Friday 9 January 2009

My Life So Far



The surprising and candid Jane Fonda addresses an audience at UC Santa Barbara. Tune in for her insights into her remarkable life - an Academy Award-winning actress, controversial activist, aerobics instructor and generous philanthropist. - University of California Television


With the exception of her performances in Barbarella and Klute, I have always had an intense dislike of Ms. Fonda. Not the message but the delivery, far too strident and brittle for my taste. While this talk did not necessarily change my opinion of her, it did give me a newly found respect for her.

I highly recommend taking the time to watch.

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Now playing: Duran Duran - Electric Barbarella
via FoxyTunes

4 comments:

An Aesthete's Lament said...

I feel similarly re Fonda's acting, but the stridency doesn't bother me too much. At least it's not those dreadful Sandy Dennis tics.

Ms. Wis./Each Little World said...

Klute and Coming Home are all time favorites. And I applaud Jane for surviving Henry Fonda as a father. I'm a former editorial writer and I've been a bleeding heart liberal since I could read a newspaper — so I am just as strident as Jane. It's hard not be when you look at everything facing us. Thanks for showing me this film.

thombeau said...

She was great in Coming Home, Julia, and The China Syndrome. And Cat Ballou! But I guess it's all a matter of personal taste.

At any rate, she has definitely followed her own path, and I'll always love her for that.

Cote de Texas said...

I had the pleasure to hear her speak when she was trying to get Ida Nudel out of Russia. funny, I can't remember my own name, but that one, which I haven't heard in over 10 years just rolled off my tongue. Fonda was soft spoken and soft looking in person, very feminine, even coquettish. nothing at all what I anticipated. Her speech was very stirring and passionate - it was a wonderful afternoon.