Terms of Endearment (1983)

This is one of best films ever made about love, family, and filial relationships.It is a movie that is utterly devoid of the schmaltz, sappy dialogue, and mushy sentimentality, you usually in stories of its kind.It's the divine absence of this, combined with the presence of dark humor, and spicy plot that makes this the gem that it is.Shirley McLaine, and Jack Nicholson are brilliant in their roles as Aurora Greenway, an irascible widowed mother, and Garrett Breedlove (her neighbor), a philandering, retired astronaut.Then there's Debra Winger as Aurora's daughter (I really think this is her best role ever), who's marriage to Flap Horton (Jeff Daniels) disintegrates as the story progresses.To properly summarize a movie like this is impossible because there are so many good things to be said about it.The romance between Aurora and Garrett, for instance, provides one of the funniest, most heartfelt, most well done subplots in history.Danny DeVito adds immensely in his role as Vernon Dahlart (one of Aurora's many admirers), as does John Lithgow in the role of Sam Burns, Emma's guilt-ridden, and adorable adulterous lover.Easily at the top of its genre, this movie deserved all the recognition that it got.Originally, Review #145Posted On: November 28, 2011.

(spoiler) The movie gives a beautiful picture of a mother-daughter relationship over a long period of time. However the ending (same as in the book) seemed contrived to me, as if the writers had decided they had run on long enough, so they kill off the daughter. A more natural approach would have been to continue until the grandchildren are adult and the daughter (long since divorced) moves in with her mother. The main difficulty would be that the movie would be three hours long at least.

Why does everything seem peripheral in this movie? Then, the music is over-bearing and those fade-ins and -outs give it an old-fashioned feel. But ultimately it's a bit boring. Maybe it's because except for Flap the characters are all unattractive. (viewed 11/16)

Oh boy, get out your Kleenexes. And be sure to have an extra box on hand! I don't usually like Debra Winger, but she gives an incredible performance in the film. It's easy to see why she was nominated for Best Actress at the Oscars alongside Shirley MacLaine, although it's sad that in such a contest one woman will inevitably lose. Shirley MacLaine won, largely due to the famous and often spoofed "Give my daughter her shot!" scene.Jeff Daniels, John Lithgow, and Jack Nicholson provide the male talent, and each give great performances without overshadowing the women; after all, the movie belongs to Shirley and Debra. There are a few humorous moments, but keep in mind that it's a heavy drama. Don't be fooled by the cuteness of the opening scene.I'm not going to spoil the plot, or even tell you anything about it. It's a story about a mother and her daughter, simple as that. Sometimes they get along, sometimes they don't, but they love each other more than most people love in their entire lives. Everyone—yes, I mean everyone—will bawl during this movie. If you love your mother, hate your mother, have a complex relationship with your mother (or daughter), are extremely close or wish you'd been closer—everyone will bawl. Snot sniveling, mouth drooling, can't-catch-your-breath bawl. So, if you're in the mood for that, go ahead and watch Terms of Endearment. And if you really want to sob, watch it with your mother.