Review of Terms of Endearment (1983) by Sri N — 27 Feb 2010

Once in a while a movie comes that wins awards and critical acclaim, that non-americans cannot really understand why. As an european I find hard to believe this was nominated for 11 oscars and won 5 (picture, director, screenplay, actress Shirley MaClaine, and supporting actor Jack Nicholson).

The fist 1h45min of the film follow typical all-american mother and daughter (Debra Winger), who constantly live in a love-hate relationship, through the course of more than ten years. There is really not much to say, marriage, job, affairs, money-problems, moving to another state, having kids, etc, the scenes changing rapidly without notice.

In one she is pregnant, in the very next the kid is three years old. And this is why I think this is appealing to americans, they must see themselves in this life saga of small town nostalgia. For me is just plain dull.

Only Nicholson gives some challenging moments to this ineptitude. The rest of the acting is good, but not oscar good, and some supporting actors (Danny DeVito, John Lithgow) give it some extra flavour, but not much.

The last twenty minutes take a turn, as Winger discovers she is dying of cancer, and here, my friends, is just a cheap shot to pull for tears. Besides these forced emotional states, the movie gives nothing.

I can quickly think of another very similar movie (very similar indeed), 1989's "Steel Magnolias" with Julia Roberts and Sally Field, which being structured the same way has much more driving power, and the characters are much more appealing.

Between the two, please forget this one has won 5 oscars and see "Steel Magnolias". So why was this movie so successful? I honestly don't know. Maybe because it appeals to the american way of life.

But mostly I think it was because of the cancer issue at a critical moment in the 1980s. And that's it.