On Golden Pond (released in 1981) - starring Henry Fonda, Katherine Hepburn, Jane Fonda and Doug McKeon

Released in 1981, the screen play was adapted by Ernest Thompson from his play. Directed by Mark Rydell this movie boasts of a stellar cast of Henry Fonda, Katherine Hepburn, Jane Fonda and Doug McKeon.
Have you got tired of watching mindless revenge drama's, lust, anger and sex? Then you need to get hold of On Golden Pond. The simple nuances of love, relationships, kinship and mortality is presented in this film that leaves the viewers spellbound. You leave the movie not with tears but with an uplifting feeling in your soul.
The story begins with the sexagenarian couple Norman and Ethel Thayer arriving at their summer cottage at the golden pond to spend their vacations as they had done for the last fifty years. Norman is a grouchy old professor who ribs everybody in the wrong way. Ethel, his ever suffering wife understands his behavior and sense of humor. Some great scenes about their camaraderie comes through creating cinematic history. Ultimately Norman knows that Ethel understands and completes him.



Arriving at the cottage is his middle aged estranged daughter, Chelsea to celebrate his birthday She is accompanied by her fiancée, Coleman and his son eight year old Billy. Norman's acid tongue and repartees soon make the situation tense, but the night passes on. The next day Chelsea and Coleman depart to Europe for a vacation leaving Billy in the cottage.
Norman and Billy are forced to spend time together and Norman grudgingly accepts his young friend. In Billy he finds a chance to parent a young child as he had never tried to do with Chelsea. Norman does not leave this chance and takes young Billy under his wing, teaching him fishing and reading treasure island with him. Billy with his silly childish ways builds a bond with Norman with Ethel.
Soon they are enjoying the vacations, with occasional mishaps like a boating accident bringing them closer. Meanwhile Chelsea arrives from Europe sans her fiancée and the good news that she is married. Seeing her father and Billy together, she confesses her resentment about Norman. She feels that she was neglected always because Norman wanted a boy. But a heart tot heart talk with Norman calms her troubled heart.
Norman too is confronted with his mortality as he suffers a mild heart attack. Ethel and he understands the value of the time spent together. Chelsea and Billy depart with a promise of staying in touch. Norman and Ethel also depart hoping to comeback next summer.
This is the last movie of Henry Fonda and no better curtain call could be there for his illustrious career. He won an Oscar for his portrayal of Norman Thayer. On Golden Pond went on to win 5 Oscars with 10 nominations. Katherine Hepburn and Jane Fonda were among the winners. It also went on to win the Golden Globes, BAFTA and other prestigious award. The viewers also gave it a thumbs up as the movie grossed $119,285,432 at the box office.
A good feel good movie for all ages.

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (starring Spencer Tracy, Sidney Poitier and Katharine Hepburn) (released in 1967)

The 1960's was a period of racial reform in the US, with a series of court judgments having come through in the current decade and the previous decade - the aim of these judgments was to enforce civil rights for all and ensure that society was the same for all. During the 60's, there were a number of states (from the former Confederate states, from the south) that had laws related to prohibiting marriage between the races; so a marriage between a white and a black was illegal in many states. This was a movie that touched on that topic, and received positive acclaim.
The movie was also the last movie in which the on-screen (and off-screen) pair of Spencer Tracy appeared together (this being their 9th such movie). Also, Spencer Tracy was dying when the movie was being made, with Tracy dying 17 days after the filming of the movie ended. As a result, Hepburn was never able to see the movie, given her memories of Tracy - she always claimed that the movie brought back too many painful memories.
The movie earned a few Academy Awards:
Academy Award for Best Actress (Katharine Hepburn)
Academy Award for Writing Original Screenplay



The movie deals with the story of a San Francisco couple, Matt & Christina Drayton (played by stars Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn), whose daughter Joey Drayton (Katharine Houghton) comes home from a trip to Hawaii, and then informs that she is now engaged to a Doctor - Dr. John Prentice (played by Sidney Poitier) with the following provisions:
- The man is 14 years elder to her
- He is black, while she is white
- The Doctor will not marry her until her parents agree to the marriage
- They have only 1 day to decide, since the Doctor needs to leave for Switzerland
What follows is the story of their indecision. Matt Drayton is a liberal newspaper publisher, but this decision of his daughter shakes him to the core; the parents are worried about the problems and challenges that the couple will face. They decide to invite the Doctor's parents from Los Angeles, and the Doctor's parents are equally worried by this decision. See this movie for an interesting insight into the challenges that America was facing with respect to its racial divide.
I also compare this movie with an example from Arthur Hailey's Hotel (where there is a comparison about how the hotel finally accepts a black guest who is well educated, and the only difference is the color of the skin. What happens if the person is not so well educated, or not so well behaved, or something similar ?