Terms Of Endearment (DVD)

Terms of Endearment was released in 1983, a Comedy/Drama classic which took cinema goers by storm largely due to the remarkable pairing of two brilliant people, Jack Nicholson and Shirley MacLaine an unlikely couple by any stretch of the imagination. The strong casting and inspired screenplay turned the novel by Larry McMutry into the Oscar-winning best film of the year and became a cinema legend.

Synopsis
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...pieces and to come to terms with the possible loss of her daughter. Garrett becomes her strength and support but on his own terms. I'll leave the ending for you to discover in case you have never seen the film before.

My thoughts
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I guess you are thinking this sounds like many a classic sob story somewhere along the lines of "Love Story" and later films of a similar type, but the film ... more

Terms of Endearment was released in 1983, a Comedy/Drama classic which took cinema goers by storm largely due to the remarkable pairing of two brilliant people, Jack Nicholson and Shirley MacLaine an unlikely couple by any stretch of the imagination. The strong casting and inspired screenplay turned the novel by Larry McMutry into the Oscar-winning best film of the year and became a cinema legend.

Synopsis
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Aurora Greenway (Shirley MacLaine) is the over-possessive widowed mother of Emma (Debra Winger), their thirty-year relationship a stormy one. When Emma marries the feckless Flap Horton against her mother's wishes and moves away to live in near-poverty with two small sons Aurora is left alone in her large lavish house with an obnoxious neighbour Garrett Breedlove (Jack Nicholson) constantly annoying her. Garrett is a beer swigging pot-bellied over-the hill ex astronaut who delights in winding up the genteel Aurora. In an effort to restore some kind of harmony they embark on a hilarious love/hate relationship that provides scenes of perfect offbeat comedy.

Meanwhile Emma and Flap (Jeff Daniels) are going through a rocky part of their marriage. Flap (now working as an English teacher) is having an affair with one of his young students and Emma retaliates by having an affair of her own. Constantly arguing and always short of money the family move from one place to another with the two boys Tommy (Troy Bishop) and Teddy (Huckleberry Fox) growing up in an atmosphere of uncertainty. As the relationship develops between Aurora and Garrett, so the relationship between Flap and Emma starts to disintegrate after the birth of their daughter Melanie.

The film becomes dark and heart wrenching when Emma discovers she has terminal cancer and Flap is unable to cope with her illness leaving Aurora to pick up the pieces and to come to terms with the possible loss of her daughter. Garrett becomes her strength and support but on his own terms. I'll leave the ending for you to discover in case you have never seen the film before.

My thoughts
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I guess you are thinking this sounds like many a classic sob story somewhere along the lines of "Love Story" and later films of a similar type, but the film won five Oscars and four Golden Globe awards so what made it so special?
The comedy side took up much of the film and the chemistry between MacLaine and Nicholson sparked off some very original dialogue many of it near to the bone. Shirley MacLaine is a fine actress and the character of Aurora must have been a huge challenge to her playing at a simpering woman while her characters are normally feisty and hard-bitten.
Nicholson is always at his best when playing the lovable rogue although this was his first performance in such a genre.
James L. Brooks wrote the screenplay and directed the film, his first; maybe the newness added that special something to the film but I feel the combination of a strong cast and a brilliant script made it such a success.

Both the child actors gave strong performances adding that touch of pathos to the somewhat subdued ending. Debra Winger was perfect as the mother and daughter with attitude while Jeff Daniels played an adequate role as the womanising husband.

For me the whole film was perfect, it made me laugh and towards the end it made me cry, as I hadn't expected the change from comedy into drama. I loved the offbeat romance and some of the scenes were visually funny as well as being witty.
Take one example; on the first date Garrett takes Aurora out for lunch. Dressed in a frilly creation totally unsuited to driving in a sports car she enters the restaurant totally dishevelled. Garrett gets very drunk and on the return journey drives along the seashore standing up and shouting "Fly me to the moon!" Tossed out of the car into the surf he laughs at Aurora when she bends over to see if he okay, "If you wanted me on my back you only had to ask" he replies.

That one scene sets the tone of the film with Aurora giving as good as she gets. When they do finally make it to the bedroom they argue about the lighting:
Garrett:" I like the lights on"
Aurora:" Then go home and turn them on."

I loved the film when I first saw it and I've seen it since many times, it never fails to entertain me. As the tag line goes, come to laugh, come to cry, come to terms. Highly recommended.

If you haven't seen the film and want to own in on DVD Amazon are selling it for £5.97 with used copies from £3.36. Or check E-Bay for a bargain.

Thanks for your time.
Lisa@ciao.
 

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