Terms of Endearment (1983)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

James L. Brooks

Writers:

Larry McMurtry (novel)
James L. Brooks (screenplay)

Release Date:

9 December 1983 (USA)

Genre:

Romance | Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

Come to Laugh, Come to Cry, Come to Care, Come to Terms.

Plot:

Aurora and Emma are mother and daughter who march to different drummers. Beginning with Emma's marriage...

Plot Keywords:

Neighbor | Marriage | Astronaut | Love | Prologue

Awards:

Won 5 Oscars. Another 25 wins & 10 nominations

Cast

Shirley MacLaine	...	Aurora Greenway
Debra Winger	...	Emma Horton
Jack Nicholson	...	Garrett Breedlove
Danny DeVito	...	Vernon Dahlart
Jeff Daniels	...	Flap Horton
John Lithgow	...	Sam Burns
Lisa Hart Carroll	...	Patsy Clark
Betty King	...	Rosie Dunlop (as Betty R. King)
Huckleberry Fox	...	Teddy Horton
Troy Bishop	...	Tommy Horton
Shane Serwin	...	Younger Tommy Horton
Megan Morris	...	Melanie Horton
Tara Yeakey	...	Baby Melanie
Norman Bennett	...	Edward Johnson
Jennifer Josey	...	Young Emma

Runtime:

132 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:L | Canada:14A (Canadian Home Video rating) | Brazil:14 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | Finland:K-12 | Norway:12 | Peru:14 | Sweden:7 | UK:15 | USA:PG (#27173) (re-rating on appeal) | USA:R (original rating) | West Germany:12 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

1148 Heights Blvd., Houston, Texas, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

Shirley MacLaine turned down the role of Diane Freeling in Poltergeist (1982) to play the Oscar-winning role of Aurora Greenway in Terms of Endearment (1983).

Goofs:

Errors in geography: When Emma is standing outside the restaurant in front of the Statue of Liberty, the area behind her is obviously a set, as the city background is very distorted from what a background in the city would really look like.

Quotes:

Aurora Greenway: [to Flap] Raising three children, working full-time *and* chasing women requires a lot more energy than you have. You know, one of the nicest qualities about you has always been that you recognized your weaknesses. *Don't* lose that quality now just when you need it the most!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The X Files: Terms of Endearment (#6.7)" (1999)

Soundtrack:

Rock-a-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody

One of the best films of the 80's!

I never watch soaps, am not one for chick flicks, and generally steer clear of weepies. I was only drawn to this by the eclectic cast, and a vague recollection of acclaim.

'Terms of Endearment' is a stunningly well-made film. Pretty much every scene is conceived, scripted and acted to perfection. Winger, MacLaine and Nicholson make these relationships pure gold. So much of the interaction feels natural, even improvised. A twist toward the end reveals a compelling new layer for each and every character.

It's largely forgotten these days, but in my opinion stands as one of the very best films of the 80's. Cherish it.