ON GOLDEN POND

Outline for Screenplay

by Ernest Thompson

March 3, 1980
 1.

I. Opening. May.
A. Pictorial statement of Maine's beauty.
1 • The lake.
a. Seen from above, a sapphire on a blanket of green.
b. Closer, wide stretches, choppy coves, islands.
c. Its personalities: calm, angry, playful.
2. The forest.
3. The house.
a. An old, gray-shingled affair, rambling porch.
b. Docks piled up on banks, waiting for summer.
B. Introducing the Thayers.
1. Norman Thayer Jr.
a. In the house, moving slow, getting his bearings.
b. 79, with a touch of senility, but stillpeppery, irrascible.
2. Ethel Thayer
a. His opposite, full of life and energy, feisty.
b. 69, married to Norman 48 years and still surviving.
3. Together they open the house.
C. Discovering who they are
1. As they uncover furniture and take down storm doors,
2. Carry the canoe to the water's edge
-.
3. And paddle on the lake.
4. Great, well-seasoned love between them, and humor.
D .. And conflicts.
1. Their bickering- amusing but real.
2. Signs of Norman's senility.
3. And his preoccupation with death.
1· Ethel's concern.
E. A canoe ride.
1. Pastoral- the old couple gliding across the darkening
water, in the late sun.
2. Funny - Norman faking paddling, steering canoe crookedly.
3. Sad - the effort it takes, and the conversation about who's
left on the lake, and who won't make it up this season.
4. Frightening- surprised by the wake of a large boat, they
nearly topple into the cold water.
s. Touching- th eimage of the two of them paddling back to
their home on Golden Pond, proud and familiar.
 2.

II. June.
A. Introducing Charlie Martin.
1. He wends his way along the shore in his boat.
2. Stops at a dock to deliver mail, chats with the summer
people.
B. The Thayers settled in.
1. Ethel in the woods, picking berries.
2. Norman sitting with the classified ads, looking for a job.
3. Ethel trying to motivate Norman to do something (anything).
a. She succeeds and off he goes with a berry bucket.
c. Charlie's visit.
1. A little local color and humor.
2. A chance for Ethel to reveal her concern about Norman.
D. Norman in the woods.
1. Looking for berries, something wrong, a little panic.
E. Ethel and Charlie and Norman.
1. A little talk about the past and the lake.
2. Mention of Chelsea, the daughter, coming to visit
a. For Norman's birthday,
b. Bringing her new boyfriend, a dentist.
c. Norman not thrilled by the prospect.
i. "He I 11 be staring at our teeth all the time."
3. Norman picking on Charlie, a view of Norman's brittle side.
4. Norman and Ethel seeing Charlie off at the dock
a. Watching him-go, watching the lake.
b. An image of continuity.
F. Ethel and Norman alone.
).She prods him to enjoy the summer, he fights back.
2. He shars his fear, afraid of going senile.
3. Ethel comforts him, afraid herself.
G. Life on the lake - idyllic but troubled.
1. Ethel walking with Norman, picking berries, watching him.
2. Motoring by boat to the village.
a. Ethel driving, Norman the glum passenger.
b. Getting gas. Norman giving the attendant a hard time.
c. Norman insisting on driving home.
i. He narrowly avoids the rocks.
 3.
II. G. 3. Ethel trying to get Norman to fish. She fails.
4. Ethel canoeing alone by her old girls camp.
n a. Memories.
5. Ethel on the road painting the 'Thayers' sign.
a. Alone.
b. Her bike parked nearby.
6. Norman sitting in his chair, alone, watching the lake,
discouraged.
7. Ethel gathering pine cones, alone, cleaning up the yard.
a. Proud of her house, getting ready for Chelsea's visit.
b. She.feels the wind coming up on the lake.
c. The boat is bobbing on the waves.
d. Ethel rouses Norman, not easily. They battle the wind
for their boat.
i. a harrowing moment as they balance on the dock,
~~7 wrestling with the boat and the ropes.
ii. both of them nearly tumble in~
8. Norman and Ethel huddled by the fire as the rain comes.
a. They play parchisi.
b. She enjoys it all.
c. His attitude is characteristic~lly less buoyant.
..
d. Troubled peace.
III. July.
A. The birthday.
1. Ethel hustling about, organizing, decorating.
2. Norman lying low in hi~ room, not thrilled.
3. Ethel planning to dust tables, but unable to resist
going for a sunset dip in the golden pond.
i. She stands in the water and calls to the loons.
4. Norman watches, interested, his spirits climbing.
5. He ambles downstairs in a tie, Ethel is pleased.
6. But still in her blue jeans when a car is heard~

