Terms of Endearment
Tags: romantic, suspenseful, sentimental, melodrama

Plot synopsis:
Aurora Greenway (Shirley MacLaine) and her daughter Emma (Debra Winger) are both searching for deep romantic love. The film opens with Emma's early childhood, Aurora reveals how difficult and caring she can be by nearly climbing into Emma's crib in order to make sure her daughter is breathingonly to be reassured when Emma starts crying (after being woken up). After the death of Aurora's husband and Emma's father, Rudyard, Aurora and Emma develop an extremely close love-hate mother/daughter relationship as Emma grows up.Skipping forward several years, Emma gets married immediately upon graduating from high school in the Houston area, to Flap Horton (Jeff Daniels), of whom Aurora so disapproves that she refuses to attend the wedding. Emma's best friend Patsy Clark (Lisa Hart Caroll) continues on to college, eventually becoming successful and rich in New York City.Over the next few years, Emma has two children with Flap, a college professor who relocates the family to a university in Des Moines, Iowa, separating the family hundreds of miles from Emma's meddlesome mother. Emma later telephones to ask her mother for money when she is pregnant with her third child. Aurora, not knowing by the telephone call that Emma is already several months into her pregnancy, wants Emma to get an abortion. Emma's once-passionate marriage to Flap becomes strained, thanks mostly to his philandering. Emma eventually has a secret romantic affair of her own with a married small-town older banker, Sam Burns (John Lithgow).Meanwhile back in Houston, Aurora remains celibate but cultivates the attention of several gentlemen in the area, some rather bizarre. However, she is attracted to her next-door neighbor of 15 years, the womanizing, alcoholic retired astronaut Garrett Breedlove (Jack Nicholson). Aurora and Garrett eventually go on a lunch date, make love, and develop a tenuous relationship.Emma returns to her mother's home in Houston after discovering her husband is having an affair with a young grad student named Janice (Kate Charleston). Emma's appearance along with her three young children makes Garrett uncomfortable, as he has been single for a long time. Flap telephones and she reluctantly returns home to Iowa, trying to reconcile with him. Unwilling to become a one-woman man, Garrett breaks up with Aurora, making her feel "humiliated."Emma ends her relationship with Sam as soon as Flap accepts a new teaching position in Kearney, Nebraska. Although she does not want to, Emma agrees to relocate to further Flap's career. She soon discovers that Janice is attending the same college where Flap now works, realizing that Flap followed her to Nebraska. Emma angrily confronts Janice before taking daughter Melanie to the doctor's office so both can get flu shots. While administering the injection, Emma's doctor notices two large lumps under Emma's armpit. Although Emma is only in her 30s, the doctor orders a biopsy and discovers she has cancer.To cheer her up, Patsy invites Emma to New York City for her first vacation without her children. However, after arriving, Emma feels out-of-place among Patsy's friends and returns home early to begin chemotherapy treatment for her illness. Her doctor soon breaks the news that the drugs she was taking did not have the desired effect, and that Emma will not survive her illness. Flap and Aurora remain by her bedside in the hospital for weeks. Although devastated and exhausted, Aurora is still very supportive and loving towards Emma. Garrett flies to Lincoln, Nebraska, where he surprises Aurora, who confesses her love for him. He issues his stock reply: "I love you, too, kid."In a discussion in the hospital cafeteria, Aurora tells Flap bluntly that he does not have the energy managing a job, chasing women, and raising children. Patsy, who has no children of her own, wants to adopt Melanie, but Flap and Emma do not want their kids to be separated. Emma also doesn't want Janice to raise her children, so Flap, feeling like a failure as both a father and a husband, agrees that having them live with Aurora is best.As Emma's time begins to run short, eldest child Tommy shows open resentment toward his mother due to circumstances such as social class, fights between his parents, and Tommy's perception of feeling unloved. Emma reassures her two sons, and, after an altercation with Aurora (she slaps him in the hospital parking lot for criticizing his mother), Tommy weeps in his grandmother's arms. Emma dies later that night.Following the funeral, Emma's friends and family gather in Aurora's backyard for a memorial service. Garrett shows affection toward each of Emma's children and helps Tommy cope during the wake. The film closes on Aurora, sitting next to Melanie.

Review: Both actresses beautifully carry the film and they are brilliantly supported by fine actors like Danny DeVito, Jack Nicholson, John Lithgow and Jeff Daniels.What particularly appealed to me about 'Terms of Endearment' is the depiction of the mother-daughter relationship and the dynamic of it.
The shifty, funny/serious tone of "Terms Of Endearment" caught a lot of people off guard in 1983 and word-of-mouth about it being a seriously good tearjerker/comedy was strong (opening near Christmas probably didn't hurt it come Oscar time either!).
