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On Golden Pond

On Golden Pond

Drama · Romance · 1981

For Norman and Ethel Thayer, this summer on golden pond is filled with conflict and resolution. When their daughter Chelsea arrives, the family is forced to renew the bonds of love and overcome the generational friction that has existed for years.

Movie details

On Golden Pond

“When life is at its finest... when love is at its fullest...”

1981 Drama · Romance 1h 49m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

7.3 / 10

Community rating

For Norman and Ethel Thayer, this summer on golden pond is filled with conflict and resolution. When their daughter Chelsea arrives, the family is forced to renew the bonds of love and overcome the generational friction that has existed for years.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over On Golden Pond?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Where it lives

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Mark Rydell

Written by

Ernest Thompson

Katharine Hepburn

Katharine Hepburn

Ethel Thayer

Henry Fonda

Henry Fonda

Norman Thayer Jr.

Jane Fonda

Jane Fonda

Chelsea Thayer Wayne

Doug McKeon

Doug McKeon

Billy Ray

Dabney Coleman

Dabney Coleman

Bill Ray

William Lanteau

William Lanteau

Charlie Martin

Christopher Rydell

Christopher Rydell

Sumner Todd

Court is in session

Put On Golden Pond on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Prestige Tourist

“Sincerity is not manipulation.”

The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.

The prosecution The Adrenaline Seeker

“The strings are showing.”

Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.