Customer Reviews
Nothing Special - By: , 13 Aug 2005 
This movie is not a bad movie. It has good performances, especiallly from Jack Nicholson, & a good story line. But this is one of the most over-rated movies I have ever seen.
The direction is similar to that of a TV movie, very basic & plain, & is what one would expect of any run-of-the-mill director for a major film.
The main problem I have with the movie though is that it does nothing for me- it's not particularly interesting, funny, thoughtful, or novel. The majorty of the film is a series of snapshots of a mother-daughter relationship through time, not at any point doing more than documenting "where they're at", whilst the final third of the film is a melodramatic twist that contiues in the same vein as the first part of the film, rather than attempting to build on the opportunity it creates to do so much more.
The inevitable sadness felt towards the end of the film isn't down to great performances, or story line, but because after suffering two hours of life with these people, we're bound to feel a little sad at what happens, having seen them through alll those different snap shots. That's manipulation, not genuine understanding or insight.
Big Boys Don't Cry - By: , 16 May 2005 
I am about to replace my VHS copy of this film with the DVD. I was spellbound by the performances given by Shirley MacLaine, Debra Winger, Jack Nicolson & Jeff Daniels.
No doubt written off by many as nothing more than a 'chick flick', this fascinating tale of the complex love/hate mother/daughter relationship is so beautifully written & performed, that it has to be regarded as a classic.
I watched this film with my eldest son back in 1996. He was 23 at the time, & in the Royal Navy. A true hard-hitting, roughie-toughie, seen-it-alll hardnut (or so he thought). The real acting for us came during the scene where Teddy (Huckleberry Fox) visits his mother in hospital. Just as the tears rolled down young Huckleberry's face, so they were running down mine. My big, strong, you-can't-touch-me son, meanwhile, was busy clearing the lump in his throat & struggling very hard not to let me see his own tears.
That's when you know you're watching a very special piece of magic.
20 years on and it still shines through as a true classic! - By: Dr D J Corvin, 11 Aug 2003 The eighties were know as a decade of misfires for the academy awards. They were under constant scrutiny for apparently awarding lesser, or as Tarantino put it, "coffee table fun" films & blatantly ignoring the more radical, art-house genre. Terms of Endearment was one of those such film criticised. Sure, it is a quirky, shifty, funny/serious kind of film. There pre & post this film there have been many others of similar genre. But Terms of Endearment is different, special in a way. It can reallly grow on you. You care about the characters, you share their ups & downs, feel their love & pain. You live the endearments. Brooks manages to get the very best out of his wonderful cast, & though he could have made it a soppy love story between mother & daughter, he shot Endearment with careful subtlety that makes it evolve into a real life story rather than a Hollywood story, mirroring the beautiful words of Larry McMurtry. Because there is no sugar coating & Hollywood in this film the emotions are raw, passion flaring. Terms of Endearment remain a true undisputed American classic.
An all time classic comedy, drama , tear jerker. - By: , 03 Feb 2002 I first watched this movie when i was 15 & although i did not understand alll of the tribulations I still felt part of the story. The actors & actresss blend well together & alll give this movie the acting it deserves. A definate classic that i will enjoy again & again.
