It was one of these evenings when I was tired after class, and wanted to relax by shamelessly enjoying TV!  That night, I was surprised to see that a tearjerker starring Shirley MacLaine and Debra Winger, which I had never heard of before, was playing. I taped it out of curiosity since the reviews were quite positive, and kept it for later to watch the re-run of some safer movie!

I liked very much what I saw the first time I watched Terms of Endearment and was unusually moved by its story and acting.  I decided not to delete it right away and save the tape for a while... A few months later, I watched it again, and felt even stronger about that movie -third time was a charm, and by then Terms of Endearment had literally changed my life!  This has to be my one favorite movie of all times.  I watched it at least a dozen times, in 3 different languages, and was equally moved each time!  I won't dwell on the reasons why, but definitely thought it worth dedicating a page to this wonderful masterpiece. What a story though -both onscreen and backstage!

Enjoy and feel free to send me your comments anytime -love!
 

RELEASE INFORMATION

Directed by: James L. Brooks
From a novel by: Larry McMurtry
Adapted by: James L. Brooks
Music by: Michael Gore

Filming Locations:

• Junction City, Geary co, Kansas, USA
• Lincoln, Nebraska, USA (Debra Winger was then romantically involved with Nebraska's governor, Bob Kerrey)
• Houston, Texas, USA
• Texas City, Texas, USA

Foreign Titles

• French: Tendres passions
• Spanish: La fuerza del carino
• Hungarian: Begezö Szavak
• German: Zeit der Zärtlichkeit

Released on: November 23,1983 (United States) - April 4,1984 (France)
Running Time: 132 minutes

Box-Office: $108.4m (USA)
Rentals: $50.25m (USA)

Director, producer, and writer of the Oscar-winning films Terms of Endearment (1983) and As Good As It Gets (1997), as well as box-office hits such as Broadcast News (1987), James L. Brooks (born on May 9, 1940 in North Bergen, NJ) has also produced many popular movies and television shows, including Jerry Maguire (1996), The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970), and Taxi (1978), and won an Emmy in 1989 for his work on The Simpsons.

Based on a book by Larry McMurtry, published on October 22, 1975.  Its sequel, The Evening Star, was published on June 21, 1992:  Aurora Greenway, now in her 70's, is still pursuing men, particularly men who aren't quite worthy of her. The rest of her life revolves around her three grandchildren, whom she raised after her daughter's death from cancer: Tommy is in prison; he murdered his ex-girlfriend during a squabble involving drugs. Teddy is finally out of the mental hospital, working at a convenience store and married to a former fellow patient named Jane, who's sleeping with her best friend from college, Claudia. Melanie, the youngest, is pregnant and not sure who the father is; the most likely suspect, Bruce, has just left her for a young woman who owns a Ferrari. In fact, that's why he left Melanie -- he loves that Ferrari. The immediate extended family is rounded out by Gen. Hector Scott, Aurora's official boyfriend, who is 86 and losing it, and by Rosie, her housekeeper, who is just as indomitable as Aurora and only slightly less oversexed.
 
 

A TEDIOUS CASTING PROCESS!
 

James L. Brooks first brought the script of Terms of Endearment to Shirley MacLaine. She was very enthusiastic and agreed to keep herself available for the movie -little did she know, as it took over 2 years for Jim Brooks to find a studio (Paramount) who would produce the movie, forcing her to refuse roles such as the mother in the Steven Spielberg production Poltergeist (1982). Anne Bancroft (1931) was originally contacted as a second choice to play Aurora.
 
 
 

The role of Emma was first offered to Sissy Spacek (b. 1949), who would have been very credible physically as Shirley MacLaine's daughter.  But fresh from her Oscar for Coal Miner's Daughter (1980) and inundated with other offers, she turned it down.  Jim Brooks then approached the other Oscar winner of 1980 -Mary Steenburgen (b. 1953), who had received the statuette for her supporting role in Melvin and Howard (1980).  The two did not get along and nothing came of their meeting.

