Terms of Endearment (1983)

Follows hard-to-please Aurora looking for love, and her daughter's family problems.

Director:

James L. Brooks

Writers:

Larry McMurtry (based on the novel by), James L. Brooks (screenplay)

Stars:

Shirley MacLaine, Debra Winger, Jack Nicholson

Won 5 Oscars. Another 27 wins & 18 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Shirley MacLaine	...	Aurora Greenway
Debra Winger	...	Emma Horton
Jack Nicholson	...	Garrett Breedlove
Danny DeVito	...	Vernon Dahlart
Jeff Daniels	...	Flap Horton
John Lithgow	...	Sam Burns
Lisa Hart Carroll	...	Patsy Clark
Betty King	...	Rosie Dunlop (as Betty R. King)
Huckleberry Fox	...	Teddy Horton
Troy Bishop	...	Tommy Horton
Shane Serwin	...	Younger Tommy Horton
Megan Morris	...	Melanie Horton
Tara Yeakey	...	Baby Melanie
Norman Bennett	...	Edward Johnson
Jennifer Josey	...	Young Emma

Storyline

Aurora and Emma are mother and daughter who march to different drummers. Beginning with Emma's marriage, Aurora shows how difficult and loving she can be. The movie covers several years of their lives as each finds different reasons to go on living and find joy. Aurora's interludes with Garrett Breedlove, retired astronaut and next door neighbor are quite striking. In the end, different people show their love in very different ways.

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Plot Keywords:

cancer | dying young | extramarital affair | terminal illness | mother daughter relationship | 

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Taglines:

Come to Laugh, Come to Cry, Come to Care, Come to Terms.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

This is the only film directed by James L. Brooks to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards.

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Goofs

Garret's glasses change during one conversation with Aurora.

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Quotes

Aurora Greenway: You are not special enough to overcome a bad marriage.

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Connections

Referenced in The X-Files: Terms of Endearment (1999)

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Soundtracks

Isn't It Romantic
(1932) (uncredited)
By Lorenz Hart and Richard Rodgers

User Reviews

Quite good, but overrated

After looking forward to seeing this film for many years, I finally have watched it, and was left a little disappointed. Don't get me wrong, it's a good movie, but I expected so very much more. I found the plot to be rather thin for a movie this long, and after some thought, I'd have to say that the script was average at best. With a weaker cast, I suspect that I wouldn't have even liked it. Fortunately, this film is blessed with a spectacular cast, and this film deservedly received Oscar recognition in the acting categories. It just didn't deserve the best picture Oscar that it also won.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 December 1983 (USA)

Also Known As:

Terms of Endearment

Filming Locations:

Lincoln International Airport, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$8,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$3,498,813, 27 November 1983

Gross USA:

$108,423,489

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$108,423,489

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

132 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1