On Golden Pond (Special Editon)

On Golden Pond (1981)

Retired professor Norman Thayer Jr. and his warmhearted wife Ethel return to their beloved summer cottage on Golden Pond in Maine. Norman, approaching his 80th birthday, struggles with aging, memory lapses, and a strained relationship with his adult daughter Chelsea. When Chelsea visits with her fiancé Bill and Bill's teenage son Billy, she leaves the boy with Norman and Ethel for the summer. Initially wary of one another, Norman and Billy bond over fishing and adventures on the lake. Their friendship helps Norman rediscover joy and opens the possibility of reconciliation between father and daughter. This moving family drama explores love, regret, growing older, and second chances.

Release year: 1981

Writer: Ernest Thompson (screenplay, adapted from his stage play)

Runtime: Approximately 109 minutes

MPAA rating: PG

Principal Cast and Characters

• Henry Fonda — Norman Thayer Jr.
• Katharine Hepburn — Ethel Thayer
• Jane Fonda — Chelsea Thayer Wayne
• Doug McKeon — Billy Ray Jr.
• Dabney Coleman — Bill Ray
• William Lanteau — Charlie Martin
• Christopher Rydell — Sumner Todd

Five Interesting Facts

1. Henry Fonda won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance; it was his final feature-film role.
2. Katharine Hepburn won her fourth Academy Award for Best Actress for the film.
3. Ernest Thompson won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, adapting his own stage play.
4. Henry Fonda and his daughter Jane Fonda played an estranged father and daughter onscreen, adding personal resonance to the story.
5. Although set in Maine, the film was shot around Squam Lake in New Hampshire.

Edition: Special Edition DVD; bonus materials and presentation depend on the original packaging.

Pre-owned physical-disc notice: Any originally included digital redemption code may be missing, expired, or previously redeemed. A usable digital code is not guaranteed unless expressly stated.