Paramount then stepped in, suggesting another young actress whose latest film had just been a huge commercial success: An Officer and a Gentleman's Debra Winger (b. 1955).  Both Shirley MacLaine and Jim Brooks quickly got over the fact that she did not look much like Shirley -her wit and beauty would make her perfect for the role.
 
 
 

James L. Brooks wrote the character of the aging astronaute, Garrett Breedlove, with Burt Reynolds in mind.  He had worked with Burt on television and liked him very much.  Nevertheless, Burt Reynolds (b. 1936) did not want to work without his toupet, and insisted on sticking to his diet and workout schedule.  He clearly did not want to play an old womanizer, and eventually refused the role.

Jack Nicholson (b. 1937) was approached as a second choice.  His concerns were not egotistical: he would consider the role for the right amount of money, and the right number of days off so that eh could go watch the Lakers.  His agent and Jim Brook's staff discussed the details and could come to an agreement.
 
 
 

Kim Basinger (b. 1953) was coveted for the role of Patsy, Emma's best friend.  This role required a very beautiful actress who could compete with Aurora.  James Brooks, Shirley MacLaine and Debra Winger called Kim Basinger directly: the star was annoyed and offended. "Why are you doing this to me?  It's a supporting role, and Burt Reynolds just asked me to co-star in The man who loved women."  The Blake Edwards comedy, though a safest bet, proved to be a critical and commercial failure.  Kim Basinger was replaced by an unknown actress, Lisa Hart Carroll.
 
 
 

The final casting for Terms of Endearment ended up being the following:
 
 

Aurora Greenway	Shirley MacLaine (1934, The Trouble with Harry)
Emma Horton	Debra Winger (1955, Betrayed)
Flap Horton	Jeff Daniels (1955, Pleasantville)
Garrett Breedlove	Jack Nicholson (1937, The Shining)
Sam Burns	John Lithgow (1945, Blow Out)
Patsy Clark	Lisa Hart Carroll
Vernon Dahlart	Danny DeVito (1944, War of the Roses)
Tommy	Troy Bishop (1972, Scream)
Younger Tommy Horton	Shane Serwin
Teddy	Huckleberry Fox (1975)
Melanie	Megan Morris (1981, Johnny Be Good)
Baby Melanie	Tara Yeakey
Rosie	Betty King (Silkwood)
Edward Johnson	Norman Bennett (Hope Floats)
Young Emma	Jennifer Josey

 

REHEARSALS

Rehearsals started in New York during the winter of 1982.  Shirley MacLaine arrived at Jim Brooks' apartment wearing old Southern clothes to inhabit the character; Debra Winger, dressed with a mini-skirt and boots, looked her up and down before greeting her with a: "What's this shit you are wearing?"  The tone was set.

In her autobiography "Lucky Stars", Shirley MacLaine gives more insight in the atmosphere during that first day of rehearsal (this was translated from Spanish, please forgive the slightly adapted wording):
 

Debra then turned to Jim Brooks: "What do you think of my hair?"  Jim shrugged his shoulders, not sure how women wore their hair these days.  Debra took a pair of scissors out of her purse, and disappeared in the bathroom.  When she came back, she asked: "Is Emma like this"? She had cut her hair chin-length  I was impressed.  It was truly a compromise to her role and a negation of her ego.

Finally, we focussed on a scene when Aurora tells Emma that she should learn better her limits.  We started reading from the script, then Jim asked us to improvise.  Debra, as Emma, started criticizing my (Aurora's) way of being dressing.  I, as Aurora, acted indifferent.  I-Aurora would ignore whatever criticisms would come out of Debra-Emma's mouth, and try to change subject.  I thought this would be Aurora's weapon.  Debra grew increasingly irritated.  She stepped out of the living room and called Jim from a separate room.  I could not hear what they were saying.  A little while later, Debra and Jim came back, and announced that the rehearsals were over for the day.

