10 Best Jane Fonda Movies, Ranked by Rotten Tomatoes
Jane Fonda is a two-time Oscar winner with a career dating back to the 60s. Throughout her prestigious and acclaimed acting journey, Fonda has starred in numerous box-office hits and critically-acclaimed movies, including Coming Home and On Golden Pond. Fonda has also left a mark on the small screen, starring opposite Lily Tomlin in the Netflix hit Grace and Frankie.
The actress is back on the big screen with Book Club: The Next Chapter, reminding audiences why she's an acting legend. And while not all her films have been acclaimed by critics, many have achieved high scores on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.
10 'Coming Home' (1978)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 86%
Fonda won her second Best Actress Oscar for her starring role in the 1978 war drama Coming Home. The actress plays Sally, a woman who develops a romance with a wheelchair-using veteran while her husband is fighting in Vietnam. When he suddenly returns, Sally must decide between her blossoming romance and her commitment to her husband.
Like many other Fonda vehicles from that time, Coming Home is a condemnation of war disguised as a romantic drama. The actress is in top shape, delivering a compelling performance that elevates what could easily be a preachy screenplay. However, Fonda's committed, passionate work makes Coming Home a searing and compassionate romance.
9 'The China Syndrome' (1979)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 88%
A year after her second Oscar win, Fonda teamed up with Michael Douglas and Jack Lemmon for the disaster thriller The China Syndrome. The film follows a news reporter and her cameraman who unintentionally witnesses an accident at a nuclear plant and suspect it of violating safety procedures.
The China Syndrome is a tense and thought-provoking thriller, elevated by the strength of Fonda and Lemmon's performances. As the feisty and determined Kimberly Wells, Fonda is at her best, delivering another of the fierce performances that made her such a subversive cinematic icon of the 1970s. The China Syndrome is also among Michael Douglas' best movies and a late showcase for the mighty Jack Lemmon.
8 'Tell Them Who You Are' (2004)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 88%
The 2004 documentary Tell Them Who You Are chronicles the difficult relationship between acclaimed cinematographer Haskell Wexler and his son, Mark. Fonda is among the many celebrities who appear in the film to discuss Wexler's work and influence alongside figures like Julia Roberts and Michael Douglas.
Tell Them Who You Are is a complicated and insightful look into one man's genius and how it affected his family life. The film paints a detailed portrayal of Wexler, with son Mark laying his truth for the world to see. Tell Them Who You Are seeks not to clarify or explain but rather expose the complex dynamics of parental relationships and how they shape a person's life.
7 'Our Souls At Night' (2017)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 89%
Fonda joins forces with another screen icon, Robert Redford, for the 2017 romantic drama Our Souls at Night. Based on the eponymous novel, the film centers on two long-time widowed neighbors who develop a platonic relationship to alleviate their loneliness. However, a real romance soon blossoms, forcing them to deal with their ghosts and traumas.
Magic happens when a great director and a thoughtful script meet two screen legends. Our Souls at Night is a sweet but poignant and insightful look at middle-age romance, enhanced by Fonda and Redford's considerable talents. In their fourth collaboration, the actors find genuine intimacy in their scenes, painting a loving and nuanced portrayal of love, life, grief, and loneliness.
6 'Hal' (2018)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 90%
Filmmaker Hal Ashby is at the heart of the 2018 documentary Hal. The film chronicles Ashby's beginnings as an editor, his rise and critical acclaim as a director of numerous seminal 70s films like Coming Home and Harold and Maude, his eventual decline and drug abuse, and his subsequent death. Having worked with Ashby in Coming Home, Fonda appears in the film to discuss his career and legacy.
Hal is a fascinating and sympathetic portrayal of a complicated man. Telling Ahsby's story without any judgment or condemnation, Hal allows the camera to find the truth within, presenting a layered and revelatory depiction of a pivotal figure in Hollywood's New Age.
5 'Cat Ballou' (1965)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 90%
The hilarious Cat Ballou is a unique entry into the Western genre. The film stars Fonda as the eponymous character, who hires the duplicitous outlaw Kid Shelleen to avenge her father's death. However, little does she know Shelleen has a few secrets of his own.
Subversive and wild, Cat Ballou was named among the all-time Westerns by the AFI. Fonda is a spitfire in the role, blending comedy with anxiousness to craft a self-deprecating performance that further enhances the screenplay's hilarity. Cat Ballou is a one-of-a-kind Western and an early triumph in Fonda's long career.
4 'Still Working 9 To 5' (2022)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91%
Fonda starred in one of her most popular movies in 1980. 9 to 5 saw Fonda starring alongside Lily Tomlin and Dolly Parton in a story about feminism and workplace equality that became a timeless classic. The 2022 documentary Still Working 9 to 5 features interviews with the three leading ladies exploring the film's legacy.
The documentary also includes other famous faces, including Rita Moreno and Allison Janney, to discuss 9 to 5's influence and popularity forty-two years after its release. Fonda and her co-stars speak affectionately about the movie, opening up about its deeper meaning and why it still resonates with audiences. 9 to 5's portrayal of workplace dynamics remains surprisingly relevant today, and Still Working 9 to 5 further contributes to the film's reputation as a scathing indictment of corporate America.
3 'On Golden Pond' (1981)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 93%
Fonda co-starred with her late father, the legendary Henry Fonda, and another big-screen icon, Katharine Hepburn, in the 1981 drama On Golden Pond. The story centers on an older couple spending their vacation in their New England country home. The arrival of their adult daughter surprises them, as do her attempts to reconcile with her estranged father.
On Golden Pond is a showcase for Henry Fonda and Katharine Hepburn, confirming why they are two of American cinema's most enduring and celebrated icons. However, Jane Fonda also receives a meaningful role that mirrored her real-life relationship with Henry, resulting in a loving and nuanced portrayal of parenthood that will resonate deeply with audiences.
2 'Klute' (1971)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 93%
Fonda won her first Academy Award for Best Actress for Alan J. Pakula's neo-noir thriller Klute. The actress stars as Bree Daniels, a high-end call girl who joins detective John Klute to solve the disappearance of company executive Tom Gruneman.
Tense and intelligent, Klute is a masterful mystery, elevated by Pakula's direction and a sharp screenplay. However, the film belongs to Fonda, who delivers a tour de force as the thorny Bree. Subverting the traditional femme fatale trope, Fonda makes Bree alluring but compelling, mysterious but approachable, a compound of contradictions that makes her irresistible.
1 'Jane Fonda in Five Acts' (2018)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 97%
Susan Lacy's 2018 documentary Jane Fonda in Five Acts puts Fonda front and center. The documentary explores her career, controversies, and political activism, painting a detailed portrayal of an actress who defied conventions to become a true cinematic icon and an enduring part of pop culture.
Featuring interviews with Fonda's friends and co-stars, including Redford and Tomlin, Jane Fonda in Five Acts is both an insightful look at her persona and a celebration of her career and contributions. Fonda is among the few actors who can be described as "Hollywood Royalty," and Jane Fonda in Five Acts perfectly explains why.
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