In an adaptation that was just as bad as the original play, written in 1879 by Henrik Ibsen, Jane Fonda saved the 1973 film A Doll's House, directed by Joseph Losey. She brought energy and beauty that the play and film lacked. I felt that both were drab and lacking any real character and feeling; yet, with Fonda in the role as Nora, I could find some likability in the character.

     Dealing with the issue of social conformity in the late 1800s was risky, yet Ibsen did pull off the plot quite well. Nora is faced with the issue of leaving her husband (played by David Warner on screen), her children, and her regular everyday life. And when brought to the hard face of reality, one gradually sees Nora's character crack. Fonda kept an upbeat character for the first part of the film and slowly deconstructed into the Nora who left all.

     Although, it may not have been a workout video, Fonda held my attention, which is the only thing in the film that did. She brought life to a place that was not very full of it. In a humiliating situation she showed the character flaws but continued to gleam as a friend, mother, and wife despite her flaws.