Terms of Endearment

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For the article referring to descriptive words or phrases signifying affection, see Term of endearment.

For the Drawn Together episode, see Terms of Endearment (Drawn Together episode).

Terms of Endearment
original movie poster
Directed by	James L. Brooks
Produced by	James L. Brooks
Written by	Novel: Larry McMurtry Screenplay: James L. Brooks
Starring	Shirley MacLaine Debra Winger Jack Nicholson Danny DeVito Jeff Daniels John Lithgow
Music by	Michael Gore
Cinematography	Andrzej Bartkowiak
Editing by	Richard Marks
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures
Release date(s)	November 23, 1983
Running time	132 min.
Language	English
All Movie Guide profile
IMDb profile

Terms of Endearment is a 1983 American drama film and romantic comedy adapted by James L. Brooks from the novel by Larry McMurtry.

Actor Jack Nicholson's character, astronaut Garrett Breedlove, was not in the original novel. The part was created for Burt Reynolds, but he was already committed to make another movie, so the part went to James Garner. Garner quarrelled with the director over differing interpretations and the role wound up going to Nicholson. Debra Winger and Sissy Spacek were the original choices for the mother and daughter roles. It was originally rated R for sexual content and for language, but re-rated PG on appeal.

1 Plot
2 Critical Response
3 Sequel
4 Cast
5 Awards
- 5.1 Wins
- 5.2 Nominations

[edit] Plot

The movie tells the story of a mother and daughter relationship which juxtaposes both women's inconclusive search for love.

The movie opens with the newly born Emma in the cradle sleeping. Her mother Aurora comes in to check on her infant and is not content with the child's safety until the baby is awakened and starts to cry.

[edit] Critical Response

Playwright Rebecca Gilman mentioned Terms of Endearment when discussing dramatic shortcuts. "Look at Terms of Endearment. We’re going along and going along, and there’s not really a plot. Then…oh, she gets cancer. You get it all the time when people don’t quite know what to do, and I think in those cases it is a shortcut to tragedy."^[1]

[edit] Sequel

In 1996, a sequel called The Evening Star was filmed featuring MacLaine and Nicholson reprising their original roles.

[edit] Cast

Actor	Role
Troy Bishop	Tommy Horton
Lisa Hart Carroll	Patsy Clark
Jeff Daniels	Flap Horton
Danny DeVito	Vernon Dalhart
Huckleberry Fox	Teddy Horton
Betty King	Rosie Dunlop
John Lithgow	Sam Burns
Shirley MacLaine	Aurora Greenway
Jack Nicholson	Garrett Breedlove
Debra Winger	Emma Greenway Horton