Terms of Endearment (1983)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Jameson W

  
  A great film! So touching. Shirley MacLaine and Debra Winger both give great performances! I had originally given this film a 4/5 rating. However I have recently decided to bump it up to a 4.5/5. I will never forget this film...the acting, the story, the characters, the… More
  A great film! So touching. Shirley MacLaine and Debra Winger both give great performances! I had originally given this film a 4/5 rating. However I have recently decided to bump it up to a 4.5/5. I will never forget this film...the acting, the story, the characters, the execution...it's an extremely well done film.

• Alexander D

  
  Soap opera saga of a feature film is like baking honey into a pie: it's deliciously sweet, but it's not what we're at all used to. When I turned on TERMS OF ENDEARMENT, I was full-out ready to hate it. But by the end, my decision was that I had enjoyed it well… More
  Soap opera saga of a feature film is like baking honey into a pie: it's deliciously sweet, but it's not what we're at all used to. When I turned on TERMS OF ENDEARMENT, I was full-out ready to hate it. But by the end, my decision was that I had enjoyed it well enough, but it did NOT deserve a Best Picture Oscar. Lots of this was funny, and some of it, tear-sucking. (There are many better romance/comedy/drama hybrids out there, to say the least.) Jack Nicholson's role stands high above those of all other cast members in this film. When he is first introduced, we are reminded of his "...bash your brains in!" scene from THE SHINING; but then we figure out he is playing Jekyll & Hyde on us: he is a lovable human being, and just as much as everyone else in the film. In my humble opinion, this winning the Best Picture Oscar was up there on the disappointments lists, somewhere around when THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION and THE COLOR PURPLE did <i>not</i> win Best Picture. Sure, it's decent, but it's certainly not the expected material. Don't be deceived by how overrated TERMS OF ENDEARMENT is.

• Chris W

  
  Spanning several years, this is the story of a mother and daughter, their sometimes intense love/hate relationship, and the quest each one goes through to find love, happiness, and acceptance. It was based on a work by Larry McMurty (which I fins surprising),and marked the directorial… More
  Spanning several years, this is the story of a mother and daughter, their sometimes intense love/hate relationship, and the quest each one goes through to find love, happiness, and acceptance. It was based on a work by Larry McMurty (which I fins surprising),and marked the directorial debit of James L. Brooks. It also won several Oscars, even though it only deserved a couple of them. This is a rather odd film tonally. It is listed as beign a romantic comedy-drama, and, while there are some moments of humor, it mostly comes off as a drama filled with pain and heartbreak, especially towards the end. It's a classic tearjerker. It's a good movie, and I did find it enjoyable, but I do think it's overrated and not a masterpiece or anything. The acting holds it together though, and that's the real reason to watch it. Shirley MacLaine is wonderful as the overbearing and out of touch mother Aurora. Debra Winger started off as a big annoying, but got better in her role as Aurora's daughter Emma. Jeff Daniels appears in one of his earliest role's as Emma's philandering professor husband, but it is Jack Nicholson who is the most fun to watch as the boozy, womanizing former astronaut who is neighbors with Aurora and tries to have a more meaningful relationship with her. Like all of Brooks's films, this drags on a bit too long, but it's got some decent writing, and sometimes we all need a good cry. Give it a watch.

• ♥Robyn

  
  "Terms of Endearment" is most definitely a romantic comedy but one with a difference. It will make you laugh, smile, and fall in love with the characters, but it will also keep you watching through the way the various relationships grow, the performances from Debra Winger,… More
  "Terms of Endearment" is most definitely a romantic comedy but one with a difference. It will make you laugh, smile, and fall in love with the characters, but it will also keep you watching through the way the various relationships grow, the performances from Debra Winger, Shirley MacLaine and Jack Nicholson manage to make not just the ending but the whole movie very watchable

• AJ V

  
  A fantastic drama which stars a bunch of great actors, this is one of my favourite dramas ever. I highly recommend it.

• Anthony L

  
  This is such a sad and beautiful film, it makes me cry like a girl every time I watch it. Shirley MacLaine and Debra Winger are just brilliant together. Brilliant!