7. Chelsea Thayer Wayne, 42, attractive, restless, with

Norman's humor, a former fat girl.
a. She jumps from the car i~ the growing darkness
and stares up at the house.
'1 b. Memories.
 4•
III. A. 8. Ethel and Norman and Chelsea.
a. An awkward reunion after several years.
b. Ethel pleased and trying to fill in the gaps.
c. Norman attacking and cynical, his pleasure barely
showing.
d. Chelsea guarded, shocked at how her parents have aged.
e. Ethel and Norman prod her to bring in her man friend.
i. "I knew I was forgetting something."
9. Enter Billy Ray
a. Who is 13, and sassy and full of life.
b. Ethel loves it.
c. Norman looks ready for murder.
10. Chelsea goes off to find Bill Ray, Sr., who's trying
to park in the woods.
a. Ethel keeps watch at the door, alternately battling
_moths, and eying Norman
b. Who is busily attacking Billy.
i. NORMAN: You should meet my father.
BILLY: Your father's still alive?
NORMAN: No, but you should meet him.
c. Ethel send them upstairs to put Billy in Chelsea's
old room.
11. Ethel and Chelsea have a brief conversation, awkward
but with warmth.
a. Chelsea admits being shocked at Norman's appearance.
b. Ethel thanks Chelsea for corning
i. And we understand she came only because Ethel wrote
her an urgent letter.
12. Bill Ray arrives.
a. 45, attractive.
b. Not used to woods, lakes and bears
c. But genuine and good natured, which is lucky
13. Because Norman assaults him immediately.
14. Chelsea, Ethel and Billy head off to say hello to the lake.
a. Bill would rather battle Norman than the bears he is
convinced are lurking in the shadows
15. Which seems to be a mistake because Norman has a great
old time "picking on him."
 5.

III. A. 15 •. Ethel and Chelsea, meanwhil.e, are giving Billy

his first canoe ride.
a. ~illy loves it.
b. He nearly capsizes the thing 3 times.
c. And he serves as a great buffer to absorb some of
the tension between the two women.
16. Back in the house Norman is demonstrating to Bill
his great wit and quickness
a. And also his uncertainty about his life and his
confusion regarding Chelsea.
i. He tries to explain why his daughter calls
Eth~l Mommy and him Norman.
ii. Which Bill has trouble following.
b. But he tries in turn to communicate with Norman,
using a little California verbosity.
c. The conversation becomes outrageous when Bill broaches
the subject of sleeping with Chelsea.
i. Norman finally allows that he would be delighted
to have Bill 'abusing my daughter under my own roof."
d. In the course of all this nonse.nse Bill stands up
to Norman
i. "You go ahead and be as.J?OOpy·as you like, just
bear in mind that I know what youre up to and I
can take only so much of it."
ii. Which earns him Norman's respect.
e. And a bond of sorts is formed.
17. Billy comes bounding in to announce that Chelsea and
Ethel are going skinny-dipping and want Bill to join them.
a. Bill gets as far as the porch where he sits nervously
peering into the dark, and waiting for the bear to
attack.
18. Ethel and Chelsea are indeed skinny dipping.
a. Their heads bob on the water.
b. They talk while they swim.
i. Chelsea recalls an incident from her youth.
ii. Ethel has her own view of the past.
iii. But the bitterness gets diluted by laughter
on this lovely summer's eve.
 6.
III. A. 19. On the porch Bill is nervously swatting at moths.
20. Inside Norman is putting Billy through his paces
a. Questioning him,
b. Playing the schoolteacher.
c. Billy responds with great bravado and sass.
d. Norman finds himself challenged.
i. NORMAN: Why do you walk with your shoulders
allbent like that?
BILLY: I have a lot on my mind.
ii. Norman brightens, a rare flash of life crosses
his face.
e. He sends Billy to his room "with a good book."
f. Billy responds well to the old man
g. And Norman has found a friend.
21. Down by the lake Ethel is back in her jeans.
a. She leads Bill off the porch.
b. He's afraid of the lawn. chairs.
~
I c. Ethel has great fun comforting him and guiding him
to the water's edge
d. Where Chelsea is splashing about, still nude.
e. This cheers Bill up and
f. Ethel leaves them.
22. In the house Ethel and Norman have amoment.
a. She tells him Chelsea wants to leave Billy with
them for a month.
i. NORMAN: Which Billy?
b. But he, amazingly enough, agrees.
,23. Ethel, Chelsea, Bill and Billy salute Norman's birthday.
a. He accepts the toast with surprising humility
and good humor.
i. He shares with the group a brief perspective of
life as seen from his vantage point.

