As you probably already know, 'On Golden Pond' has Norman (Fonda) dealing with his fatality in a rural setting, along with his feisty wife Ethel (Hepburn). Like the Walden Pond of which the title is a pun, it is a setting encouraging thought and reflection. What I didn't expect going into it was just how funny it is. Some genuine laugh out loud moments. Katharine Hepburn and Fonda have almost the type of witty repartee made legendary by the Hepburn/Tracy movies. Her acting style, while less mannered than, say Hepburn, is just not as entertaining and compares unfavourably. I think Hepburn is the highlight here, giving such an energetic and exuberant performance as Ethel, certainly one of her best. Its a shame that she doesn't seem to realise her own fatality until the later stages of the movie because it would have been interesting to see how the character would reconcile certainty of death with her happiness. I like Jane Fonda as an actress, but her presence here slows things down. Its a difficult position to be in because the father/daughter relationship is a crucial one in the movie. Sometimes it strays towards the melodrama with lush strings music in the background. Its not necessarily a bad thing but just be forewarned that rather than a serious meditation on life and death, its strictly Hollywood's take on it where everything is happily resolved by the conclusion. If you want something more meaty about this subject try Bergman's 'Wild Strawberries' or Woody Allen's 'Another Woman'.
Review of On Golden Pond
