On Golden Pond (1981)

A cranky retired professor (Henry Fonda) and his wife (Katharine Hepburn) spend their summers on Golden Pond in New Hampshire. The husband is overly concerned with aging and death while his upbeat wife has a more positive view on life. When their estranged daughter (Jane Fonda) comes to visit with her new boyfriend (Dabney Coleman) and his son (Doug McKeon), old wounds are opened up. Based on the play by Ernest Thompson (who adapts his play for the screen) and directed by Mark Rydell (THE ROSE). Oy! A sappy pieces of sentimental twaddle that was embraced by movie audiences in 1981 as well as the Academy Awards (10 Oscar nominations with Fonda and Hepburn taking home Oscars). It's one of those dramedies with contrived dialogue passing for wit that just about any Neil Simon comedy could surpass. It's far from the best work of both Hepburn and Fonda and the praise for their performances comes from the affection "we" have for them rather than their actual work. The film's best moments come whenever Jane Fonda is on screen. Somehow, she brings an honest pain to her performance that only emphasizes the false notes in the performances of Henry and Hepburn. Dave Grusin's maudlin score keeps pushing for tears. Banal to the point of nausea.