B. Chelsea and Bill's visit.

1. During which several feelings are at work.
a. Tension between Chelsea and Norman, with no attempt
at resolution.
b. An awkwardness between Chelsea and Ethel, but with
 7.

III. B. 1. b. more awareness thah in Norman's case, and some

tenderness.
c. Uneasy discomfort between Ethel and Norman because of
all this.
d. Discomfort from Bill, who feels caught in the middle.
e. A little anxiety between Chelsea and Bill, who feels
that she's acting differently than he's seen before.
f. But also real warmth between them, good old adult
puppy love.
g. An innocent awkwardness from Billy, who is naturally
adept at sailing right by most of the above.
h. And genuine openness from him, too, genuine good
feelings, which seem most refreshing.
i. In return there is an awkward but tender affection from
Bill for Billy,
j . An obviously burgeaii.ng warmth between B·illy and Chelsea,

'
( k. A bringing-out-from-the-mothballs motherlove from
Ethel for Billy,
1. And a sharp, grudging-on-the-surface, but almost excited
good feeling.from Norman for Billy,
m. And vice versa. -·
2. All of which is manifested.in some brief scenes of
July on the lake.
a. Norman proudly taking the group on a long excursion
around the lake by boat
i. Which includes a rambling, funny commentary
ii. Amended and contradicted by Ethel
iii. And by Chelsea.
b. An outrageous picnic on Honey Island
i. with Billy getting lost
ii. And Bill getting scared by a bear in the underbrush
iii. Which turns out to be Billy.
c. An evening by the fire
i. Wherein Bill and Bill are taught the fine art
of Parchisi playing
ii. Which Bill loves,
iii. Much to the chagrin of Chelsea, who never liked games.
 8.
In. B. 2. d. A middle of the night meeting between Norman and Bill
i. Who's been getting lovey with Chelsea by the fire
ii. And who isnow mortified in light of the previous
detailed conversation about sex in Bill and Chelsea's
room.
iii. Soon this involves Ethel, who is patrolling the
house for intruding June bugs,
iv. And eventually results in a fine brouhaha between
all concerned
a. With Chelsea reminding her parents of past
intrusions on her privacy
v. And is settled only by the kid who suggests that
sleeping is preferable to bitching.
e. Waterskiing
i. With Norman serving as instructor and Chelsea
demonstrating.
ii. An hilarious exercise in poor coordination.
f. Sailing
i. A romantic interlude for Chelsea and Bill in a
rented sailboat
ii. Hampered only by the disappearance of the wind
iii. Which results, unfortunately, 'in an embarrassing
rescue by Norman and kid in speedboat.
g. And Charlie delivering the-mail
i. Disappointed that Chelsea has brought along a new
beau
(a) Who looks to Charlie like pretty fierce compe-
tition
(b) Despite his obvious greenness around the lake
(1) Manifested in Charlie's presence when Bill
falls off the dock while getting the mail.
ii. Charlie's also disappointed that Chelsea never seems
to be around at mail time.
h. And fishing.
i. A less than successful introduction for Billy,
ii. But an amusing one.
3. Chelsea and Bill leave for Europe
 9•

IlL B. 3. a. Not smoothly

i. Chelsea feeling unfinished and unsatisfied,
.discouraged with the sad gap between herself and
her aging parents
ii. Aware, suddenly, of, the passing of time.
b. Norman and Ethel find themselves alone with a child
i. Por the first time in 25 years.
ii. And Billy seems less sweet with his father gone
iii. Which results in a whole new testing of wills
iv. And of good humors.
IV. August
A. A bond is formed between the old man and the boy
1. Slowly. They share bits of themselves.
a. A revelation for Norman, who is not prone to revealing
much.
2. They become friends on fishing trips
a. Discussing all manner of things,
) i. Sex being a favorite.
(a) Views on approaching, wooing, winning, and
surviving the opposite sex.
b. And getting into various forms of trouble.
i. Norman, whose senility is much ·more in check,
still forgets gas or bait,
ii. Or Billy forgets the anchor, or loses it.
iii. They rescue a broken down b9at
(a) Which has on board a whole family
(b) Which includes a teenage girl
(c) Which allows Billy to put to test all their
theories of womanizing. Or girlizing.
(d) At which he fails.
iv. Norman has moments of calling Billy Chelsea
(a) Which Billy takes fully in stride, and he
coaxes Norman back to reality any time Norman
strays.
(b) The child is teacher to the man.
3. Norman gives Billy diving lessons on the float.
1. And we see what a poop he must have been when Chelsea
was trying to please him.
 1 0.