Vivid Debra Winger is incredible as MacLaine's daughter, as are John Lithgow, Jeff Daniels, Jack Nicholson and, in a small but telling part, Danny DeVito.
Jack Nicholson is fun to watch and has some amusing lines, and most supporting roles, like those played by John Lithgow and Danny De Vito, are also first-rate and completely believable.
This film follows the complicated relationship between an icy, Texan widow named Aurora Greenway (Shirley MacLaine)and her slightly-off-the-wall daughter, Emma (Debra Winger), who at the beginning of the film is marrying a man named Flap Horton (Jeff Daniels), whom her mother clearly hates, seemingly just to get away from her.
Brooks won a pair of Oscars for writing and directing this funny and heartbreaking story that stretches over a long period of time but never fails to hold interest and trust me, the last 20-30 minutes of this film will have you weeping.
Shirley MacLaine finally won her long-overdue Best Actress Oscar for her controlled performance as Aurora and Jack Nicholson won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his performance as a retired astronaut who moves in next door to Aurora after Emma moves out and begins a hilarious and touching relationship with Aurora.
I don't think I need to say anything about the acting in it, if you've seen Terms of Endearment you know that Shirley MacLaine, Debra Winger, and Jack Nicholson bring their characters to a life rarely seen in movies.
Not to mention, Jack Nicholson as the "Astronaut" Garrett Breedlove, his characters are always memorable no matter how big or small his role in a film.This film is about the lifelong relationship between a daughter, Emma, her slightly neurotic mother, Aurora and the men in their lives.
Over the years, I have heard stories about how supposedly good this film was but I must say it is one of the most pretentious, overrated and worst movies to win multiple Academy Awards.
I was incredibly disappointed as there was not one thing redeemable about this film, whether it be the directing, the acting, the script and even the music playing throughout, all of this making the film feel like a made for TV movie or soap opera rather than a feature film.
Shirley MacLaine and Debra Winger are totally unconvincing as mother and daughter, Jack Nicholson has been in far better form ( A Few Good Men, Batman, The Departed) as a supporting actor in particular, John Lithgow didn't get enough screen time as was the case also with Jeff Daniels.
Albert Brooks not only trusts our intelligence but also our patience as the story plunges us in the world of Aurora and Emma, Shirley MecLaine and Debra Winger, mother and daughter.
I say 'strange' film because it has the curious feel of a TV movie without the archetypes of a vulgar soap opera, it's made with a modest tone of pastel colors and following an episodic structure, like so many slices of people's lives, people no worse or better than you and I, but the flow is so fluid and perfect that we let ourselves guided by the story, never really expecting for something to happen, we're just put here as witnesses of a story, which exemplifies our own vision of life.And that's the remarkable exploit of the film, the key that forged its success.
"Terms of Endearment", which is unlike any film made before, was one of the highest grossing of 1983 and although I found "The Right Stuff" to be a much more extraordinary experience (and most deserving of the Best Picture award), "Terms of Endearment" possesses an endearing quality, which relies on its faithful approach to life, something made of laughs, anger, sadness and fears, simply put the four main emotions that drive our feelings.
In a way, the film can remind of "Love Story" without an hyperbolic classicism that could have ruined it.Emma the daughter, has this burning passion in her heart just like Ali McGraw's character and her mother works as the total opposite, she seems cold and distant, criticizing all her daughter's choices, above them all the decision to marry a teacher named Flap (Jeff Daniels).
One of the biggest issues that undermine the characters' interactions is the impossible communication of true feelings and the way it's handled provides the comedic spice of the film.At a pivotal moment, Aurora finally decides to invite Garrett Breedlove, the ex-astronaut, neighbor since years and infamous for his lust for younger women, just to see her 'Renoir', referring to a very precious painting -a second reading at these lines makes the whole situation subtly hilarious.
The film evolves beautifully with a last act that is forever rooted in our memories, thanks to the remarkable performances of both Debra Winger and Shirley MacLaine, surrounded by great supporting performances.
The film follows Aurora Greenway (Shirley MacLaine), controlling, sometimes abrasive, mother to daughter Emma (Deborah Winger), as the two deal with Emma's deteriorating marriage (of which Aurora disapproves) to ineffectual and unfaithful husband Flap (Jeff Daniels) and Aurora's own relationship with her libidinous, bon-vivant neighbour, ex-astronaut Garret Breedlove (Jack Nicolson).
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.
TERMS OF ENDEARMENT (1983) **** Shirley MacLaine, Jack Nicholson, Debra Winger, Jeff Daniels, John Lithgow, Danny De Vito.
