On Golden Pond

Norman Thayer (Henry Fonda), a cranky 80-year-old retired professor, makes his annual pilgrimage with his wife Ethel (Katharine Hepburn) to their New England summer cottage. Their solitude is interrupted when the couple's daughter Chelsea (Jane Fonda) arrives with her fiancé Bill (Dabney Coleman) and his son Billy (Doug McKeon) in tow.

Chelsea and Bill, wanting to go on a vacation of their own, persuade Norman and Ethel to take care of Billy. Norman and the boy take a dislike to each other, and it looks as though the summer will be a depressing experience. Gradually, Norman and Billy grow to love one another; their bond is strengthened during a near-fatal accident while fishing. It's through the warm relationship between Norman and Billy that the gruff old man and his daughter are at last able to display affection towards each other—the first time they've done so in years.