Debra left. I looked at Jim.  "Don't worry, he told me. She gets too involved.  She is discovering her character.  It only has to do with her work." I believed him.

During the rehearsals, Shirley MacLaine did not know what to think of Debra Winger's weird behavior.  The young actress clearly wanted to be at the center of attention, and would dance on loud music in her trailer when her co-stars rehearsed their scene.  Shirley MacLaine eventually asked advice to Debra's former Urban Cowboy co-star, John Travolta, who admitted she was hard on herself, could puzzle her co-stars -and that he would rather not renew the experience of working with her.

When Jack Nicholson was cast as Garrett Breedlove, the production moved to Houston to try on the costumes and make-up.  But a huge hurricane kept Shirley MacLaine in her Malibu house, taking down trees and making huge waves.
 

Jim called me from Houston.
"Why are you not here? We are starting shooting in a week, and you are still not here!
- No, I am in the middle of hurricane.
- Great. Good thing is you will have more time to learn the script.
- Not right now, no!
- What kind of accent are you gonna use? Have you decided yet? We need to know, so that Debra can adapt hers accordingly."
A huge wave came and went in my living room before I knew it -all my furniture, walls and clothes were soaking wet, but surprisingly the phone still worked.  Jim kept talking as if the world evolved around his end of the universe.
"Listen, he said, not matter what happens, I want you to stay in character."

Finally, during the rehearsals in Houston, Shirley followed James Brooks' recommendations and worked on an accent from River Oaks-Houston, where Aurora was from.  But at 10pm the night before shooting started, Jim called Shirley:
 

"I decided Aurora should not be from Texas.  She has to be from New England, but we meet her in Texas.  Okay with you?
- But Jim, what about the wardrobe, the hair? I don't know what to say.  We start shooting tomorrow morning but you change everything the night before?
- Yes. Just be spontaneous. You'll adapt."
I hung up.

A VERY DIFFICULT SHOOTING...
 

Shirley MacLaine arrived with little confidence, and an approximate sense of her character, on the set for her first scene with Debra-Emma.
 

The assistant showed us our marks.  Debra went to hers before I did.
"Hey, mom, come over here. Yours are there.
- Okay", I said.
I walked towards my marks, while trying to get used to wearing pants instead of the baggy dresses that were initially planned for Aurora's characters.  I also felt awkward with her new hairdo, and I had no idea what kind of accent would come out of my mouth.
"Your marks are here", said Debra.
The staff stopped talking.  They felt something wrong was going to happen.
"I heard you, I said.  I recognize marks when I see them.
- Terrific.  What about this mark?"  She turned around, pulled her dress and farted.
"Do you always talk with your mouth full?" I asked.  She laughed.
So that was Debra's conception of Emma.  A girl who despised her mother, and would constantly rebel against her authority.  Where were the limits between Emma and Debra?  At night in the hotel where most of the cast was staying, I would often hear Debra cry on the phone.

The following day, Shirley MacLaine and Jack Nicholson were shooting the scene where Aurora wakes up in Garrett's bed for the first time.  Action rolled, and Shirley started her scene when she is whispering to Emma on the phone.  She felt a tongue on her ankle.  It had been so hard for the staff to prepare the scene that she did not want to stop.  Debra Winger had slipped under the sheets, and was teasing both actors, to the knowledge of the director.

When Jim shouted "Cut", Shirley kicked Debra, who nevertheless opened her legs, and Jack joined the game by holding Shirley's arms. The whole staff was having a blast, and Debra kept on licking Shirley's feet.  But the older actress managed to free one of her arms and grabbed Jack's testicles fiercly, ending the show!

Pushed to her limits, Shirley MacLaine greeted with pleasure the few days off she had after that.  But little did she know -the assistant director called her, saying Debra was crying, and said she would not return to the set unless Shirley came to see her.  They were sending a car to pick her up.  Debra broke down saying she felt bad for being mean to Shirley, and that she could not confide in flawed director James Brooks.  Shirley MacLaine started to count the days until shooting would end -but they were only half-way through!

When Jack Nicholson returned to shoot his scenes, he felt intuitively that something was going wrong.  The staff was slow, disorganized, the director irritable, and a negative dynamic had developped.

"Shooting Terms of Endearment was a very difficult experience, and it taught me a lot about acting." Shirley MacLaine.

As he was trying to complete the kitchen scene, where Garrett explains what it is like being an astronaute, Jack Nicholson realized that several cameramen were missing, the team in charge of the accessories had taken the food that was supposed to be eaten by the actors during that scene, and the atmosphere was getting clearly unprofessional.  "Hey! Hey, son of a bitch!" He knocked the kitchen table down and threw such a tantrum that the entire team went silent and paralized.
 

Then Jack calmed down.  He put on his evil smile, and I immediately felt that the negative dynamics were gone.

This marked a wonderful transition.
 

My favorite scene is when Aurora watches Garrett as he is emptying trash cans after a restless night with a couple of bimbos.  I am spying on him from behind a tree. Then I come right to his face and says: "That's the only thing I can do not to piss at your face!"

The scene in the water when Garrett puts his hands under my shirt made me laugh so hard I could hardly play it.

But as soon as Jack Nicholson left, the negative dynamics resumed.
 

Debra felt so histerical that one night she came to the daily rushes with a bottle of coke and vodka in her hand, whispering in my ear: "You're gonna see what good acting is about" and pinched my breast.  I kicked her in the stomach and screamed: "Get away from me!"  The look on her face was that of kids who deserved a punishment but are terribly hurt when they receive it.

After this accident, James Brooks asked Shirley MacLaine not to come to see the daily rushes.  Consequently annoyed by the feeling of "painting with my eyes closed", she came every night and sat outside the screening room.  Finally, the guilty director authorized her to come in, but would block her the view and Debra Winger would wander around with her bottle of brandy.

The Paramount executives were aware that this shooting was nothing short of an insanity, and it was time for them to look at the rushes.  They were totally blown away -and so was Shirley MacLaine!
 

Jim asked me: "Did you like what you saw?
- Yes.
- Good.  This is why I wouldn't let you watch the rushes."
He was waiting for my answer.  I grabbed my purse and left.  Went back to my hotel and called my agent to tell him they could stick the Oscar up their asses. I quit.
"You're kidding.
- No. I am very serious. I want out. They can hire Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, or someone else who could deal with this situation. I can't."

Shirley MacLaine packed my suitcase, booked a flight on the first plane available, and went to bed.  When she got a call from the panicked assistant director the following morning, she confirmed she was quitting and hung up the phone.  Her agent called back, and convinced her to come back.
 

Mort told me: "By the way, I told Jim I agreed with you.  Debra's behavior is one thing, but not letting you watch the daily rushes is unprofessional.
- Nothing is professional in this picture!  It's a joke.  I hate it.  And don't tell me that Jim does it to get the right reaction out of Aurora.  I know it and don't give a damn.  This is unhealthy, it's driving me nuts and I want to quit.
- Can Jim call you?
- I guess I have no choice anyway...
- Not unless you want to spend $10 million for breach of contract."

The director called the actress, apologized and congratulated her on her fantastic job.  Production then moved to New York for interior shots.  Debra Winger would regularly call Shirley MacLaine at 6am from California, once terrified about a comical scene she had to shoot the following day.  Half-asleep, an unconvinced Shirley would give her what she thought were miserable tips, but which apparently kept Debra satisfied.

Finally, the cast travelled to Lincoln, Nebraska, to complete the production.  Debra Winger had studied in-depth all the aspects of cancer.  She became furious when, during the shooting in the Lincoln Hospital, director James Brooks showed an attitude which she though was disrespectful to Emma's disease, and called him names in front of the rest of the cast.
 

I looked at Jeff Daniels, who played Emma's husband.
"What is going on?, I whispered.
- Debra thinks that Jim is not dealing with sensitivity with our scene.  She is dying today, as you know."
I knew.  Actually, I was wondering how I would react when she would exhale her last breath.  It would be difficult to fake sadness!
Jim knew everybody was watching as Debra humiliated him.  She eventually walked out of the room.  He then clapped his hands. "Perfect, is everybody ready for the scene"?

The scene when Emma dies, with Flap and Aurora at her side, went smoothly and wonderfully.  Shirley MacLaine admitted sarcasticly that she felt like jumping in the air and crying of joy when Emma passed away.
 

Until the last second, I had no idea how I would act in that scene.  Aurora could have behaved in many different ways.  Jeff stood up.  I did the same.  "It is so hard..." I said, according to the plot.  "I never thought it would be so hard."  I let myself totally go.  I cried and cried on the shoulder of my son-in-law.  Except I was not thinking about the death of Emma, but about how hard that movie had been to shoot.

One year after production wrapped up on Terms of Endearment, James Brooks called Shirley MacLaine on New Year's day to ask her how she had felt about the last year.
 

I told him I was still unsure about what had happened during this shooting.  Jim was wonderful, concise and sweet.  "Listen, Debra and I need a sense of chaos and anarchy to work.  This is how we dive into our work.  You and Jack are different.  This is all that it is, now forget about it."  I felt this was not only unnecessary, but also destructive.

THE ACADEMY AWARDS: PAYBACK TIME!

Terms of Endearment received an astounding total of 11 nominations and 5 awards at the 1983 Academy Awards ceremony.
 
 

Best Actress	Debra Winger	Nominated
Best Actress	Shirley MacLaine	Won
Best Art Direction-Set Decoration	Tom Pedigo & Polly Platt	Nominated
Best Director	James L. Brooks	Won
Best Film Editing	Richard Marks	Nominated
Best Music, Original Score	Michael Gore	Nominated
Best Picture	James L. Brooks	Won
Best Sound	Jim Alexander, Rick Kline, Donald O. Mitchell & Kevin O'Connell	Nominated
Best Supporting Actor	Jack Nicholson	Won
Best Supporting Actor	John Lithgow	Nominated
Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium	James L. Brooks	Won

When Shirley MacLaine won the Oscar for Best Actress, and walked towards the stage to receive her awards, she stopped by Debra Winger, and with as much conviction as she could, told her nicely that she deserved half of this.  "I accept it", Debra replied.
 

Maybe her sincerity inspired me when I raised the Oscar and said: "I deserve it!"

SHIRLEY MACLAINE ON TERMS OF ENDEARMENT'S 1996 SEQUEL, THE EVENING STAR
 

What did you do to prepare for Terms of Endearment?
Shirley MacLaine: I used Martha Mitchell as a role model. But then, after you create a character, you sort of throw her up to the universe. And if you're smart, you'll get out of your own way and let her play herself.

How did you feel about doing a sequel to Terms of Endearment?
Shirley MacLaine: This is not exactly a smart career move. But then, I have never made smart career moves. I followed up Terms of Endearment itself by doing, what? Cannonball Run II?  I feel a little trepidation about making a sequel to a well-known movie and revisiting a famous character.  But I love her so much. I think I did the movie because I missed her.'

Has Aurora changed during the 12 years since Terms of Endearment was released?
Shirley MacLaine: Not really. That's her strength and her weakness. She's so stubborn that she's a survivor, but it can be very wearing on the people around her because she just won't give an inch.

How was it coming back to Aurora 13 years later?
Shirley MacLaine: It was the easiest thing in the world. Once you get something in your body, in your movements, in your gestures and facial expressions, it's always there. I could go back and play The Trouble With Harry. They'd think I was the young lady burying and reburying the bodies. Time is just an invention of ours. It's just who you are with some more experience. You don't re-create the role. You just pick it up. It's like having an old friend, and you pick up where you left off.  I love Aurora. I could do Aurora for the rest of my life. I could die playing Aurora.