IV. B. During which Ethel finds herself alone.

1. Which is pleasant on the one hand, but also has a
forebOding quality,
a. Which leads her into some rather dotty behavior
i. Singing old camp songs to her dolly, Elmer,
ii. And taking solitary canoe trips along Koochakiyi
shores.
(a) Memories
(1) Of her childhood
(2) And of Norman courting her.
2. She encourages Charlie's visits.
3. She spends her time biking and berrying and swimming.
C. But Ethel also has a developing relationship with Billy
1. With whom she, too, has great, strange conversations.
a. They share their thoughts on Norman, and on life.
b. They spend quiet time together when Norman gets tired.
2. Ethel shows Billy her Golden Pond, which is not always
the same as Norman's.
a. She's been coming to the lake longer, grew up there,
and has her own special point of view.
D. Charlie and Billy find a special_r~lationship, also.
1. Charlie lets Billy drive the mailboat
a. Which results in the mail nearly being undelivered,
b. And is riotous when they pull up at the girls camp
on Pine Island.
2. Charlie tells Billy how he and his brother used to
pretend to fish alongside Camp Koochakiyi and look for
the girls.
a. Which prompts Billy to steal away in the speedboat
one day to Pine Island
i. Where he does some spying of his own,
ii. And sees some pretty interesting sights,
iii. And gets caught in the process
iv. And narrowly escapes,
v. Only to encounter more problems back at home
(a) Where Ethel and Norman find themselves in the
positions of being parents to a troubled child.
 11 •

IV. D. 2. a. v. (a) (1) A situation not dissimilar to their own

with Chelsea, 30 years previous,
(2) Except now they have less energy for it.
(3) The problem brings home even more the
tremendous generational distance.
(4) And yet in a curious way this distance helps
them deal with the problem.
(5) The boy in Norman seems to help him under-
stand, and Ethel is too old to want to
fight.
vi. From a rather unpleasant and funny clash of age
and lifestyle comes a tidier bond, and we see the
friendship between the three of them, particularly
between Norman and Billy, as genuine, transcending
the cliched grandfather/grandson syndrome, and
actually reaching the heights of good buddies.
(a) From her vantage point, Ethel can see the-
pleasure and the s'ignif icance of this comr·ader ie
and she recognizes it as positive and life~f~g

E. Billy and Norman's adventure.

1. The two head off on still another fishing trip •
..
a. Even though the sky is gray,
b. And Ethel warns them that the loons have been calling
for rain.
c. Norman insists that they go.
2. They motor far out 01 the lake
a. Knowing they can always find their way home by spotting
the landmark birch tree in front of the cottage.
3. Ethel stifles her concern and busies herself with baking,
and taking a quick dip, her ·eye on the ominous clouds.
4. Charlie pulls alongside the boys as he makes his rounds.
a. He warns them a storm may be coming
b. But Norman and Billy wave him off because the bass
are biting.
5. Billy and Norman have a good old time, and become quite
oblivious to the rest of the world, despite the signs.
a. The loons are calling like mad.
 12.
IV. E. 5. b. There are suddenly no other boats on the lake.
c. The water becomes eerily calm and black.
6. A silver bolt of lightning finally gets the boys' attention.
a. This followed by a rumble of thunder,
b. And a sheet of rain that advances across the lake
like a huge black wall.
7. When the lightning first flashes, Norman pushes Billy
onto the boat's floor, and lies flat himself,
a. Explaining about highest objects and lightning.
8. Norman instructs Billy to cut the anchor rope.
9. Then he tries to start the engine
a. But themotor is locked in the 'up' position.
10. Norman reasons that either the wind will take them to
shore, or the lightning will pass and they can fix the
motor.
a. Meantime they will lie low and wait.
b. They huddle as much under the boat's deck as they
() can get.
11. And the rain hits.
a. Hard. A deluge.
b. Norman and Billy are soaked immediately.
c. They both try laughing, but they're both scared.
12. Ethel is on the porch with her binoculars trained on
the lake.
a. She's worried.
b. And mad.
13. Norman tells Billy to count the seconds between lightning
flash and thunder.
a. To tell how close the storm is.
b. Billy counts to 3 after the next bolt, and the thunder i:
deafening.
c. Norman informs him the storm is close.
14. Now comes the wind.
a. The lake suddenly buckles with large waves.
b. The boat spins, and begins to bounce on the restless
sea.
 13 •
I~. E. 15. The rain is pelting the house.
a. Ethel is frantically rescuing the canoe and porch
furniture.
b. The float is caught in the first rush of waves and
snaps free.
c. Ethel searches for Norman•s boat, no longer visible
in the tempest of wind and rain.
16. The boat is rocking dangerously now.
a. The waves are hitting high on the hull.
b. Billy is freaked out.
c. Norman tries to calm him with ridiculous stories of
other storms and shipwrecks and the like.
i. Which don•t calm him.
17. Ethel runs into the house.
a. She grabs the phone to call for help.
b •. When there•s a terrible crashing sound outside.
c. The phone is dead.
18. Across the lane outside a huge tree has fallen
a. Pulling down the telephone lines
b. And also blocking the drive.
19. In the boat Billy is counting again.
a. More time between lightning·and thu~der.

