Title: Terms of Endearment
Year: 1983
Director: James L. Brooks
Country: US
Language: English
Terms of Endearment sounds like it would be a melodramatic made-for-tv lifetime movie that would appeal to viewers of Oprah and daytime Soap operas. Shirley MacLaine's involvement gave me some interest in viewing the film- albeit I was aware that she is older (49) in 1983. This was 23 years after her best role in Billy Wilder's The Apartment.
This film is an exploration of the lifelong relationship between a mother (Shirley MacLaine) and daughter (Debra Winger), with a focus on their enduring love and difficulties.
James L. Brooks provides a screenplay that is witty. dramatic, and full of emotion. The characters are complex; we see their growth and transformation throughout the run-time. The wonderful cast, which also includes Jack Nicholson, John Lithgow and Jeff Daniels, prove to be a tour de force by giving quite impressive performances.
Terms of Endearment does meander a bit however; several scenes could have been cut to make the picture more compact. The fate of the daughter feels a bit rushed and unearned. There are small pieces of this picture that devalue the film, making it hard to consider Brooks' work a "great" Best Picture winner.
Terms of Endearment approaches adult relationships in an honest, heartfelt way. At 2hrs 12 minutes it feels a bit too long. If 30 minutes were cut it could have told the same story in a far more efficient, satisfying way.
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