Hellyyden ehdoilla

A solid American drama telling a family story throughout the years, which was really lucky to get such actors to portray the main characters. In the beginning I was quite unsure whether I would like Terms of Endearment. After a while I got used to the characters and the character I liked the most was the one portrayed by Jack Nicholson. He is capable to own the movie even when cast in supporting role. But it would not be fair to say that the movie stands or falls by him alone. There are others, for example, Shirley MacLaine, Debra Winger, Danny DeVito, Jeff Daniels and John Lithgow and everyone plays an important part in the story even though some of them appear in the movie only for a few minutes. In any case, life can play even such tricks with our destinies as those portrayed in this movie. It is not fair but on the other hand this type of story is the most powerful. (24.08.2019)

James L. Brooks is brilliant at portraying human stories of friendship, love, family. He leads the actors wonderfully, and they deliver exceptional performances. The passage of time has taken its toll on this film and some of the situational scenes are not as cool as they were 20 or 30 years ago, but it's still very apt and sufficiently complex. (23.03.2005)

The great, great and once again great Shirley MacLaine in an intriguingly placid and insightfully written and acted story, which becomes a real drama only in the last half hour, but it loses nothing from the atmosphere, as if its says from the beginning: “Such is life, these things often really do happen and you accept it, but ideally with a smile and not too tragically". Of course, the fantastic Jack Nicholson cannot be omitted. (01.02.2021)

What a strange movie. At times, I felt like I should be bored (but I wasn't), at times, I felt like I should hate all the characters (but the opposite was true), and I also had the feeling that I should complain about the overly long running time. Still, considering the periods the creators took me through, I appreciate that the whole thing had a relatively moderate two-hour running time. Given the direction the story was going, I was expecting a manipulative play on emotions underscored by sentimental melodies, but then I realized that the movie was made in a different time. Even in the most agonizing moments, the characters didn't just recite clichéd empty phrases. The screenwriter continued to supply them with meaningful lines. Shirley MacLaine was great again; Jack Nicholson balanced between sleazy and demonic (and I won't forget his ultra-short robe anytime soon). All the performances were outstanding. I had one major problem with the story; mainly in the first third, it seemed somewhat chaotic and messy, but it improved over time. / "A few years back, you invited me to lunch. I wondered if the invitation still exists." / "I like the lights on." "Then go home and turn them on." / Lesson learned: The worst thing I have experienced in my life so far was displays of sympathy. Be it genuine or fake. (03.04.2023)

It's melodramatic, sometimes too much, but when you have such actors at your disposal as James L. Brooks did, you will simply succeed in handling everything. Jack Nicholson is simply incredible, and no matter how much space you give him, he will make full use of it. But it's not just about him, it's also about the other actors who are great. Thanks to them, it's easily digestible. (15.12.2015)