b. Norman tells him to drop the motor.

c. Billy says he 1 d rather Norman did it.
d. At last it gets done.
e. Norman starts the engine and he steers the boat for homE
20. Now the waves are too high.
a. If the boat heads directly for the birch tree, too much
water hits the transom.
b. Norman steers around to cut the waves diagonally.
c. The boat makes choppy, slow progress.
21. Ethel is now decked out in her slicker.
a. She pushes her bike around the fallen tree,
b. And pedals down the muddy road.
22· Charlie, meantime, is scurrying about, securing his boat
and boarding up his place.
 14 •

IV. E. 23 .. On the water Norman and Billy have now lost their
bearings.
a. Visibility is greatly limited.
b. Billy crouches at one side of the boat, looking for
the birch tree ·
c. While Norman steers slowly, trying to avoid being
hit by the biggest waves.
d. Their attitude, while laced with fear, is still
of excitement.
i. High adventure, Boys of the Western Sea.
24. Ethel is furiously pedalling down the road,
a. Her face all determination, her own safety forgotten,
b. Even with the sky growing steadily darker
c. And animals skittering here and there,
d. And an occasional tree falling.
25. The boat's motor dies.
a. Norman and Billy have a great debate about who forgot
the gas,
b. Which is academic, as the boat is now being thrashed
by the.waves.
c. The wind is twisting now, and theboat spins and
begins drifting sideways.-
26. Charli~ Martin is just settling in by his fire, preparing
to read one of Billy's books
27. When Ethel comes splashing into the yard.
a. She implores him to go on a rescue mission,
b. To which he's not overly receptive.
i. He reasons that Norman and Billy are probably safe
now anyway.
ii. And it would be impossible to locate them because
of the shifting winds, and the growing darkness.
28. Norman's boat is now being swept across the wide spanse
of lake.
a. Far from their own cove.
b. The boat is moving alarmingly fast in the ferocious wind.
c. Billy and Norman are huddled on the bottom.
29. Charlie has his hands full trying to restrain Ethel, who
is frantic to do something.
 15 •

IV. E. 30. It is nearly dark now. Norman flicks on the boat's

lights.
a. The· thunder is gone, the rain has let up,
b. But the wind and the waves are more powerful than
ever.
31. Ethel announces that she's going in Charlie's canoe
if he won't help her,
a. And she starts to,
b. Which impresses Charlie enough to get him going.
i. He pulls on his slicker and readies his boat.
·32. Norman's boat suddenly buckles with a terrible jolt.
a. They've hit rocks.
b. The boys are thrown against the gunwales,
i. Shaken, but not hurt.
c. Now the boat is stuck.
d. And the waves are pounding hard agaisnt the transom.
i. They're taking on water.
e. Norman instructs Billy to put his weight stern, while
Norman tries to free the bow.
f. Billy does as he's told.
g. Norman crawls onto the deck and tries topush at
the rocks,
i. When he slips and falls into the water,
ii. Hurting himself on the rock.
h. Billy rushes to help him,
i. But Norman barks at him to stay still,
ii. To keep his weight stern,
iii. While Norman pushes at the bow.
i. A great wave suddenly slams into the boat,
i. Freeing the bow,
ii. But knocking Norman of his rock, and under the
water,
iii. And pushing Billy hard against the boat's bottom.
j. By the time Billy catches his breath and realizes what's
happened, the boat has worked some distance from the
rocks,
 16 •

IV.E. 32. j. i. And Norman is splashing about in the water,

yelling at Billy.
33. Charlie and Ethel, meanwhile, are speeding across the
lake, their boat being pummeled by the waves.
34. Billy spots Norman in the water.
a. Norman is obviously tiring fast.
b. Billy grabs what is left of the anchor rope.
c. He ties it to his waist and dives into the water.
d. And swims against the waves trying to drag the boat
behind him.
35. Charlie and Ethel have arrived at the spot where
he last saw the boys.
a. Now he trains his light in all directions, trying to
spot them.
b. He looks worried, but Ethel insists they continue.
c. Charlie heads the boat downwind and forges on, searching
the water with his light.
36. Billy realizes he can't swim against the waves, so he
starts cutting across them,
a. figuring that Norman should be moving downwind as fast
as Billy and the boat are.
b. Which is true. Norman, struggling ·to keep his head
up, is being pushed along by the waves.
37. Charlie has to slow his boat because of the fury of the
waves,
a. Which infuriates Ethel.
38. Now Billy is nearly on Norman.
a. He seehim bobbing in the water, only feet away.
b. Norman has lost his glasses and has a look of
desparation,
i. When he suddenly sees the lights of the boat.
c. He paddles toward them,
d. And Billy grabs him.
e. They cling to each other.
39. Charlie has reached a little point of land, and he flashes
his light along the shore.

a. Ethel is insisting they move on.

