‘Klute’: Lily Tomlin names her favourite Jane Fonda movie
It’s not all too often that Hollywood’s biggest stars come together on screen simultaneously, which makes movies like Michael Mann’s Heat, starring Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, all the more impressive. And one ought not to forget the union of Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda in the sitcom series Grace and Frankie and the film 9 to 5.
After all, both Tomlin and Fonda are two genuine icons of the American entertainment world. Fonda has perhaps taken more of the limelight with her phenomenal performances in the likes of They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?, Coming Home, Julia, On Golden Pond and The Morning After.
Tomlin is no slouch to fame, though, having featured in Robert Altman’s Nashville, plus The Late Show, All of Me and Big Business and it was brilliant to see Tomlin star alongside her friend and fellow Hollywood legend Fonda in Grace and Frankie, 9 to 5, 80 for Brady and Moving On. With a personal appreciation for each other’s work, Tomlin was once asked what her favourite Jane Fonda movie is.
The actor, without a second thought, stated Klute, to which Fonda responded, “I knew you were gonna say that because she liked the hair.” Tomlin followed up, “No, I liked the performance, and I always hoped that you and Donald Sutherland would marry.”
Klute is Alan J. Pakula’s 1971 psychological thriller, which serves as something of a landmark statement in the world of neo-noir American cinema. With Jane Fonda giving an Academy Award-winning performance opposite Donald Sutherland, the movie is certainly one of her best efforts.
Sutherland plays John Klute, a small-town detective who sets out for New York City to look into the disappearance of his friend. His search introduces him to Fonda’s call girl, Bree Daniels, who becomes wrapped up in the dangerous mission full of intriguing suspense and tense atmosphere.
It was a moment in which Fonda showcased her genuine versatility as an actor, and she was on the end of universal acclaim for her brilliance. Klute dives headfirst into issues of identity, power and psychology and with Fonda in scintillating form, it remains one of the best movies of the 1970s.
Fonda then followed up with naming her favourite movie starring Lily Tomlin in return. “I loved her in Nashville,” she said before stating a handful of other classics featuring her Grace and Frankie co-star. “I loved her in The Incredible Shrinking Woman, I loved her in Prairie Home Companion opposite Meryl Streep.”
The actor joked, “You know, she wanted somebody else, but you know, Meryl was a second choice, so…” Of course, Streep is perhaps the most significant American actor of all time, even up against Jane Fonda, so there’s clearly an element of cheekiness to Fonda and Tomlin’s comments here.
Check out the trailer for Klute, Lily Tomlin’s favourite Jane Fonda movie, below.
