Twilight Time continues celebrating the legendary actress’s career with the release of some of here more underappreciated works.
The list of screen performers who have reached Jane Fonda’s level of both acting and acclaim is certainly small. The actress can proudly claim the title of icon with plenty of classics which legions of audiences will forever admire her for, each one worthy of being deemed “a favorite.” There’s her desperate dancer in They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?, her empowering secretary in 9 to 5, her prostitute turned amateur detective in Klute, her supportive Vietnam-era wife in Coming Home and her 70-something divorcee in Grace and Frankie. All of these performances have come to define Fonda as a fearless actress whose work resonates with both critics and audiences alike in a way very few screen stars in film history have.
However, there are plenty of Fonda titles which never make it to classic status, despite richly deserving it, instead falling by the wayside until they are eventually discovered years later. Fonda’s comic work in Neil Simon’s California Suite shows the actress at her wittiest, while an Oscar-nominated turn as a washed-up alcoholic actress in The Morning After remains flawless.
Thankfully it seems that lately, the folks over at Twilight Time have decided to get into the Jane Fonda business by releasing a number titles featuring the actress at her best, including a ‘60s southern drama, a moody western, and a sensitive love story. Although each of the films are far from being considered classics, the trio of titles, each made by an expert filmmaker, showcase the one-of-a-kind Fonda in all her versatile glory.
The Chase (1966)
How The Chase remains an unknown piece of dynamic ‘60s filmmaking, despite its many qualities, is beyond me. The intense drama takes place in a small southern town and stars Marlon Brando as a sheriff who loses control of his community when an escaped convict (Robert Redford) makes a return. Racial tensions, mob mentality, and steamy sensuality run rampant throughout The Chase, giving its all-star cast (which also included Robert Duvall, Angie Dickinson, E. G. Marshall, and Miriam Hopkins) plenty of melodrama to sink their teeth into. Fonda makes the most of her somewhat underwritten role as Anna, Redford’s estranged wife who is torn between her love for him and undeniable feelings for the eldest son (James Fox) of the richest family in town. The Chase is far from an easy movie to sit through due to its violence and depiction of life in the American south during the ‘60s. However, the film never fails to be compelling thanks to Arthur Penn’s direction, Lillian Hellman’s script, and top performances, especially from Fonda, who remains the film’s most electric element throughout.
Comes a Horseman (1979)
This little-seen western is perhaps one of the most skipped over titles of Fonda’s entire career, and in a way that’s understandable. The film had the bad luck of being released the same year as the actress’s Oscar-winning triumph, Coming Home, while also suffering from lack of excitement at the box-office. Comes a Horseman stars Fonda as Ella, a tough 1940s rancher who reluctantly partners with neighbor James Caan in an effort to save her property from wealthy tycoon Jason Robards, who wants Ella’s land for both business and personal reasons. While Fonda and Caan both excel here, developing a totally watchable chemistry in spite of their two opposing acting styles, the real pleasure is Robards, who makes for one of the most effective movie villains ever with a disturbingly quiet monstrousness. Aside from a somewhat violent finale, little action happens throughout Comes a Horseman as director Alan J. Pakula opts more for romantic character study over a traditional “save the farm” movie, garnering splendid results in the process.
Stanley & Iris (1990)
Remembered more as the last film Fonda did before entering into semi-retirement for 15 years, the incredibly touching Stanley & Iris also makes the cinematic swan song of director Martin Ritt. The Oscar-nominated filmmaker couldn’t have asked for a better way to end an impressive career than with this gentle story of a widowed factory worker (Fonda) who befriends an illiterate cook (Robert De Niro) and teaches him how to read, while he teaches her how to love. If there was ever one consistency in Fonda as an actress, it was that she tended to pick projects which made statements of some sort, be they about society or politics. Stanley & Iris may not have much social commentary to it, but it does have two stars who marvelously bring to life this sweet, simple tale of two people who feel their past experiences with the harshness of life have come to define their respective existences. Watching them discover each other and a second chance neither one thought would come their way is incredibly human and relatable. Watching it shine through the talents of two of the greatest actors who ever graced the screen makes it flat out magical.
While Twilight Time has proudly re-released other, more beloved Fonda titles including Julia, Cat Ballou, and 9 to 5, the company seems intent on showcasing both sides of the actress’s filmography, recognizing that they all represent the best of Fonda as a performer. Indeed, The Chase, Comes a Horseman, and Stanley & Iris each greatly speak to Fonda’s diversity in terms of her talent and the roles she was capable of playing, with all of them serving as a perfect introduction to actress’s unrivaled body of work, which is thankfully still growing with no signs of slowing down anytime soon.
The Chase, Comes a Horseman, and Stanley & Iris are all available on Blu-ray from Twilight Time.
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