Film still of Jane Fonda In Five Acts © RR
A chameleon star: Jane Fonda in Five Acts
Actress, activist, fitness guru and magnate’s wife: to each their own image of the exuberant Jane Fonda. Jane Fonda in Five Acts looks at the journey of an actress with multiple lives, the daughter of a legendary actor, and a politically and socially motivated public figure. This documentary by Susan Lacy brings to light this chameleon-like character forever marked by the suicide of her mother and her father’s unavailability: a sad childhood and a lack of direction that she would search for throughout her life, often in the regard of men. A model of the strong yet fragile woman, presented in five acts in Cannes Classics.
Henry Fonda
The daughter of this cinema legend would suffer her entire life from their lack of communication. He played her on-screen father in On Golden Pond in 1981, and filming the movie had a cathartic effect on his daughter.
Roger Vadim
The French period. The director of Et Dieu… créa la femme (…And God Created Woman) had already been with Brigitte Bardot and Catherine Deneuve; Jane Fonda succumbed in turn. Together, they would have a child, a house in the countryside, an easy life in Saint-Tropez, and film the mythical Barbarella (1968).
Tom Hayden
The activist leader meets the actress of Klute (1971), her face framed by a jet-black fringe. Together they would share a bohemian lifestyle that was extremely politically and socially motivated, and her militant activism would take precedence over her artistic side. She spoke out against the Vietnam War and initiated her period as a “fitness guru” to finance her activities. It was a worldwide success. They also had a child together.
Ted Turner
The moustached press magnate and founder of CNN set his sights on Jane shortly after her break-up with Tom Hayden. She fell under his spell, gave up her life as an actress and lived a Bourgeoise existence from ranch to ranch without leaving behind her activism.
Jane
Resilience. Free from all constraints, today’s Jane takes stock of her life as a mother, grandmother, and her discovery of the “healthy life”. Her secret? Doing a lot of soul searching.
