Actors: Shirley Maclaine, Debra Winger, Jack Nicholson, Danny DeVito, Jeff Daniels, John Lithgow
Review Summary and Plot Commentary about Terms of Endearment
Aurora Greenway (Maclaine), a feisty middle-aged Houston resident, loves and rides her sweet but free-spirited daughter Emma (Winger). They fight over everything from cooking to men: Emma is married to weak-willed and distant English teacher Flap Horton (Daniels), Aurora has a couple of potential suitors coming around, including her new next-door neighbor, retired astronaut Garrett Breedlove (Nicholson). This classic 1983 chick flick turns from comedy to tear-drenching drama when Emma comes down with cancer. Writer-producer-director James L. Brooks, creator of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," "Rhoda," and "Taxi," based the story on Larry McMurtry's novel, and the look of his film on Norman Rockwell and the 1946 Oscar-winning "The Best Years of Our Lives." This movie won five Oscars: Best Picture, Best Actress (Maclaine), Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actor (Nicholson).
--David Loftus, Resident Scholar
Click above for the new Obama Girl Parody video!
Analysis of Terms of Endearment
Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Time/era of movie:
- 1960's-1970's
Family, caring for sick?
Yes
Who is sick?
- Daughter
because he/she is
- physically ill
Family, loving
Yes
Special relationship with
- mother
Main Character
Identity:
- Female
Profession/status:
- simply wealthy
Age:
- 40's-50's
Eccentric:
Yes
- eccentric
Hair color?
- red
Hair type
- (woman) short/butch/lez
Body type
- (woman) average
Events of movie makes character more...
- sensitive
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
How sensitive is this character?
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- average physique
Secondary Main Character
Identity:
- Female
Hair color
- brunette (Brown)
Hair style
- (woman) long straight
Body type
- (woman) average
How much in movie?
- 80%
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- Texas
City?
Yes
Style
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
Movie makes you feel...
- concerned
Any profanity?
- Occasional swearing
Is this movie based on a
- book