Wonderful serio-comedy about a strong-willed and independent woman (MacLaine in top form) and her only daughter a strong, yet indifferent and directionless free-spirit (Winger, nominated for Best Actress, excellent) with a penchant for a husband with a straying soul (Daniels also great).
Winner of 5 Oscars including Best Actress (MacLaine), Supporting Actor (Nicholson in a gleefully unkempt performance and the film's stranglehold on having a good time), Screenplay (adapted from Larry McMurtry's novel), Director (James L.
I didn't even make it past the first hour the first time and felt like I should've gotten a medal for sitting through the full 131 minutes the second time.Terms of Endearment uncovers three decades (which the movie certainly doesn't show well) of a mother and daughter, played by MacLaine and Winger.
A relative of mine told me that if I loved "As Good As It Gets", I'd love "Terms of Endearment." Shirley MacLaine, Diane Winger, Jack Nicholson, John Lithgow, and all the other cast members are simply magnificent.
They aren't dramatic and theatrical like most Oscar winning performances are nowadays, but they portray ordinary people who encounter everyday life and situations.In other words, I did not see Shirley MacLaine or Jack Nicholson stealing the show, but making it real.
But it doesn't take a major cynic to wonder if it wasn't more in the hope of "getting lucky" than genuine enjoyment of the film.There's nothing *wrong* with honest manipulation of emotions with idealized mother/daughter ties (OR father/son or even buddy/buddy - I've seen more grown men dissolved in tears after FIELD OF DREAMS or that straight teenage boy "stroke film" TOP GUN than I have women after TERMS OF ENDEARMENT), but the underlying relationship really OUGHT to be an admirable, healthy one.
Terms of Endearment is a well received movie that won critic's and audience's hearts in the 80's, not to mention how it snabed several Oscars including Best Picture of 1983, but I'm not so sure if it still has the same effect for today.
Emma is going through a tough marriage though when she realizes how much of her life she's given up, but she is diagnosed with cancer and then soon comes to realize how everything she has was wonderful and she would never do it over again.Some of the emotions in this movie were just not well explained and the time that was expanded throughout the film was not edited well.
All of them behave in entirely unpredictable ways--which gives the movie its strength I suppose.But the glaring fault seems to be letting Shirley MacLaine's uptight and prissy character fall for anyone as rude, obnoxious and seedy looking as Jack Nicholson.
Mind you, the mother and daughter duo in this dramedy is connected at the hip.Overbearing Aurora (Shirley MacLaine) becomes even more domineering when her husband dies and she's left to raise Emma (Debra Winger) alone.
It stars Shirley MacLaine, Debra Winger, Jack Nicholson, Jeff Daniels, and John Lithgow.
This movie has truly an all- star cast, with big names like Shirley MacLaine and Debra Winger as the two leads and a supporting cast featuring Jack Nicholson, Danny DeVito, Jeff Daniels and John Lithgow.
Jeff Daniels as the philandering son in law; Shirley Maclaine as the dominant yet loving mother; Debra Winger as the struggling and too loving mom, married to a "n'er do well"; but loves her children.It is a serious theme, hence explaining the need for Nicholson.
Granted, at this point in time we have seen him as the cynic way too many times, but at the time of this film his interactions with MacLaine were fresh, comic, and realistic.The awkward scenes between Debra Winger and John Lithgow engage the audience; two people alienated and trying to connect, having an affair in Nebraska.
Shirley Maclaine gives the performance of a lifetime as Aurora Greenway a high strung mother who does her best to make sure that her daughter played by Debra Winger has the best life she can possibly have while falling in love with a boozed up astronaut played to perfection by Jack Nicholson who deserved the supporting actor Oscar for his performance.
**** and more to the engrossing memorable Terms of Endearment.This comedy-tragedy hits the spot.The segue showing the change from comedy to drama is done just right.Shirley MacLaine, finally won the Oscar in 1983, as Aurora Greenway, an overprotective mother who will not allow her grandson to call her grandma.Debra Winger was also nominated for best actress in this film.
The central mother-daughter relationship, acted brilliantly by Shirley Maclaine and particularly Debra Winger, is the axis for the film's events, spread over a large number of years.
Winger's rocky marriage to husband Jeff Daniels, mirrored by Jack Nicholson's overt courtship of Maclaine, provides Brooks with the ability to analyse what constitutes a strong romantic relationship, and the spiritual bond two people can attain despite having their differences.All the performances in the film are outstanding.
Jack Nicholson also won an Oscar and is typically reliable in his role, as are Daniels and John Lithgow (much under-rated as a dramatic actor: all that Third Rock has pigeon-holed him a bit I feel).The ending simply demands tears, and I will rather boldly assert that if someone claims not to be at least a bit dewey-eyed at the time the credits role, then they simply haven't devoted enough attention to the film.
