On Golden Pond

Mark Rydell, 1981 (8.4*)
A beautifully acted, slow-paced, adult family film about an elderly dad's attempt to come to terms with his estranged daughter while he still has a chance. Henry Fonda turned in the performance of his career, and was rewarded with his only Oscar® for acting. Daughter Jane Fonda was a supporting nominee in a role that she said was very hard to face day in and day out, as it was too close to reality for comfort. One can only imagine what Henry thought of his 'commie hippie' kids, who made drug (The Trip, Easy Rider) and soft core porn films (Barbarella, The Game Is Over) when young.

Katherine Hepburn got her record fourth Oscar® for her performance of Fonda's wife, in one of her best performances as well; she's credible and touching without over-sentimentality. In fact, more modern dialogue injects plenty of humor (and "face sucking") into what could have been a dreary play on the end of life, of love lost and love maintained.

Note: Henry was too ailing and near death to accept his Oscar®, so Jane did and gave one of the most touching speeches in academy history.