 1 7.
IV. E. 39. b. She announces she will navigate while he uses the light.
40. By now Billy· has pulled Norman back along the rope
to the boat.
a. He pushes the old man up onto the gunwale.
b. Norman uses the_last of his strength to pull himself
into the boat.
c. He collapses on the floor.
d. And Billy, too, is s·pent.
i. He tries. to grab onto the boat, but he can't.
ii. He drifts away,- exhausted.
(a) the rope still on his waist.
41. Now Ethel is speeding across the waves.
a. Charlie hangs on for dear life.
b. Ethel barks at him to use the light, which he does.
42. Norman is semi-conscious on the bottom of the boat.
a. Billy is being pulled along on his back.
i. He, too, is barely conscious.
43. The boat is rolling along on the waves, reaching an
island now.
a. The da~k trees loom ahead.
44. Ethel and Charlie skim along a stretch of shore,
searching frantically for Norman's boat.
a. Charlie screams at Ethel to avoid the rocks,
b. Which she narrowly does.
45. Norman's boat pounds onto a small beach on the island.
a. Where it settles, still rocking in the waves.
b. The water pours over the stern,
i. Finally splashing on Norman, who awakens.
(a) Disoriented, startled.
c. He gets his bearings, looks for Billy, calls him.
d. He remembers:the rope, and frantically grabs for it.
e. He climbs out of the boat and pulls the rope to him.
f. With tremendous effot, Norman hauls Billy to the
beach.
g. He grabs his arms and pulls him onto the sand.
h. Billy is unconscious. Norman begins resuscitation.
i. Frantic, determined.
 1 8.

IV. E. 45. i. The boat floats free.

46. Ethel now is recklessly maneuvering Charlie's boat
along the shore and onto the open sea.
a. Charlie is petrified, but he gamely holds on.
47. Norman is desparately using mouth-to-mouth on Billy.
a. Who finally responds,
b. An~ after a great deal of choking, comes around.
c. Norman looks at him, relieved. The two of them sit
in the wet sand, exhausted and glad to be alive.
48. Norman's boat has now been sucked back out onto the
open sea, its lights still on.
49. Ethel is steering Charlie's boat incircles, desparation
setting in.
a. Charlie spots Norman's boat.
b. They rush to it,
c. Only to find it abandoned,
d. Which makes them fear the worst.

' 50. Norman and Billy make their way along the shore of the
island.
a. They see lights in the distance,
b. Which prove to be the girls camp.
51. Theystraggle into the dining~hall, wl:E:"e all the campers
and councillors are gathered.
a. Everyone rushes to make a fuss over the shipwrecked
sailors.
b. Norman informs the group that Billy saved his life,
and is a hero, and should be treated accordingly,
c. which sits well with Billy, who finds himself the
object of interest of a score of impressed ladies.
52. Ethel and Charlie are now towing Norman's boat.
a. Charlie recommends they take it to the safety of
the girls camp,
b. And tries to comfort Ethel with the suggestion that
perhaps Norman and Billy found solace there.
c. Ethel is skeptical, but helpless.
53. She and Charlie trudge up the bank at the camp,
a. Shivering and discouraged.
 st sai
hot cocoa, and

1. Norman and Billy are in the beds, each look a bit

worse for the wear, each reading a book.
2. Ethel checks on them, then gathers up her buckets.
a. She out of the house and down the lane,
b. Then circles back to find
3. Norman and Billy rushing steal down to with
their f ing gear.
a. She shakes her head and them
b. As they load a rm-v boat.
c. She t~e cloudless sky, then approaches them
d. To warn them to s in the own cove this time.
i. Norman protests, say there are no bass 1 t in
the cove.
ii. Ethel ls him bass as it is.
iii. Bil rms 1 s not about to row t
the cove wis
wou fastei· ~

4. and off.
5 And E the lane.
a. To B Hill
t 1
ii. She f p '
K

iii. She . Memor

(a) Of as a ch
(b) And with Norman
(c) And wi<th sea.
sits stares ou at 1
(a) to Go
(b) 0 ~ and dances the
0 e.
Chelsea is a rus h
a. She, eems
 20.

