Film Analysis: On Golden Pond

The movie “On Golden Pond” begins with the arrival of an old couple (Ethel and
Norman) at a lakeside vacation house where they have spent their summers for years. When they begin to settle into the vacation house, Norman starts to have memory problems and he is unable to recognize old family photographs. Their daughter, Chelsea, her fiancé Bill, and Bill’s thirteen- year-old son Billy stop by on their way to Europe for Normans Birthday. In a conversation with Ethel, Chelsea discusses her frustration with her pompous relationship with her father. She explains that even when she is living thousands of miles away she still feels like she is answering to him. Before they leave for their trip to Europe, Chelsea and Bill ask Ethel and Norman if they would allow Billy to stay with them. When Chelsea and Bill leave, Billy is at first frustrated with being left with and elderly couple, because he didn’t have any friends and he didn’t feel as if he had anything to do. He …show more content…
The biggest difference is the outlook on aging. With all of his health issues, it seems like Norman has decided to withdraw socially and keep most people away. He also knows that he is getting older so he uses grumpiness as a cover. Ethel handles the aging processes in a completely different way. She is loving, positive, and social. Unlike Norman, Ethel enjoys maintaining relationships with family and neighbors. Ethel refuses to let Norman be this way and doesn’t want him to be a loner. Ethel seems to approach her life as an adventure, not a death sentence like Norman. With Norman’s near death experience, Ethel told him that death didn’t feel possible until then. Another difference between the two is their relationship with their daughter Chelsea. It seems that when growing up, Chelsea didn’t have a great relationship with her father. She carries this around with her. At golden pond, Ethel is trying to patch up their