On golden pond is a study of aging, making peace with your past. Synopsis cantankerous retiree norman thayer henry fonda and his conciliatory wife, ethel katharine hepburn, spend summers at their new england vacation home on the shores of idyllic golden pond. If you like on golden pond you are looking for touching, emotional and realistic movies about with elderly, alienation, reconciliation, lake, family relations, aging and. Malones class, each of the main characters can be placed within a stage and their agerelated crises analyzed. On golden pond 1981 rotten tomatoes movie trailers. On golden pond is a study of aging, making peace with your past, and love. Ernest thompsons on golden pond berkshire fine arts.
This study guide consists of approximately 62 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of on golden pond. Utilizing erik eriksons psychosocial stages as learned in dr. For example, one could compare the difference between elderly ethel and middle aged chelsea. Watch on golden pond online stream full movie directv. Ericksons 8th stage of life is a complex and reflective reassessment on ones life where the individual must face many losses such as friends and relatives, often the elderly are forced out of their homes and lose control of their own lives. Demographic statistics certainly suggest otherwise. On golden pond is a 2001 american television adaptation of the play starring julie andrews and christopher plummer. Fonda at his peak in on golden pond the new york times. Retired couple ethel and norman thayer are spending their 48th summer at their vacation home on golden pond, in the woods of maine.
The use of nature in this film reinforces our sense of the main characters privileged status. On golden pond is a treasure for many reasons, but the best one, i think, is that i could believe it. Review oregonian the plot focuses on couple aging fonda on characters her. The movie originally aired on cbs on april 29, 2001 and was promoted as a live. Hall covers the basics of characterization, plot development, setting, and other. Each character is clearly in a different stage of development, and has clearly not completed a certain stage of development. Movie analysis paper on golden pond 2 on golden pond is a touching story of one mans struggle with old age, dementia, and relationships with people around him.
The story of on golden pond begins with the arrival of an old, longmarried couple henry fonda and katharine hepburn at the lakeside cottage where they have summered for many years. The main character has objectives he must overcome or take for the story to continue, and after he triumphs, the outlook of the story is changed. Henry fonda, in his last role, plays a prickly english professor at the disagreeable age of 80. He is a 79yearold retired professor who still enjoys perusing the classified ads in the newspaper and joshing his wife about getting a new job.
The three objectives or symbols that change normans view are the framed picture, normans world view at the start of the movie is narrow and in the past. Our staff will be more than happy to let you know the other ways you can make on golden pond part of a memorable trip to squam lake and the new hampshire lakes region. On golden pond is a classic american comedic drama thats every bit as touching, warm, and witty today as when it debuted off broadway in 1978. The waters lovely loons and fish become the admirable objects around.
Reflections on the movie on golden pond and chapters 2,4. The story is set in the 1970s on golden pond in new england. Their daughter chelsea jane fonda, who is somewhat estranged from her crusty father, comes for her fathers birthday party. Rydells direction, which, when in doubt, cuts to lyrical. The main character, norman, has a daughter who visits him on his birthday, bringing her boyfriend and son billy, who stays with the couple for the summer. This set of lesson plans consists of approximately 145 pages of tests, essay questions, lessons, and other teaching materials.
On golden pond opens in may with norman and ethel thayer. Writer ernest thompson, who came up with the original stage play of on golden pond and adapted it for film, is lucky to have two giants of the screen give dignity and breadth to his sometimes trite dialogue. On golden pond is a rare and beautiful movie, radiating with humanity. I could believe in its major characters and their relationships. To summarize, the movie on golden pond presents a couple who spends the summer at their house in golden pond located in new england. On golden pond is a 1981 american drama film directed by mark rydell. The screenplay by ernest thompson was adapted from his 1979 play of the same name. Hopefully, at least making on golden pond together helped to mend any real life fences between the two fondas. Words 800 on golden pond contains the theme of aging as can be seen as early on in the act 1 scene 1 with setting instructions concerning props and the description of the house the play takes place in.
Literary analysis of on golden pond by ernest thompson. On golden pond arts council of the twin counties youtube. Reviewers say that the setting of this movie is basically another character. Watch on golden pond starring katharine hepburn in this drama on directv. On golden pond struck a meaningful chord with viewers over 30 years ago. Parents should also know that the grandpa character. Learning transfer chapters 2, 4, and 5 on golden pond 1982 is a looking glass into the aging process. Normans interpersonal communication in the movie, on. Filled with humor and pathos, on golden pond focuses on aging couple ethel and norman thayer, who spend each summer at their home on a lake called golden pond. Women, on the contrary, sought only perfect, static moments. On golden pond offers students a chance to engage in character analysis and to explore mood and tone by analyzing the significance of setting. She stands as his fence in the real, potentially hostile world. Students will watch a movie related to family communication and analyze it using material and concepts from class. Norman thayer, jr nearing his eightieth birthday, norman is flirting with senility and is aware of it enough to use it to his advantage, usually in a humorous way.
