Director James L Brooks has created a heart felt masterpiece with Terms of Endearment, (1983) which won five Oscars for Best Picture, Best Lead Actor (Jack Nicholson), Best Lead Actress (Shirley MacLaine), Best Director and Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium.  Terms of Endearment is a wonderful movie with a tragic twist.  I watched it a few nights ago and I find that no matter how many times I've seen this movie, I still bawl and cry at the end as I wish there could be a better fate for Debra Winger.

Aurora Greeway (MacLaine) is a fiesty single woman in her fifties and she and her daughter have always had a unique relationship.  We meet Emma (Winger) and her best friend Patsy (Lisa Hart Carroll) on the Eve of Emma's wedding.  She and her fiance Flap (Jeff Daniels) are getting married the next day, and Aurora basically forbids Emma from going through with it.  When she refuses to attend the wedding, we see Flap and Emma at their new home and the phone rings every five minutes.  Of course it's Aurora wanting to talk to her daughter.

As time goes on, Emma and Flap have babies and move to Iowa and then to Nebraska.  Flap is a college professor and he's trying to advance his career.  Emma catches Flap with another woman, but Emma has had an indiscretion herself with Sam Burns (John Lithgow).  As their marriage starts to really fall apart, Emma discovers that she has cancer.  Ironically when Emma begins to die, her mother begins to live.  Aurora has found a fun and exciting companion with her former-astronaut next door neighbour Garrett (Jack Nicholoson).

Terms of Endearment is a very special movie which focuses on different sorts of relationships.  It deals with the fact that some people show love in different ways.  The viewer feels the flaws and emotions of every character.  We are excited for Aurora and Garrett, we are devastated for Emma, we feel sorry for Sam and his bad marriage, and we even feel bad for Flap, because losing Emma is far worse than cheating on her.  The characters are rich and multi-dimensional.  The performances are raw and true, and every time I watch this movie, it blows me away.

I love the way that everyone is so connected in Terms of Endearment.  The only 'outsider' to the family that Aurora and Emma have created is Garrett, and eventually he becomes involved in the care and love needed so badly when Emma is sick with cancer.  Aurora and Garrett have a tumultuous relationship, but they are very funny and Nicholson and MacLaine have perfect chemistry as a couple.

The ending of Terms of Endearment (if you haven't seen it), is very sad.  This is definitely a tear jerker, but it's more than just a Chick Flick.  Terms of Endearment is a classic Academy Award Winning film and I would recommend it to anyone.

5 stars

Lean & Mean at 494 words!

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older