On Golden Pond Analysis

“On Golden Pond” is the story of changing and evolving family dynamics, and it follows a family that spans three generations. Each of the four main characters in this film are encountering a different stage of life and the challenges and changes that accompany it, with the exception of Ethel and Norman, who are married and both in late adulthood. Chelsea, Billy, Ethel, and Norman all are facing unique challenges and changes in their physical and mental state reflecting their particular stage in life.
Chelsea, the daughter of Ethel and Norman, is at a very difficult stage in her life. She has divorced already and is back in the dating game, this time her partner is a dentist named Bill who has a 13 year old son, Billy. Billy stays with her parents while her and Bill travel around Europe, and elope in Brussels, consequently causing her boyfriend’s son to become her step son. Step parent/step children families are becoming increasingly commonplace now. Divorce and remarriage rates are higher now than ever in the past, and with that comes a rise in the blended family. The relationship between Billy and his step mother, Chelsea, seems quite amiable. Though she is an adult now, her father’s acceptance is something that Chelsea has always craved. After returning from Europe, much to her delight and dismay, she learns of how well Billy and her father got on while she was away, despite the initial

tension between the duo. Chelsea begins to question whether or not her father would have rather had a son than herself. She explains to her mother that she wishes she had a friendship with her father, Ethel basically points out that time is ticking and neither of them will be around forever, so a healthy relationship needs to be forged sooner than later. Coming to the realization that her parents are growing old, Chelsea approaches her father in one last attempt to salvage things. It is obvious that Billy has truly lightened Norman’s spirit as he greets his daughter with warmth and congratulates her on her marriage. Chelsea, relieved and exuberant, takes to the diving board and finally completes a backflip that she has been putting off ever since she was a child. This act in itself shows a few things about Chelsea’s current mental state: she is open to having a loving and fun father-daughter relationship and she is willing to compromise to get to where they need to be in said relationship.
Billy, Chelsea’s stepson, is the typical 13 year old boy in this film. At one point, he is allowed to pilot Ethel and Norman’s boat on his own and he can be seen zipping through the water, jerking the wheel this way and that. It could be assumed that Billy has somewhat of an invincibility fable. He believes that harm will not fall onto him, regardless of how fast or carefree be controls the boat. This is similar to how many teens drive with little caution or concern for what may happen to them if they were to wreck somehow. The brains of 14-15 year olds have been shown to have heightened arousal in the brain’s reward centers, causing them to seek more excitement and pleasure than someone who may be 5-10 years older than them (Berger, 2014, pg. 331). Billy brags to Norman about “sucking face” with girls as if it is something to be proud of, he cusses repeatedly, and opposes the plans that Ethel and Norman have set up initially. These are all mild forms of rebellion he attempts, probably in an effort to test his boundaries. Billy also makes jabs about Norman’s age a handful of times, without fully realizing the damage it does to Norman mentally, who seems particularly afraid of death. This could be due partly to the immature prefrontal cortex that adolescents have (Berger, 2014, pg. 333). Because of this, teenagers tend to act more on impulse, without fully thinking things through, which cannot be helped. They simply lack the mental capabilities to do so. Just like Chelsea, Billy is also dealing with a new “step-person” in his life. The dynamic between Chelsea and Billy seems to be friendly and playful. She seems to be a friend and more like a big sister to her stepson than an actual parent. Stepmothers generally try to bring love and understanding to a new step relationship and sometimes stepchildren are obnoxious or disruptive vying for attention, but Billy seems to have accepted Chelsea (Berger, 2014, pg. 483).
Ethel, the warm and accepting mother of Chelsea, seems to be enjoying her retirement and later adulthood life. She is enjoying the simpler pleasures in life such as bird watching or picking wild berries. Studies find that retirement at a suitable age can increase the health of the retiree, especially with adequate funds to cover, both, necessary and frivolous expenses (Berger, 2014, pg. 546). Regardless of age, though, women tend to hold more of the expressive role in the family, Ethel cares for her aging husband when his memory lapses. She seems to be the buffer between her blunt husband and the rest of the world, frequently explaining away his rudeness or defending him against attacks from outsiders, because she knows he means no harm. She also seems to be more at peace with her age and the inevitability of death than her spouse. To a degree, she embraces her old age and is making the most out of the time she has left with her loved ones. In later adulthood, most adults tend to want to spend more time around their family, enjoying their company (Berger, 2014, pg. 580). Ethel wants to see her daughter and husband finally grow a relationship before that is no longer a possibility. Late adulthood tends to revolve around family and tying up loose ends, this is true for Ethel and Norman.
Norman, Ethel’s brazen other half, seems to be dealing with some level of dementia, or memory loss. At one point Ethel sends him out to pick additional strawberries he quickly returns, fruitless (pun intended), later confiding in his spouse that the reason he did not pick any berries is because he could not remember where they were. Before this, he could not remember the people in family photos that were placed around their living room, and he even asked the operator why he called and what he wanted, after he had the phone off the line for too long. Visibly and understandably, this fact upsets Norman, as he realizes that his body is changing and he is becoming “old.” Instead of talking about his fears or accepting the changings happening, like Ethel, Norman channels this fear into anger and takes it out on the people around him. He repeatedly brings up the fact that he is “ancient” and only getting closer to death, blowing up at anyone who mentions anything about it to him. Norman does not seem to be at peace with the idea that the end of his life is approaching like most people his age are. Also different than usual, he does not seem to like spending time with much family or close friends, he seems to do the opposite and push people away instead. It is not until he meets Billy that he starts to open up and allow himself to enjoy life and the things that are happening around him, as opposed to thinking about death all day. He is forced to face his transient existence toward the end of this film, when he experiences terrible chest pain to the point where he thinks this may be his demise. Norman’s late adulthood differs greatly from his wife’s on several levels, emotionally and physically.
Every stage of life has its challenges and its ups and downs.

“On Golden Pond” clearly illustrated multiple examples of this in several different stages of life; adolescents, middle adulthood, and late adulthood. During these different times the desires and needs of the individual change, and the dynamic in which they interact with others like them and with those younger or older than them also change. Norman, Ethel, Billy, and Chelsea all positively affected each other in the end of this film, lifting each other up, and fulfilling some of the primitive needs they each

carry.