Terms of Endearment 4K 1983 Ultra HD 2160p

Story Movie

"Terms of Endearment" (1983) is a poignant drama that chronicles the complex and enduring relationship between Aurora Greenway (Shirley MacLaine) and her daughter Emma (Debra Winger). Set against the backdrop of 30 years, the film explores love, loss, and the challenges that come with motherhood and friendship. Aurora, a strong-willed and eccentric widow, guides her daughter through life's ups and downs. As Emma navigates her own journey into adulthood, she faces the joys and heartaches of marriage and motherhood. The film's emotional depth is heightened by outstanding performances, especially by MacLaine, who won an Academy Award for her role. "Terms of Endearment" captures the essence of human connections, portraying the enduring bonds that shape our lives.

Review 4K Movie

The shifty, funny/serious tone of "Terms Of Endearment" caught a lot of people off guard in 1983 and word-of-mouth about it being a seriously good tearjerker/comedy was strong (opening near Christmas probably didn't hurt it come Oscar time either!). But since then, TV sitcoms have been mining this kind of flippant, edgy, raw sense of dynamics ("Roseanne" comes to mind), and "Terms" doesn't seem as fresh. Watching it again the other night, I couldn't help feeling some of the juice was missing, or that Shirley MacLaine's Aurora Greenway was actually more of an irritant than a sympathetic harridan. But on closer inspection, the lives of these characters are quite endearing, and the tender music on the soundtrack always underlines a poignant scene at just the right moment. Vivid Debra Winger is incredible as MacLaine's daughter, as are John Lithgow, Jeff Daniels, Jack Nicholson and, in a small but telling part, Danny DeVito. As for MacLaine, I think she makes a few missteps in her characterization, and I didn't like the scene where she leaves her own birthday party in a huff and finds herself at Nicholson's door--it feels put on--or her famous scene with Jack driving on the beach, which is highly improbable. However, her determined will and loving possessiveness/detachment towards her daughter makes her a complicated and colorful bundle of nerves. The picture is flawed, yet has scenes of worth and love, many memorable lines of dialogue, and shows a real skill for balancing different moods.