"OnGoldenPond"wasthesurprisehitof1981,thesecondhighestgrossingfilmofthatyearafter"RaidersoftheLostArk".Yetitisnotthesortoffilmforwhichonewouldnormallypredictgreatbox-officesuccess.Itisaboutasdifferentafilmfrom"Raiders"asonecanimagine.WhereasSpielberg'sblockbusterisatestosterone-fuelledaction-adventure,"OnGoldenPond"isaquiet,reflectivedramaaboutanelderlycouplespendingthesummerbyalake.

　　ThefilmwasadaptedbyErnestThompsonfromhisplayofthesamename.(Remarkably,givenhisthemeofoldage,Thompsonwasstillinhistwentieswhenhewroteit).Althoughattemptsaremadetoopentheactionupbyincludingscenesshotoutdoors(thereissomeveryattractivephotographyoftheNewEnglandscenery),itclearlybetraysitsoriginasastageplaywithitslimitednumberofcharactersandpreponderanceofdialogueoverphysicalaction.

　　ThecentralcharactersareNorman(agedeighty)andEthel(agedinherlatesixties)Thayer,whospendeverysummerattheirsecondhomeonGoldenPond,alakeinNewHampshire.(Theword"pond"inAmericanusagecanclearlymeanafarlargerbodyofwaterthanitdoesinBritain).TheplotfocusesontherelationshipbetweenNormanandEthelandtheirdaughterChelsea,whopaysthemavisittogetherwithherfiancéBillandhistwelve-year-oldsonBilly.(WerewomenofJaneFonda'sgenerationevernamed"Chelsea"?Ithoughthatonlybegantobeusedasagirl'snameinthesixties).

　　JaneFondapurchasedtherightstotheplayasavehicleforherfatherHenry,doubtlessbecauseshesawintheturbulentrelationshipbetweenNormanandChelseaThayerareflectionoftheequallydifficultreal-liferelationshipbetweentheFondas.Normanisinmanywaysthemostimportantcharacterinthefilm.Itisclearthathehasalwaysbeenadifficultmantogetonwith,andagedoesnotseemtohavemellowedthecantankerousoldmanatall.Hebickersconstantlywithhislong-sufferingandmoreplacidwifeEthel,althoughitisclearthatdespitetheirverbalbattlestheyhaveadeepaffectionforoneanother."Youoldpoop!"mightnotnormallyberegardedasatermofendearment;asusedbyEthelaboutherhusbanditbecomesone.

　　Thefather-daughterrelationshipbetweenNormanandChelseaisclearlymoreproblematic,althoughtherootsoftheirestrangementarenevermadeclear.PossiblyNormanresentshisdaughterfornotbeingthesonhelongedforbutneverhad,andhemakehisdislikeofhernewfiancéalltooobvious.WhatservestobringfatheranddaughterbacktogetheristhespecialbondwhichgrowsupbetweenNormanandyoungBilly,whomheandEthellookafterwhileChelseaandBillareawayonvacationinEurope.Normanmightnothaveason,butBilly,althoughnotrelatedtohimbyblood,isthegrandsonhealwayswantedsotheycangoonfishingtripstogether.(Chelsea'sfirstmarriage,whichendedindivorce,waschildless).

　　ThefilmstarsnotonlyHenryFondaasNormanbutalsoanothergreatcinemalegend,KatharineHepburn,asEthel,andbothwonwell-deservedOscarsfortheirperformances.Fonda'sawardseemstohavecomeassomethingofasurprise;inthecourseofhislongcareerhehadreceivedonlyonepreviousactingnomination,for"TheGrapesofWrath"in1940,andtheyearbeforemaking"OnGoldenPond"hadbeengivenan"HonoraryAwardforLifetimeAchievement".(Suchawardsareofteninterpretedasmeaning"we'resorrythatyou'veneverhadarealOscarandareneverl