JU N E 2 0 12 V I D E O • A G E 8 Anyone even remotely familiar with Jane Fonda would never dream of calling her a “Plain Jane.” The American actress, sex symbol and political activist has worn many hats, and she may even try on a few more to round out her multifaceted and fascinating life. Though nine biographies on Fonda have already been published, journalistbiographer Patricia Bosworth is the first woman to publish one, and her 2011 book is even more unique because many of the stories found on its pages have never before been shared with the public. In Jane Fonda: The Private Life of a Public Woman (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 600 pages, $30.00), Bosworth explores the many personas Fonda has morphed into over the years, revealing insight into the multitalented actress’s life through seven years of research and interviews with current and former friends, family and Fonda herself (Fonda even gave Bosworth access to her FBI files). Bosworth argues that throughout her “serial life,” Fonda has had many personalities and has become many personas: actress, movie star, sex symbol, political activist, workout guru and tycoon wife. Many of her identities have been tied to a man, beginning with her father, Henry Fonda. The portrait Bosworth paints of iconic American actor Henry Fonda is very different from Tom Joad, the migrant farm worker he portrays in The Grapes of Wrath and the idealist juror he made famous in 12 Angry Men. As a child, it was difficult for Jane Fonda to reconcile her unloving father with the kind men he embodied on the silver screen. Fonda’s childhood was a troubled and unhappy one. Her mother, Frances, caused a great deal of the pain Fonda felt growing up, as she didn’t hide her preference for Fonda’s brother, Peter, who also became an actor. Additionally, Frances’s suicide when Fonda was only 13 years old had a profound impact on her, and was the driving force behind her decision to tackle the role of the suicidal Gloria in 1969’s They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? many years later. Her father was no better at providing a nurturing childhood. She doesn’t remember him showing her affection or praise, and Bosworth notes that she was constantly trying to catch his attention and find a father figure over the years because “all her life, Jane longed to connect with him and blamed herself when she couldn’t.” She even became an actress because she felt closer to her father when she was acting, and hoped this would help them bond. Her search for approval and a father figure led her to entangle herself with various men, and to marry and divorce three of them. After a string of college boyfriends, Fonda found herself living with Greek director Andreas Voutsinas, who became her acting coach/mentor and lover (despite the fact that he was gay) because she “‘needed someone else to create [her] life. [She] felt more comfortable when [she] was with him; he could take charge,’” which suggests that Fonda craved a man capable of grounding her and giving her direction, much like a father. However, Voutsinas was allcontrolling and directors often forbade his presence on-set while Fonda filmed. Looking back, Fonda characterized her time with Voutsinas as “‘Three years of depression and passivity on my part.’” Fonda moved from Voutsinas into the arms of her first husband, the much older French director Roger Vadim, who transformed her into a sex symbol, and with whom she had a daughter, Vanessa. Despite the difficulties that came along with their open marriage and sexual experimentation, Fonda recalls Vadim fondly: “‘[he] helped me move out from under my father’s shadow.’” But what she didn’t seem to realize at the time was that she allowed him to control her. For instance, despite her aversion to the role, she starred in Barbarella (1968) upon Vadim’s bidding. But Fonda grew restless and bored with merely being a movie star. With America in turmoil over the war in Vietnam, political activism — particularly antiwar demonstrations — was an attractive new direction that drew her away from Vadim and Vanessa, and eventually led her to her second husband, antiwar activist/ politician Tom Hayden. She was inspired by Hayden and felt he was someone who could teach her about devoting herself to a cause. But their marriage ended after about 16 years due to his infidelities and verbal cruelties. Vanessa and Troy (Fonda’s son with Hayden) weren’t happy when their mother began dating media tycoon Ted Turner because, “Once again she’d chosen a powerful, opinionated man to run things — she seemed to need a man like that to anchor her,” according to Bosworth. But the marriage wouldn’t last, largely due to Turner’s womanizing. Bosworth’s description of Fonda’s 1972 trip to North Vietnam and the incident that led to her notorious moniker “Hanoi Jane” (Fonda was photographed on a North Vietnamese antiaircraft gun) are proof that despite the two women’s history (they first met at the Actors Studio in 1961), Bosworth maintains a certain distance from her subject. The author demonstrates her skepticism about how Fonda could have been so naive regarding the repercussions of her radio broadcasts about discontinuing the bombing of North Vietnamese dikes and her decision to sit on the antiaircraft gun. Bosworth writes, “Somehow she didn’t understand that the North Vietnamese would use her radio spots for propaganda purposes.” However, just two pages later, the author downplays the impact of Fonda’s radio addresses in what seems like an attempt to redeem her. This underscores how important it is for readers to consider Bosworth’s connection to Fonda and any underlying motives she might have for writing the book. The author provides necessary background information about the men and the political and social atmosphere of important periods in her life so that we better understand Fonda. This is particularly valuable when it comes to the infamous Hanoi Jane incident, which generated a backlash among the American public that adversely impacted her career. Bosworth’s prose flows like a novel, engaging readers and making them feel as if they are personally involved in Fonda’s life. Bosworth argues that Fonda heralded the advent of celebrity advocacy because “More than any other star, Jane was responsible for the creation of a new political Hollywood where no career could be complete without a cause.” But she also wonders what would have become of Fonda’s career had she focused her incredible energy solely on her acting, rather than stretching herself among her acting and numerous causes. One repercussion: because of her politics, Fonda lamented that she did not receive many viable script offers during the early 1970s, and it’s widely believed that she lost the Oscar for Best Actress for They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? due to her intense antiwar activities. After all, for Bosworth, and perhaps other fans as well, “she is far more compelling as Bree Daniels [in Klute] than she ever was as Hanoi Jane.” Bosworth posits, “If she’d wanted to, she could have been one of the most interesting and challenging women ever onstage and on film.” Bosworth’s book holds true to the title; we really do learn about the private life of the very public Jane Fonda. The actress even refused to talk about her private life on The Dick Cavett Show, but Bosworth manages to reveal personal insights and new information in her book. Not only do we hear from Fonda herself, but also from her brother Peter and other family members and friends. This is not merely a recounting of already-told Fonda stories, so whether you’re fond of Jane or not, Bosworth’s book is a worthwhile read. SA Jane Fonda Creates a New Hollywood: Stardom With a Cause B o o k R e v i e w
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