Jane Fonda in Five Acts

Play trailer

Jane Fonda in Five Acts

2018

2h 13m

Documentary

Biography

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

97%

Tomatometer

33 Reviews

91%

Popcornmeter

50+ Ratings

A look at the life, work, activism and controversies of actress and fitness tycoon Jane Fonda.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Buy Now

Critics Consensus

Raw and rich in decade-spanning detail, Jane Fonda in Five Acts paints a living portrait of one popular culture's most compelling figures.

Read Critics Reviews

David Fear

Rolling Stone

She's a legend, sure. But now she's not Henry's daughter, or Roger/Tom/Ted's wife, or Bree Daniels. She's just Jane, the doc suggests, plain old Jane. It only took decades to get there.

Dec 20, 2018

Full Review

Gwen Ihnat

AV Club

Fonda is so solid throughout the documentary that an enthusiastic reference to a prophetic psychic reading sticks out as a flighty departure.

Rated: A

Dec 14, 2018

Full Review

Julia Raeside

Guardian

Modern documentaries have led us to expect more rigour in their storytelling but this, despite its willingness to touch on family discord and so on, keeps a respectful distance that ultimately frustrates.

Rated: 2/5

Nov 6, 2018

Full Review

Marya E. Gates

Moviefone

A stunning profile of a complex person, ‘Jane Fonda In Five Acts’ excels at capturing all the intricacies that make us who we are and inspires us to keep working on our own unfinished self-portraits.

Feb 13, 2024

Full Review

Sandie Angulo Chen

AWFJ.org

Brother Peter and oldest daughter Vanessa Vadim are conspicuously missing from the interviews, but otherwise, Jane Fonda in Five Acts is a frank and fascinating look at the complicated life and career of an extraordinary woman.

Oct 12, 2021

Full Review

Cate Marquis

AWFJ.org

For Jane Fonda fans, this documentary is an in-depth look inside her life, although like any autobiography, it lacks outside perspective. It is the life of Jane Fonda as Jane Fonda would tell it.

Oct 12, 2021

Full Review

Read all reviews

Mike P

Long but very compelling and comprehensive Jane Fonda documentary...I mean, this definitely tells THE WHOLE STORY; if you want to discover the TRUE Jane Fonda story; beginning, middle and end...This is IT!! And she's never less than utterly fascinating; in her devastatingly honest Jane Fonda way...And it's mostly just her talking extemporaneously about this that and everything...Plus film clips...And with her that's definitely enough! A must for Jane fanatics. (And count me among that group!)

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

11/17/24

Full Review

David H

Incredible! Informative and insightful, revealing and rewarding, it does true justice to Jane Fonda as a performer, an activist, and much more -- but most importantly, as a marvelous human being.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/13/23

Full Review

Lee C

Jane Fonda, you will NEVER "be authentic"! Poor little rich kid who married billionaires and plays a victim! Harry and Megan are waiting for you in the lobby!

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/22/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The greatest 02 hours: and 13 minutes ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! With real footage!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/11/23

Full Review

georgan g

One of my heroes, Jane Fonda, is candid & in-depth about her personal life. She is 10 years older than me, and her growth as a person in the 60s really resonate.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I have always admired Jane Fonda. This documentary was riveting. Beautifully produced and directed. Her relationship with her father echoed my own.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/15/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Susan Lacy

Director

Jane Fonda

Self

Tom Hayden

Self

Robert Redford

Self

Lily Tomlin

Self

Paula Weinstein

Self

Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project

97%

87%

Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project

Pamela, a Love Story

96%

92%

Pamela, a Love Story

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Pamela, a Love Story

Amy Tan: Unintended Memoir

93%

%

Amy Tan: Unintended Memoir

Watchlist

Merata: How Mum Decolonised the Screen

92%

100%

Merata: How Mum Decolonised the Screen

Watchlist

Caroline Flack: Her Life and Death

100%

%

Caroline Flack: Her Life and Death

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Best-Reviewed TV Shows by Genre 2018

Game of Thrones Returns Early 2019, Plus HBO Confirms Deadwood Movie

View more photos

Synopsis

A look at the life, work, activism and controversies of actress and fitness tycoon Jane Fonda.

Director: Susan Lacy
Producer: Susan Lacy, Jessica Levin, Emma Pildes
Production Co: HBO Documentary Films
Genre: Documentary, Biography
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 27, 2018
Runtime: 2h 13m

Most Popular at Home Now