PF

Peter Fonda has died.  Perhaps he wasn't the actor his father was, or his sister.  But still, he had his moments.

As the son of Henry Fonda, Peter grew up with big expectations.  By the time he was in his early 20s he started appearing on TV shows such as Alfred Hitchcock's anthology series, and he's not bad.  Soon after, he was starring in movies, such as The Young Lovers. (He was also a mainstay at hip Hollywood parties, bothering John Lennon so much about a near fatal gunshot wound he'd had as a kid that Lennon wrote a song about it, "She Said She Said.")

By the mid-60s he was making a reputation in Roger Corman youth-oriented films about bikers such as The Wild Angels, and drugs, such as The Trip.  Then, in 1969, came the film that changed Hollywood, Easy Rider.  Fonda, not yet 30, starred and co-wrote it with Dennis Hopper (and gave himself the most famous line in the movie). I've always found the film a bit on the silly/arty side--though Jack Nicholson is great--but it was state of the art in its day, and such a hit that Hollywood started taking chances.  Sure, it led to a lot of self-indulgence, but also to one of Hollywood's most creative periods.



Unfortunately, while a lot of new stars were doing their best work, Fonda wasn't making the best choices, appearing in films such as The Last Movie and The Hired Hand (though I do have a fondness for the auto chase thriller Dirty Mary Crazy Larry.)

Fonda's sister Jane was becoming a bigger star than ever, nominated for seven Oscars in the 70s and 80s, winning two.  Meanwhile, dad Hank had a comeback just before he died, winning an Oscar for On Golden Pond (1981).  As all this was happening, Peter was fading from public consciousness, appearing in movies like Futureworld and Wanda Nevada.

But he kept working and, while most weren't looking, became a better actor. In 1997, he gave maybe his best performance in Ulee's Gold, playing a quiet beekeeper going through a family crisis.  Gone was the brash young man, replaced by a more contemplative fellow who's been through a lot.  Fonda, deservedly, was nominated for an Oscar, the only acting nomination he'd ever receive.

While he may not have been a huge star in his last twenty years, he became a reliable figure. For instance, I like his work as Frank O'Connor in the TV movie The Passion Of Ayn Rand, playing Rand's cuckolded husband.

Even better is record producer Terry Valentine in The Limey.  Director Steven Soderbergh used Fonda's iconic 60s status for the role.  It was a perfect match.  I'd been emailing a friend about the 60s (because of Quentin Tarantino's new film) and just by chance I sent him the following a day ago--a short speech from Fonda which is one the highlights of the movie, and his career: