Review of Terms Of Endearment

Introduction

Terms of Endearment, written, directed and produced by rookie James L Brooks, came out in 1983 to both critical and public acclaim. It tells the story of a sometimes dysfunctional, but always loving, family – Debra Winger and Jeff Bridges as husband and wife, with Shirley MacLaine as her overbearing mother. Terms of Endearment went on to win 5 Oscars, including Best Supporting Actor for chauvinistic ex-astronaut Jack Nicholson.

Video

The picture is presented in anamorphic 1.78:1 widescreen. Although the colors are generally strong and there is little grain, the main flaw here is the softness of the picture – especially in the first 10mins, but whether this was intentional by the filmmakers (a sequence from the family’s past) I do not know. Either way, the picture gets better after this, so overall whilst decent, the picture could do with a remaster.

Audio

The film is accompanied by a 5.1 DD mix, but the original mono soundtrack is also included. The 5.1 mix is subtle, producing clear dialogue and making good use of surround effects when appropriate. Michael Gore’s score fits a weepie such as this perfectly, evoking emotion at just the right moments, and is faithfully reproduced by the soundtrack with overpowering such delicate scenes.

Features

Apart from the theatrical trailer, the only extra is a commentary by director James L Brooks, co-producer Penney Finkelman and production designer Polly Platt. However, this is a case of quality over quantity, as the commentary is a very good one – being both funny and insightful. James Brooks is obviously very fond of this film (his first feature) and comes across as relaxed and chatty. Well worth a listen.

Conclusion

I can’t say that I particularly enjoyed Terms of Endearment – I found it trivial, irritating and overlong. Even the cameo appearance of a free-spirited Jack Nicholson doesn’t raise the spirits, as he plays a role that we seem to have seen too many times from him. But often this banality is the charm of such cult tearjerker films – and this film does have good points, such as the fantastically tender death scene from Debra Winger. But I would suggest that, if you wanted to see a really good relationships movie, then go see The Big Chill, which was extraordinarily beaten to Best Picture Oscar in 1983 by this film.

The DVD however, I can recommend more heartily, as it has a decent picture, decent sound and a great commentary.