Critic Reviews
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Gene Siskel, Chicago Tribune
There is a natural rhythm to the film that makes its own quiet, life-affirming statement.
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Richard Schickel, TIME Magazine
When it sometimes seems the whole society has spiritually decamped for Tinseltown, the movie offers the hope that people can come home again-at least for a visit.
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Variety Staff, Variety
Without question, these are major, meaty roles for Katharine Hepburn and Henry Fonda, and there could have been little doubt that the two would work superbly together.
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, Time Out
Two of Hollywood's best-loved veterans deserved a far better swan song than this sticky confection.
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Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
Watching the movie, I felt I was witnessing something rare and valuable.
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Vincent Canby, New York Times
On Golden Pond is a mixed blessing, but it offers one performance of rare quality and three others that are very good. That's not half-bad.
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Randy White, Common Sense Media
Valuable lessons in loving one's family members.
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, TV Guide's Movie Guide
Fonda was 75 when this picture was made and must have known he didn't have much time. There could have been no finer final curtain for him than this.
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Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
This family melodrama about aging, mortality, and reconciliation is more significant as a social than artistic event: It's the only teaming of Henry Fonda (who won an Oscar) with daughter Jane (who produced it for him) and also with screen icon Hepburn.
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Scott Weinberg, eFilmCritic.com
Wonderful to get one last sweet visit with Mr. Fonda and Ms. Hepburn.
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Steve Crum, Kansas City Kansan
Stellar cast in left field family values classic.
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Bob Bloom, Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN)
Pond may be overly sentimental, but the Fondas and Hepburn do capture your heart.
Read all 12 critic reviews
Featured Audience Ratings
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On Golden Pond may have a very straight forward story about a couple growing old together as they now live on "Golden Pond", a quite little place on the water where family and friends come to visit. As their daughter brings her new fiance to visit, they are blessed with a 13… More
On Golden Pond may have a very straight forward story about a couple growing old together as they now live on "Golden Pond", a quite little place on the water where family and friends come to visit. As their daughter brings her new fiance to visit, they are blessed with a 13 year old grandson, who is a stubborn little kid at first sight, but as charming as anyone could possibly be on the inside. The performances are significantly brilliant and the actions of each character will have you in a universe of mixed emotions. For Norman Thayer, his life is not too far from finished and he will do anything with his arrogant comedic-like attitude to relive his childhood by becoming best friends with his grandson. This truly is a basic story, but the writing, the acting, the events, and the outcome is so touching and moving that I can call it a masterpiece. This is surely "cinema" in all it's glory.
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With the subject matter circulating around death, failed relationships, and troubled families it would seem that this would be a shouting match waiting to happen. Instead the plot plays coy, reeling you in with the calm wooded surroundings and the fraility of Ethel and Norman in their… More
With the subject matter circulating around death, failed relationships, and troubled families it would seem that this would be a shouting match waiting to happen. Instead the plot plays coy, reeling you in with the calm wooded surroundings and the fraility of Ethel and Norman in their ripe old age. The underscored drama is just fodder for what is to happen: a coming of age bonding that supplements from Tuesday with Morrie to wow the audience with the family friendly fair all grown up. A wonderful film if ever I saw one.
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Nauseous feel-good wannabe crap
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"Everyone looks back on their childhood with a certain amount of bitterness and regret? It doesn't have to ruin your life darling!"
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An Exellent feel-good movie!
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talk about a tender movie -- this is the other side of Kate --
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Henry Fonda and Katharine Hepburn evoke that old-school Hollywood glamour that just charms the pants off this movie. Jane Fonda didn't impress me but I read somewhere that there were a lot of parallels between the father-daughter relationship of her character and her own life.… More
Henry Fonda and Katharine Hepburn evoke that old-school Hollywood glamour that just charms the pants off this movie. Jane Fonda didn't impress me but I read somewhere that there were a lot of parallels between the father-daughter relationship of her character and her own life. Which was kind of interesting. Yay for Henry Fonda winning a well-deserved Oscar! Old poop.
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No one creates tension like Henry Fonda: everything he touches is so terse, as a viewer, you're just waiting for the other shoe to drop. This is a good film - a little hoky, but a solid adaptation of the play, which always seems cornier. This was Fonda's last role, and what… More
No one creates tension like Henry Fonda: everything he touches is so terse, as a viewer, you're just waiting for the other shoe to drop. This is a good film - a little hoky, but a solid adaptation of the play, which always seems cornier. This was Fonda's last role, and what a way to go out - starring with Katharine Hepburn (whose performance is also solid) and his daughter too - he won the academy award for best actor, and died within five months. Class ending for a class act.
