say goodbye to a man she had never understood.
This film has this crepuscular aspect that makes it beautiful and sad at the same time. It gives us the last performance on the big screen of Henry Fonda. And whjat an end!. He is a real man. Sometimes we like him and sometimes we not. He can be tender, and bitter and a real son of....but he is real. I think that the best praise we can make to this film is that it shows that we are always the same no matter how old we are. Our spirits are the same, it is only that our bodies are not. Norman fights against that while Ethel accepts it . A memorable group of actors giving us wonderful performances.

On Golden Pond is a really good movie, it is mostly a drama though has some funny moments too especially the comments that Henry Fonda's grumpy character makes. Besides the plot, the the outdoor scenes on the lake are really beautiful and the movie also has wonderful music and I highly recommend this movie!

On Golden Pond is a really good movie, it is mostly a drama though has some funny moments too especially the comments that Henry Fonda's grumpy character makes. Besides the plot, the the outdoor scenes on the lake are really beautiful and the movie also has wonderful music and I highly recommend this movie!

When this movie came out, it made an impressive showing at the Academy Awards and immediately passed into the stuff of Hollywood legend and cinematic history. I only just saw it again recently for the first time in over 30 years, so I thought I make a few brief comments.

I was only 27 when it first debuted, and couldn't recall another movie that seemed to resonate so much with the people of both my and my parents' generation. But it's not hard to see why. Despite both looking somewhat frail, Fonda and Hepburn turn in stellar performances--for Fonda his last and one of Hepburn's also. But for Fonda it was a truly great swan song.

As the crusty, 80-year old, retired professor, Fonda lashes out at the people, things, and events around him, not so much from meanness so much as just to see if anyone will pay any attention to his old lion's roar anymore, as he tries to come to grips with old baggage from his relationship with his daughter, and with the new relationship with the boy who is left with Fonda and Hepburn for a month.

Overall this is a great movie starring two of the old greats and icons from the Golden Age of Hollywood Cinema. Both Fonda and Hepburn are gone now, but they'll always be remembered for their roles in this movie as well as their other work.

Not only is this a beautifully photographed and acted film, but has one of the most gorgeous soundtracks ever. WHY ISN'T THERE A CD OF THE SOUNDTRACK??? I had the old LP from years ago, but hey, let's do the music right by a CD of the music!

wonderfully funny, beautifully scripted, marvelously well acted, this moving and perfectly crafted film is... well......just about perfect is every way. A complete delight from start to finish. This film is a much loved old friend and I adore to get together every now and then and find the relationship just as rewarding and just as fresh as the first time we met.

Henry Fonda and Katherine Hepburn star in this wonderfully poignant and moving comedy/drama as an old married couple, spending the summer at their cottage on a New Hampshire lake. Daughter Chelsea (played by Jane Fonda), who has not gotten along with her father over the years (true in real life as well as in the movie), leaves her 13-year-old son Billy (Doug McKeon), with them before going to Europe for a month with her fiance. Henry Fonda and Billy, over time, become good friends. Fonda is just terrific as the cantankerous father figure, angry at getting old, and Kate is great, too, as his life-long companion. The movie is funny and touching throughout. Fonda got his only Oscar for this - and died 8 months later. Definitely worth a watch.