IV. F. 6. b. She passes a turnoff, stops, backs up, reads the

signs.
i .. One is Ethel's "Thayers" sign.
c. Chelsea shakes her head, then turns down the road.
d. She is soaking up the morning sunshine and the beauty
of Maine, when she first spots the lake.
e. She stops the car and runs up a little bank.
i. There's a buoyancy to her that we haven't seen before.
f. She stands on top of the hill and gazes down on the lake.
g. She is shocked to see her mother down below her,
i. Dancing away with the blueberry bushes.
h. Chelsea climbs down quietly.
7. Ethel is now doing Indian chants and some strange tribal
dance, lost in a reverie.
8. Chelsea watches, half amused, half concerned.
9. Ethel dances round and confronts Chelsea.
a. A good embarrassing moment.
) 10. Ethel and Chelsea have a chat as they pick (and eat) berrie
a. Chelsea spots the boys on the lake.
i. She asks what happened to the speedboat.
(a) Ethel tells her it got dented in a storm.
ii. Seeing Billy fishing ~ifh Norman reminds her of
her own childhood
(a) and her problems with Norman.
b. She grows dark and angry about the past.
c. Ethel tries to dismiss Chelsea's behavior as merely
maladjustment and childishness.
d. But Chelsea wants to fight it out.
i. She informs her mother that she's in real good
shape everywhere else.
(a) "I'm in charge of Los A~geles."

ii. But there's something about coming back here.

(a) "I've never grown up on Golden Pond."
iii. Which Ethel can't understand.
e. It all dissembles down to a good old squabble.
i. Old bitternesses and grudges
ii. And accusations
 21.
IV. F. 10. e. ii. (a) CHELSEA: You never bailed me out.
ETHEL: I didn't know you needed bailing out.
CHELSEA: Well, I did.
iii. And anger.
f. Ethel suggests Chelsea try growing up.
g. To which Chelsea responds by kicking her bait bucket
like any child might do
h. And running, running, running with all her residually
angry self, down the old path by the lake.
i. Leaving Ethel to shake her head sadly
i. And look at the spilled berries and Norman on
the lake and Chelsea's abandoned car,
ii. And walk home herself.
11. She finds Chelsea sitting on the dock, binoculars in hand.
a. She watches Norman and Billy
i. Who are having a marvelous time on the lake,
ii. Trying to bring in the last bass in the cove.
I) b. Chelsea lowers the glasses and her eyes show a lot
of things:
i. Sadness for her mismanaged childhood, .
ii •. Love for Billy,
iii. And a different kind;. of love· fGr Norman, stubborn
and angry, yet real.
12. She's embarrassed with Ethel for her behavior,
a. Which Ethel shrugs away.
b. She only says that Chelsea is such a nice person,
it's too bad she has nothing nice to say.
13. Whereupon Chelsea mentions that she married Bill in
'
Brussels.
a. Which p~eases Ethel no end.
i. "Does it count in this country?"
bw They have a pleasant little celebration.
i. CHELSEA: I'm twice as old as you were when you
married Norman. Think that means anything?
ETHEL: I hope it means Bill will be half as much
trouble.
14. They spend a quiet moment together,
a. Going back for Chelsea's car.
 22.