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I think it might be true that the older you get the more this movie may mean to you. Fonda and Hepburn light up the screen. Minus one star for the harming of worms and fish. You'd think in a movie where impending death is a prominent theme that they'd be more sensitive to… More
I think it might be true that the older you get the more this movie may mean to you. Fonda and Hepburn light up the screen. Minus one star for the harming of worms and fish. You'd think in a movie where impending death is a prominent theme that they'd be more sensitive to this issue. Poor Walter. Catch and release is <b>not</b> kind.
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Henry Fonda and Katharine Hepburn made their great performance as the oldest and loving couple.
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Henry Fonda is so crotchety and grumbly and yet so adorable, like an old hounddog. Katherine Hepburn is so strong and caring. I wasn't as impressed by Jane's performance in this one. But overall, the movie fills you with a sense of peace and love of life and acceptance of… More
Henry Fonda is so crotchety and grumbly and yet so adorable, like an old hounddog. Katherine Hepburn is so strong and caring. I wasn't as impressed by Jane's performance in this one. But overall, the movie fills you with a sense of peace and love of life and acceptance of death and old age when it comes.
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Yes, it is melodramatic and cheaply produced and way, way too quick to a resolution. But dammit...it's Fonda and Hepburn doing what they do best: making the audience feel for their characters. To be frank, the inclusion of Jane Fonda and her step son aren't really needed… More
Yes, it is melodramatic and cheaply produced and way, way too quick to a resolution. But dammit...it's Fonda and Hepburn doing what they do best: making the audience feel for their characters. To be frank, the inclusion of Jane Fonda and her step son aren't really needed to propel the film forward. Watching the degenerating Norman Thayer Jr. and his wife Ethel Thayer spend another summer on Golden Pond is a good enough way to spend 108 minutes. The film is all about relationships and precious little else. No spectacular crashes, no grandiose moment where these people change the greater world. No. Rather it's the little moments, the first time we see Ethel acknowledge her husband's condition. The final scene, which is a heart breaker. The ideas the movie represents of making peace before it's too late and letting new people into your life. I'm not about to fault the film for moving through the plot too quickly. Especially not when I was enchanted with the film and the performances of the two leads.
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I watched this for my Adulthood and Aging class and was pleasantly surprised with the entertainment value. The only thing that was really bothering me is the wayyyy dated music. Takes me right out of the mood. The casting is fun: two greats and a real life father-daughter team who… More
I watched this for my Adulthood and Aging class and was pleasantly surprised with the entertainment value. The only thing that was really bothering me is the wayyyy dated music. Takes me right out of the mood. The casting is fun: two greats and a real life father-daughter team who famously have a real-life troubled relationship. The other flaw is the rather simplistic family psychology. But the film is well acted and surprisingly funny.
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It showed the differences of age groups really well.
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Hepburn and Fonda are better than this melodramatic gumpf. One for grandparents.
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Melodramatic to a fault but one cannot deny the fascinating undercurrent of emotion between Jane and her dying father Henry Fonda in scenes that mirror their real-life strained relationship.
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you know? I really liked this film quite a bit. if you don't mind films that are more slow paced than normal, I would highly suggest this film. I really liked the characters, Fonda and Hepburn are absolutely amazing in this film. Fonda does a great job as a crotchety old man and… More
you know? I really liked this film quite a bit. if you don't mind films that are more slow paced than normal, I would highly suggest this film. I really liked the characters, Fonda and Hepburn are absolutely amazing in this film. Fonda does a great job as a crotchety old man and Hepburn is excellent as his wife. They both deserved their acting awards for this one. The carried the whole movie and made it what it was. Fonda especially does amazing his little quips and idiosyncrasies were hilarious. but you have to pay attention to the film to catch all of them. overall, I thought that this film was absolutely fantastic. I would really suggest it if you haven't seen it.
TRIVIA TIME: Henry Fonda currently holds the record for the longest gap between acting Oscar nominations. His first nomination was for The Grapes of Wrath (1940) in 1940, his second was for On Golden Pond (1981) in 1981, 41 years later. He received one other Oscar nomination in the period between his two acting nominations, that was for producer of 12 Angry Men (1957) in 1957.
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Okay picture the scene, im a little drunk, ive been moaned at for months by my goodly wife to watch this with her again and up until this point have managed to put it off. I had seen it years ago when I was young and didnt really like it...How wrong could I have been. What a totally… More
Okay picture the scene, im a little drunk, ive been moaned at for months by my goodly wife to watch this with her again and up until this point have managed to put it off. I had seen it years ago when I was young and didnt really like it...How wrong could I have been. What a totally lovely movie. Hepburn and Fonda are (or were before the death thing) such huge stars I defy anyone not to fall in love with this sentimental weepy all over again...I did......beautiful film and one that will warm the cockles of any old seadogs heart....I kid ye not.
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I love this movie. The music is wonderful and the photography are divine.Great performances.
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Katherine Hepburn and Henry Fonda are a great couple in this classic film about an older couple on vacation.
Read all 20 featured audience ratings
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