Movie and Aging Project by Crystal Ammons, Andrea Isbell, Laura Sullivan, and Regina Wallace.

 Henry Fonda: Norman Thayer, Jr., a retired professor.  Katharine Hepburn: Ethyl Thayer, Norman’s wife.  Jane Fonda: Chelsea Thayer, Norman and Ethyl’s divorced daughter.  Dabney Coleman: Bill Ray, a dentist and Chelsea’s love interest.  Doug McKeon: Billy Ray, Jr., Bill Ray’s 13 year-old son from a previous marriage.  Directed by Mark Rydell, the film received great acclaim with Fonda and Hepburn both winning Oscars for leading actor and actress.

On Golden Pond tells the story of Norman and Ethyl Thayer, an elderly married couple who are visiting their vacation home on Golden Pond to celebrate Norman’s 80 th birthday with their daughter Chelsea, her love interest, and his son. Norman is a grumpy old man obsessed with dying while Ethyl is happy and full of positivity. Norman suffers from heart issues and is faced with a dwindling memory and the inability to recognize things that have always been familiar to him. The Thayer’s summer cottage sits on Golden Pond and the family has been visiting it for years, seeing it change much like they have. This year is special because Norman is reaching a milestone birthday and Chelsea, who hasn’t visited her parents in several years, will be there to take part. The appearance of her boyfriend Bill and his 13 year-old son Billy, Jr. takes the plans of the family in a different direction than expected and one that will change the relationships of all involved. After celebrating Norman’s birthday, Chelsea and Bill leave the following day to visit Europe for a month. Billy, who has been uprooted from his free-spirited California life with his mother is left to spend the time with Norman and Ethyl on the Pond. Seeing this is as a negative experience, Billy puts up a shield of attitude and firmly tells Norman that he’s not going to let them ruin his time there by telling him what to do. To the curmudgeonly Norman, this is presented as a challenge.

The Thayer’s summer cottage sits on Golden Pond and the family has been visiting it for years, seeing it change much like they have. This year is special because Norman is reaching a milestone birthday and Chelsea, who hasn’t visited her parents in several years, will be there to take part. The appearance of her boyfriend Bill and his 13 year-old son Billy, Jr. takes the plans of the family in a different direction than expected and one that will change the relationships of all involved. After celebrating Norman’s birthday, Chelsea and Bill visit Europe for a month leaving Billy, who has been uprooted from his free-spirited California life with his mother, to spend the time with Norman and Ethyl on the Pond. Seeing this is as a negative experience, Billy puts up a shield of attitude and firmly tells Norman that he’s not going to let them ruin his time there by telling him what to do. To the curmudgeonly Norman, this is presented as a challenge. Billy’s time at the pond ends up being very different than he expected. Norman uses his wits to get Billy involved in life on Golden Pond and soon teaches him to fish. A bond is forged between the two, one that Norman never had with his own daughter. Throughout the film, the two are on a hunt to catch “Walter”, a giant trout who keeps eluding Norman.

Director Mark Rydell uses the search for “Walter” as a metaphor for Norman’s search for peace near the end of his life.