IV. F. 14. b. Chelsea watches Ethel weaving through the trees,

her trees, by her lake.
i. Still exuberant and proud and loving
ii. But older.
c. Chelsea feels suddenly scared by that, startled
to really look at her mother and really see her.
d. Ethel shrugs this off, too.
i. "It's what happens if you live long enough - you
end up being old."
e. But a bond is reforged,
i. Imperfect as it may be,
ii. It is still mother and daughter, old friends.
15. Riding back in the car, Ethel suggests that Chelsea-·
could try to bury some of her hatchets with Norman,
a. Which causes Chelsea to scoff
i. CHELSEA: I can't talk to him.
ETHEL: Have you ever tried?
CHELSEA: Yes. We've discussed the relative
stupidity of Puerto Rican baseball players.
b. She says that maybe someday she and Norman can
be friends.
i. ETHEL: Chelsea, Norman is 80 years old, when do you
expect this friendship to begin?
16. Chelsea sits on the porch in her bathing suit, watching
Norman and Billy approach the dock.
a. She studies them wistfully.
b. She laughs when they argue over the landing.
, 17. Billy jumps from the boa~ holding a huge fish.
a. He spots Chelsea and runs to the porch,
b. Leaving Norman to drift away from the dock,
i. Which he finds unamusing.
18. Chelsea, Billy, and the fish all embrace,
a. Until Norman calls for a little able-bodied assistance.
19. Billy throws him a line,
a. And Chelsea saunters down to watch.
20. She and Norman have another polite reunion.
a. Billy wants to tell her about the back flip Norman
has taught him.
 23.
IV. F. 20. b. Which sits poorly with Chelsea,
i. A failed backflipper herself.
21. Ethel arrives and sends Billy off to tend to his fish.
a. She and Norman and Chelsea have an old-times-sake
conversation,
b. Until Ethel heads off to prepare lunch.
c. Norman trudges up behind her,
d. And Chelsea watches her father,
i. This old man
ii. Full of unspoken feeling
iii. And pride.
e. She calls him back,
i. And they have a stumbling conversation,
ii. She wading in the lake,
iii. He hiding in the shade.
iv. They speak of the distance, and only lightly
touch the sore spots,
v. A little at a time.
vi. It's not a catharsis, but merely an effort.
vii. Chelsea tells her father she'd like to be his
friend.
viii. Which touches Normafi deeply:
ix. They do manage, thoug~ to .trip onto the subject
of Chelsea's fat past, and the humiliation of
trying to be a diver to please her former-diver
father,
(a) Which gets Norman rampaging,
(b) And gets Chelsea pissed.
f. She wades, then swims, to the float, climbs on and
announces that she will now do a goddam back flip.
i. Which gets Norman to his feet,
ii. And Ethel watching from a window,
iii. And Billy from the woods where's he's cleaning fish
iv. Except that Chelsea gets on the board, and loses
courage.
g. Norman rows out, and from a safe distance, gives her
instructions, and encouragement,
 4.

tel s er it esn't
d.oesn' t do s t it 1 s
not that tant.
ii. At wh int Ch sea thrO>tJS fate, and some of
her past, to the i.vind, and does, in fact, a
not feet but still certifi e k flip.
h. She surfaces, amaz at herself.
i. Norman stands in the rowboat cl ing.
ii. Ethel and Billy applaud from
iii. A little idge been crossed.
G. A reunion with Charlie.
4
I • next morning Norman and Billy are off fish
once
a. both implore Chelsea to come along,
b. But she resists, and is relieved when she 1 s given
ss1.on to stay home. ·
2. Ethel and sea take a canoe r and spot loons
and a great blue heron,
a. iet.
e along the shore where ls c us
to
i. All new houses now.
ii. Memories of
3. Chelsea s a moment alone house 1
a. Con ' .
J..l. e sts
se, a
il. She gets st in reflections.
4• V'Jhen lie arr wi.th the mail.
a. He Chelsea have a h if ced, reun
i .. Heis s pined old
ii. And tries to be t new marri
Ethel joins them

6• ~'ih leads E to a ise of c iyi

song.
ea. a rous to 1 s
 IV. H. Norman, E ea 1 across 1
in s
inted, dents s
maneuvers boat a great, la
-,
.) . The sun low sky.
4 • Th return to the dock,
a. ~vhere Chelsea Bil they to leave
L.A.
i. " t 1 s take back some h We sell it
make a tune."
5. The four of them up to Chelsea~s car;
a. h'here they stand for a long
b. When ea remembers they haven't sa goodbye tcf the
lake.
6 . She and Billy race through the trees to
a. ighted for an excuse to linger.
7. They stand on the dock and yell goodbye,
) a. Which echoes across calm water.
8. 'They vires e each other in to the 1
9. \!>Jhile E and Norman the
IV. I. Ethel and Norman s play i t even
1. Peaceful, content, s old e
v. s
A. Norman s on the dock 1 star at. the 1
1. Some of leaves have

3. p,A gen e eeze ripples water Norman's

4. He stands for a star out.r h s
a of s of , and 1 of
B. E c ls h with storm
. Norman r ~.;ants to s le.
a. "I assume fish in
c. E 1 him to with last
4
I .Wh reluctan does.
) ')
""' .But 's too he s es, alls,
3 A
to to f his n
must. I'l
 26.

v. D. 2. To call a doctor.
a. The stupid operator never answers.
3. She kneels beside him, fearing the worst.
a. "Dear Lord, don't take him now. You don't want him,
he's a poop."
4. When Norman decides to hang around a while longer.
E. She hugs him, and for a moment time stands still.
F. They go down to say goodbye to the lake.
1. The loons splash down near them.
2. It's an idyllic setting.
3. Ethel can't resist a last canoe ride.
4. They glide out on the water.
a. Solitary figures on the calm sea.
b. They are quiet for a moment, not sad or pathetic,
but peaceful, hopeful.
G. Ethel speaks to the lake.
1. "Hello, Golden Pond, we've come to say goodbye.