• Fernando Rafael Q

  
  I have to admit I was expecting something completely different. The name and the cover led me to believe I was in for a schmaltzy chick flick. Thankfully, it wasn't. TERMS OF ENDEARMENT is a funny comedy with its dose of heartache. The real merit of the film lies in James L.… More
  I have to admit I was expecting something completely different. The name and the cover led me to believe I was in for a schmaltzy chick flick. Thankfully, it wasn't. TERMS OF ENDEARMENT is a funny comedy with its dose of heartache. The real merit of the film lies in James L. Brooks's ability to interweave such clashing elements. Shirley MacLaine is pitch-perfect as neurotic mom, Aurora. Dysfunctional mother-daughter duo is complete with a fantastic performance by Debra Winger. As usual, Jack Nicholson is pretty darn awesome, this time as retired astronaut/womanizer Garrett. MacLaine and Nicholson's banter is pure gold.

• Sarah G

  
  Review coming soon....

• Cassie H

  
  I really enjoyed this movie. It had great acting and a great storyline. The acting who stood out to me was that of Jack Nicholson. He did a phoneomenal job as did Shirley MacLaine, and Debra Winger.

• Lady D

  
  Not the usual type of film that I would go for, but this really is a film worth watching and quite unique in it's genre. Debra Winger plays a great part in this emotional story and unusual to see Jeff Daniels in a serious part (looking very young I might add).

• Ken S

  
  Lifetime has been poorly trying to remake this film forever and the reason is quite clear. This is a fantastic film, filled with real moments and genuine emotion. Knock out performances all round bring this "Lifetime-esqe" script to life.

• Red L

  
  Story of mother (Aurora) and daughter (Emma) and their relationships over a few years. Emma deals with three kids, little money and being married to a guy who cheats on her. Aurora deals with her neighbour, Jack Nicholson. If you are prone to crying at movies, bring your tissue… More
  Story of mother (Aurora) and daughter (Emma) and their relationships over a few years. Emma deals with three kids, little money and being married to a guy who cheats on her. Aurora deals with her neighbour, Jack Nicholson. If you are prone to crying at movies, bring your tissue box.

• xGary X

  
  An efficient tear jerker with an above par cast, but as is the case with the vast majority of Hollywood's offerings, it's all about audience manipulation rather than genuine insight and character development.

• Cindy I

  
  My mother loves this and made me watch it with her. I found it boring and sappy, plus watching someone die of a long, drawn-out illness is not my idea of a good time.

• Jennifer X

  
  i LOVED it. shirley maclaine is endearing in her vulnerable position. the chemistry between nicholson and maclaine is smoldering. winger captures the more tender scenes. love love.

• Bradley W

  
  Terms of Endearment is a emotionally satisfying movie with some of the great performances in acting I have ever seen. The plot gives us characters we come to like and interests us and when tragedy hits we feel pity for these humans who have good hearts. The acting from Debra Weiner,… More
  Terms of Endearment is a emotionally satisfying movie with some of the great performances in acting I have ever seen. The plot gives us characters we come to like and interests us and when tragedy hits we feel pity for these humans who have good hearts. The acting from Debra Weiner, Shirley McLain, Jack Nicholson, and John Lithgow was perfection and I am not afraid to say that this may be one of the best cast ensembles of all time, this acting was incredible. This film may not have been as sad as I expected, but it sure was a incredible story and I now realize the beauty that everyone has seen it it.

• Juan C

  
  james L. brookes masterpice of realistic, hysterical family life that the performances are acturally making it real then just acting! A+

• Mike T

  
  For the most part, this is a very effective and enjoyable tearjerker. The performances all around are top-notch, and they are the defining element that make the film as good as it is. Despite sometimes being too light when it should be dark, and too dark when it should be light, the… More
  For the most part, this is a very effective and enjoyable tearjerker. The performances all around are top-notch, and they are the defining element that make the film as good as it is. Despite sometimes being too light when it should be dark, and too dark when it should be light, the writing is quite solid for the most part.

• Nicolas K

  
  It touched me because I felt it spoke the truth. Performances were magnificent as expected from the cast.

• Alec B

  
  One disapointning and severly overated film. How this captured best picture I'll never know. jack Nicholson is really the only bright star in this misfire of a film.

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