Terms of Endearment (A or 4/4 stars)
'Terms of Endearment' (directed & co-written by James L. Brooks) covers nearly 30 yrs. in the lives of widow Aurora Greenway (Shirley MacLaine) & her daughter Emma (Debra Winger). Overprotected by the loving, but overbearing Aurora throughout childhood, Emma runs into resistance from her mom when she marries a man of questionable merit; milquetoast college teacher Flap (a solid Jeff Daniels). Emma & Flap relocate from Texas to Iowa for work. But Aurora makes sure she talks to her daughter on the phone, constantly. And while Emma & Flap's financial situation goes on the skids, Aurora gets agitated when discovering that she will soon be a grandmother (oh, the horror). That said, she grows to adore her (eventual) 3 grandchildren.
With time, Flap proves that Aurora's instincts about him were correct when he starts an affair with a student. Meanwhile, Emma finds her own romance with an unhappily married banker (a pleasant John Lithgow). As for Aurora, she is incessantly pursued by her neighbor, obnoxious ex-astronaut Garrett Breedlove (Jack Nicholson) ... what a name. He's a swinging bachelor who has lived next door for years. He drinks. Chases girls. And Aurora, who is initially appalled by this man, eventually warms to him. Through it all, and for better or worse, Aurora & Emma continue to share the details of their lives. i.e., Aurora's awakened sex life with Garrett. But after 80 minutes or so of a wonderful & fairly humorous plotline, the film takes a shift in tone when Emma discovers that she has cancer.
This is a truly wonderful film. It is rare to find a film that has that special ability to balance the 'humorous' and the 'sad'; or moments of silliness and moments of truth. For as many huge laughs, there are also big emotional scenes that you may never forget. So director/co-writer James L. Brooks combines those 2 kinds of filmmaking brilliantly. At the core, 'Terms ...' is about 2 amazing women, their own relationship, & the relationships with men in their lives. Shirley MacLaine is an absolute joy to behold. She's always been a charismatic actress with a great twinkle to her eye. But here, her character enables her to both makes us laugh and cry.
There is a scene in which she flips out on a bunch of nurses in the hospital when they don't give her daughter a shot she needs, "Its 10:00, GIVE MY DAUGHTER THE SHOT!" It's one of those scenes and one of those line deliveries that is both humorous, yet 100% dead serious. I actually think it's an iconic scene in film history. Debra Winger is also exceptional; creating a memorable film character. Her Emma is a woman blessed with a sense of life, positivity, & joy. She loves, but wants to escape her suffocating mother. But then she marries a low-life. And matters only get worse for her.
As Garrett, Jack Nicholson is playful, devilish, & hysterical at trying to get Aurora to loosen the hell up {haha}. I loved the ups & downs of their relationship. But then, Nicholson can also wallop you in a dramatic scene, as well. And that's just it. This is actually a very sad movie (tears will flow). Honestly, I can't speak better about this movie. The acting is fantastic. The directing is sure-footed. The dialogue & plot points are great. The craftsmanship (warm cinematography, different period designs) is praise-worthy. And I love that poignant musical score; so memorable. For me, this is the best film of 1983.
With time, Flap proves that Aurora's instincts about him were correct when he starts an affair with a student. Meanwhile, Emma finds her own romance with an unhappily married banker (a pleasant John Lithgow). As for Aurora, she is incessantly pursued by her neighbor, obnoxious ex-astronaut Garrett Breedlove (Jack Nicholson) ... what a name. He's a swinging bachelor who has lived next door for years. He drinks. Chases girls. And Aurora, who is initially appalled by this man, eventually warms to him. Through it all, and for better or worse, Aurora & Emma continue to share the details of their lives. i.e., Aurora's awakened sex life with Garrett. But after 80 minutes or so of a wonderful & fairly humorous plotline, the film takes a shift in tone when Emma discovers that she has cancer.
This is a truly wonderful film. It is rare to find a film that has that special ability to balance the 'humorous' and the 'sad'; or moments of silliness and moments of truth. For as many huge laughs, there are also big emotional scenes that you may never forget. So director/co-writer James L. Brooks combines those 2 kinds of filmmaking brilliantly. At the core, 'Terms ...' is about 2 amazing women, their own relationship, & the relationships with men in their lives. Shirley MacLaine is an absolute joy to behold. She's always been a charismatic actress with a great twinkle to her eye. But here, her character enables her to both makes us laugh and cry.
There is a scene in which she flips out on a bunch of nurses in the hospital when they don't give her daughter a shot she needs, "Its 10:00, GIVE MY DAUGHTER THE SHOT!" It's one of those scenes and one of those line deliveries that is both humorous, yet 100% dead serious. I actually think it's an iconic scene in film history. Debra Winger is also exceptional; creating a memorable film character. Her Emma is a woman blessed with a sense of life, positivity, & joy. She loves, but wants to escape her suffocating mother. But then she marries a low-life. And matters only get worse for her.
As Garrett, Jack Nicholson is playful, devilish, & hysterical at trying to get Aurora to loosen the hell up {haha}. I loved the ups & downs of their relationship. But then, Nicholson can also wallop you in a dramatic scene, as well. And that's just it. This is actually a very sad movie (tears will flow). Honestly, I can't speak better about this movie. The acting is fantastic. The directing is sure-footed. The dialogue & plot points are great. The craftsmanship (warm cinematography, different period designs) is praise-worthy. And I love that poignant musical score; so memorable. For me, this is the best film of 1983.