The main character of the movie, norman, provides for a multifaceted study in. Norman is doing his best to see that the phone is in working order, while ethel, who has been gathering firewood, is excited at. At golden pond, he and his wife nevertheless agree to care for billy, the son of chelseas new boyfriend, and a most unexpected relationship blooms. After reading the play, watch the 1981 movie adaptation of on golden pond. Normans interpersonal communication in the movie, on golden pond example the movie on golden pond is a fantastic vehicle with which to consider six facets of interpersonal communication. On golden pond summary supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. He is a retired professor, nearing eighty, with heart palpitations and a failing memory but still as tarttongued, observant and eager for life as ever.
On golden pond the movie on golden pond is set on golden pond, which shows how important the setting is. This year, their adult daughter, chelsea jane fonda, visits with her new fiancee and his teenage son, billy doug mckeon on their way to europe. On golden plot pond summary, golden context analysis, lakewood on golden pond. On golden pond essay example topics, sample papers. I really like jane fonda in some of her roles, but this particular character hasnt much depth and is little asset to the movie. After viewing one of the film options ordinary people, on golden pond, whats eating gilbert grape. On golden pond on golden pond developmental essays by. The films narrative revolves around an aged couple, cantankerous retiree norman thayer and his conciliatory wife ethel, who spend summers at their new england vacation home on the shores of idyllic golden pond. The film stars katharine hepburn and henry fonda in his final acting performance in the lead roles along with jane fonda, doug mckeon, dabney coleman and william lanteau appearing in. On golden pond norman and ethel thayer have recently returned to spend their fortyeighth summer at their vacation home on golden pond in maine. Youre going to get back on that horse, and im going to be right behind you. He is the mailman for golden pond, having taken over those duties from his. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. He is a retired professor, nearing eighty, with heart palpitations and a failing memorybut still as tarttongued, observant and eager for life as ever.
Parents need to know that this movies insights into family and aging may be too mature for young viewers, but they will enjoy the warm relationship between the rebellious boy and the grumpy grandpa. Join the stageagent community to read our character analysis for ethel thayer and unlock other amazing theatre resources. On golden pond premium essay help premium essay help. By age 40, she should have done so and become a genuine support to these elderly parents of hers. Physical changes, cognitive abilities, and social roles are evidenced in this. Plot summary an aging retired teacher and his wife, ethel katherine hepburn and norman thayer henry fonda, spend summers at their cabin on a lake called golden pond. Norman thayer, jr nearing his eightieth birthday, norman is flirting with senility and is aware of it enough to use it to his. Norman henry fonda and ethel katharine hepburn thayer have been coming to their cottage on golden pond for almost fifty years. He is a curmudgeon, as he feels his age entitles him to be.
A 2006 live television movie was produced by cbs starring christopher. Was the directors vision of the play the same as yours, or did you picture some of the scenes and characters differently. Growing up, he saw chelsea as a pretty, mysterious city girl, and he was fascinated with her. Charlie is a local man who has known the thayers most of his life. She acts as his mouthpiece, his oral historian, so to speak. This summary of on golden pond includes a complete plot overview spoilers. A look at the reallife cabin where they filmed the movie on golden pond with henry fonda and katharine hepburn, which is a vacation rental today. Henry fonda has become completely dependent upon hepburn. Its available to watch on tv, online, tablets, phone.
Fonda is very funny, nonchalant and tough in ways that deny the essential gooiness of the material, and of mr. The plot focuses on aging couple ethel and norman thayer, who spend each summer at their home on a lake called golden pond. I could believe in its major characters and their relationships, and in the. Out of time, a 2000 television movie, was cowritten and directed by thompson. Ernest thompson has adroitly adapted his successful play to the screen, adding pictorial scope without sacrificing the human. He is working on a sequel to on golden pond, but he does have concerns that the movie may not be able to be shot in the granite state because new hampshire doesnt have a tax incentive for. This year, their adult daughter, chelsea, visits with her new fiance and his teenage son, billy, on their way to europe. Great to see the two fondas together and i just loved hepburn. Character description, analysis and casting breakdown for ethel thayer from on golden pond. In on golden pond, however, only older women have the dignity befitting women.
He is close in age to chelsea, and has always liked her. As they are uncovering furniture and bringing in supplies, the. On golden pond is also one of the few movies to earn the nominations for the big. Mark rydells on golden pond is a drama that emphasizes the stages people of various ages endures. On golden pond norman thayer, jr nearing his eightieth birthday, norman is flirting with senility and is aware of it enough to use it to his advantage, usually in a humorous way. Webarchive template wayback links articles with short description. On golden pond screenwriter working on sequel to iconic film. So sad and funny in places showing how old and vulnerable fonda snrs character is.
288 1207 1498 1093 665 654 1289 1215 533 649 276 1402 909 1503 1204 932 1383 1061 53 1240 594 591 1452 593 921 30 100 34 437 1470 1496 1052 1156 645 1440 1234 807 299