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On Golden Pond
1981 109 min United Kingdom, United States of America PG 16+
★8.2
Drama, Romance
Director: Mark Rydell
Trailers
EN
EN
Description
For Norman and Ethel Thayer, this summer on golden pond is filled with conflict and resolution. When their daughter Chelsea arrives, the family is forced to renew the bonds of love and overcome the generational friction that has existed for years.
Budget:
$15M
US Gross:
$119.29M
Worldwide:
$119.29M
Starring
Katharine Hepburn
Actor
Henry Fonda
Actor
Jane Fonda
Actor
Awards
Academy Awards 1982
— Best Actor
BAFTA 1983
— Best Actress
Academy Awards 1982
— Best Adapted Screenplay
Academy Awards 1982
— Best Actor
BAFTA 1983
— Best Actress
Academy Awards 1982
— Best Adapted Screenplay
Academy Awards 1982
— Best Sound
Academy Awards 1982
— Best Film Editing
Golden Globe 1982
— Best Actress (Drama)
Golden Globe 1982
— Best Supporting Actress
Academy Awards 1982
— Best Original Score
Golden Globe 1982
— Best Actor (Drama)
Golden Globe 1982
— Best Picture (Drama)
Golden Globe 1982
— Best Screenplay
Golden Globe 1982
— Best Director
BAFTA 1983
— Best Picture
BAFTA 1983
— Best Actor
BAFTA 1983
— Best Supporting Actress
BAFTA 1983
— Best Director
BAFTA 1983
— Best Screenplay
Academy Awards 1982
— Best Actress
Academy Awards 1982
— Best Picture
Karlovy Vary International Film Festival 1982
— Best Actor
Key opinion
On Golden Pond is widely celebrated as a masterful character study, anchored by the legendary performances of Katharine Hepburn and Henry Fonda. While some critics find the narrative overly sentimental or predictable, most viewers are moved by its poignant, humorous, and humane exploration of aging and family reconciliation.
| Acting | The lead performances by Katharine Hepburn and Henry Fonda are universally regarded as career-defining and essential to the film's success. | |
| Cinematography | The cinematography effectively uses the picturesque lakeside setting to create a meditative, immersive atmosphere that mirrors the characters' emotional journeys. | |
| Screenplay | The screenplay successfully balances sharp, humorous dialogue about aging and death with tender, sincere moments of familial reconciliation. | |
| Pacing | Opinions on the pacing are split; admirers find the contemplative and slow tempo rewarding and soulful, while others perceive it as static or lacking in plot. | |
| Emotion | The film's emotional core is debated: supporters praise its authentic and warm depiction of late-life love, while detractors argue the harmony is unrealistic and potentially saccharine. |