This will be a crappy review of "Terms of Endearment", because I was foolish enough to look up the movie while I was watching it, and had the ending spoiled for me.Whatever.I was surprised Debra Winger didn't win an Oscar for her role, but she was at least nominated.
Jack Nicholson was pretty good, but I didn't really feel it.The movie is basically an extraordinary portrait of a mother and daughter who seem to be too different, but are eventually brought together.
Director James L Brooks (Broadcast News) largely succeeds in keeping sentiment the right side of mawkish in this story (based on The Last Picture Show writer Larry McMurtry's novel) of the often strained mother-daughter relationship between Shirley MacLaine and Debra Winger.
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:
The performance objective is scored majestically by the protagonist Debra Winger and is supported thoroughly by Shirley MacLaine, Jack Nicholson, Jeff Denials and John Lithgow.
Even the big name stars of Jack Nicholson, Shirley MacLaine, Debra Winger, Danny DeVito, and Jeff Daniels; this movie flew well below my radar.
Although it was an enjoyable film, I am perplexed at its Best Picture win, and will undoubtedly never see it again.Terms of Endearment shows one very unique mother/daughter relationship.
Aurora Greenway (Shirley MacLaine) has an overly close relationship with her daughter Emma (Debra Winger) and seeks to control every aspect of her life.
I have to say that Shirley Maclaine gives her Oscar winning performance as Aurora Greenway, a mother that we come to love and hate at the same time.
Shirley brings a complexity about the character and her relationship with her daughter, Emma, played by Oscar nominee Debra Winger.
Great performances of the trio; Shirley MacLaine, Debra Winger and Jack Nicholson contributes to make this movie a really emotional experience.
Featuring wonderful performances from Jeff Daniels (where was his Oscar nomination?), Shirley MaClaine (deserving of the Oscar), Jack Nicholson (always fun to watch), and of course Debra Winger (deserved the Oscar nomination).
This Oscar winning examination of a mother- daughter (Shirley MacLaine, Debra Winger) relationship spanning 30 years is simply a masterpiece.
The movie is well written and the performances from Shirley MacLaine, Debra Winger, Jack Nicholson, and John Lithgow couldn't have been better plus the music played during the movie is wonderful it helps carry the story and emotions of the film along just perfect.
In fact Jack and Shirley MacLaine won Oscars for their Terms of Endearment work, hers for Best Actress and his for Best Supporting Actor both were well deserved.
It's totally engrossing, has believable characters and situations and all the acting is great (especially Shirley MacLaine--she really won her Oscar for this movie).
I liked the relationships with Winger, McClaine and Nicholson, but the story seems episodic and doesn't have a clear focus and I don't know what some of the characters have to do with the movie.
Shirley MacLaiine, Debra Winger, Jack Nicholson, and John Lithgow give us classic performances in one of the more emotional movies I have seen.It's about a mother and daughter relationship that has had many ups and downs but when push comes to shove they realize how much they mean to each other.
Terms of Endearment is a fantastic movie with a very well developed storyline and an outstanding cast that all deliver beautiful performances.The movie has brilliant character development,we learn so much about all the main characters throughout the movie,although I did feel like we could have gotten to learn more about Jack Nicholson's character,his character wasn't the most important,but his performance was outstanding so much so that he (along with Shirley MacLaine) won an Academy Award for his performance,definitely deserved more time.The movie is also very sweet and emotional and I am not afraid to admit that the ending had me in tears,certainly one of the most upsetting moments in film history.Terns of Endearment is a great movie that I would recommend to anyone looking for a good drama.
MacLaine was able to shine throughout the entire film as she is at her best when she has someone to challenge with in a scene, so all of the moments where she is with Debra Winger or Jack Nicholson, it brought out the best of her.
The mother and widowed, Aurora (Shirley MacLaine), and daughter, Emma (Debra Winger) has an up and down relationship throughout a thirty year span the movie represents.
Shirley MacLaine won Best Actress and Jack Nicholson won for Best Supporting Actor for this film, they both gave very good performances with their characters.
Shirley MacLaine plays Aurora Greenway, and Debra Winger plays her daughter Emma in this superbly acted, deeply moving, and realistic story of their turbulent mother-daughter relationship over the years.
Both Sirley McLain and Debra Winger (and Jack Nicholson, of course) did their best showing us not only how important are love and endearment to our life but how precious are the people who can share these feelings with us..
The story of a fiercely protective and clingy mother, Aurora Greenway, played beautifully by Shirley MacLaine, and her daughter Emma, is one of the best movies to come out of the 80's.