Aurora Greenway has been part of you for some time now. What advice would you give each other?
Shirley MacLaine: I would advise her to be a little more tolerant of other people -- to try to see things from their perspective. I mean, she's ALWAYS right, but she doesn't have to throw it in everyone's face. And she would probably tell me to be more frank.

You don't think you're frank enough? I find it hard to picture you being MORE frank.
Shirley MacLaine: [laughs] Well, it seems to me that I'm often not frank. I was taught to get along with others ... very Southern, very Virginian, very uptight. I've always been hesitant to rock the boat. Sometimes the boat needs rocking, though. I've always admired those people -- like Aurora -- who just don't give a damn what others think. They plow right ahead, doing and saying whatever they like. I could use a lot more of that.

What was it like when Bill Paxton was tackling you to the floor when you first kiss?
Shirley MacLaine: I don't know who tackles who there. [Laughs.]

How did you get ready for those scenes with Paxton?
Shirley MacLaine: Billy and I ran away together and stayed in a motel. We stayed in the Stop & Go for about a week while preparing this part. We had one bathroom. And we just did research on how to do it.

You're pulling my leg?
I am? Okay. [Laughs.]

That was a great scene with you and Jack Nicholson spreading your maid's ashes on the beach. I think it captured what you said about Aurora being able to do anything. You would never expect her to do something like that.
Shirley MacLaine: It's a different way of treating life--or death.

I read somewhere that the filming in Texas was arranged so Jack could see his Lakers play basketball. Did you go to any games with him?
Shirley MacLaine: No. I was working so hard, and he was playing so hard.

You have fun working with him, don't you?
Shirley MacLaine: We're like old smoothies working together. You know the old smoothies they used to show whenever you went to the Ice Follies. They would have this elderly man and woman--who at that time were 40--and they had a little bit too much weight around the waist and were moving a little slower. But they danced so elegantly and so in synch with each other that the audience just laid back and sort of sighed. That's the way it is working with Jack. We both know what the other is going to do. And we don't socialize or anything. It's an amazing chemistry--a wonderful, wonderful feeling.

The Evening Star is a movie about human relationships.
Shirley MacLaine: I wonder if, in this time of sci-fi movies and grown-up kiddie flicks, that's not the biggest risk of all.  I mean, look, Space Jam does $27 million or whatever (on opening day) - whatever that's about. I mean, I'm sure it's totally enjoyable to someone with an IQ of 2, but... And 101 Dalmatians - what is that? I don't know. I just don't go to those kinds of movies.  There are few movies like Secrets and Lies and Michael Collins -which I think should be blamed on both studios and audiences equally.

Do you like the finished movie?
Shirley MacLaine: I am proud of Evening Star, though I remain annoyed that the script never provided Aurora with the equivalent of the big "Give her the shot!'' scene from Terms of Endearment. Lots of my Aurora stuff is out, whole scenes that were abandoned in the editing-room bins, which makes me sad.

What kind of memory will you keep of the shooting of The Evening Star?
Shirley MacLaine: Making this film was such a wonderful experience! It went so well that we all began to go through these personal experiences, as though the characters were teaching us more about who we were.

Would you consider making The Evening Star as wonderful as the experience of making Terms?
Shirley MacLaine: [laughs] What makes you think doing the first film was wonderful?

You didn't have fun with Debra Winger in Terms of Endearment. Have you made up?
Shirley MacLaine: Oh, suuure! We're best friends. We wanted to use a picture of her in Evening Star, because in Terms, Aurora had a big picture of her above the bed. The producer called Debra and asked if we could use it and Debra said, "Sure, just make sure Shirley doesn't use it as a dartboard."
 
 

Didn't have enough yet?  Then have more fun listening to Shirley sharing her thoughts about:
 

• How different she is from Aurora?
• Her fears about making The Evening Star
• How similar Shirley feels to Aurora?
• Reuniting with Jack Nicholson on The Evening Star
• The -metaphysical- key to acting
• The feminine side to acting
• Playing her death scene in The Evening Star