Terms of Endearment is a 1983 American family tragicomedy[3] film directed, written, and produced by James L. Brooks, adapted from Larry McMurtry's 1975 novel of the same name.

It stars Debra Winger, Shirley MacLaine, Jack Nicholson, Danny DeVito, Jeff Daniels, and John Lithgow.

The film covers 30 years of the relationship between Aurora Greenway (MacLaine) and her daughter Emma Greenway-Horton (Winger).

The small family moves to Iowa in order for Flap to pursue a career as an English professor.

Meanwhile the lonely Aurora, after her doctor discloses her real age at her birthday celebration, overcomes her repression and begins a whirlwind romance with her next-door neighbor, retired astronaut Garrett Breedlove, who is promiscuous and coarse.

Emma catches Flap flirting with one of his students on campus, so drives back to Houston immediately.

There, Garrett develops cold feet about his relationship with Aurora after seeing her with her daughter and grandkids and breaks it off.

[5][6] The exterior shots of Aurora Greenway's home were filmed at 3060 Locke Lane, Houston, Texas.

[7] While filming in Lincoln, the state capital, Winger met then-governor of Nebraska Bob Kerrey; the two wound up dating for two years.

[12]MacLaine also confirmed in an interview with USA Today that Nicholson improvised when he put his hand down her dress in the beach scene.

The site's consensus reads: "A classic tearjerker, Terms of Endearment isn't shy about reaching for the heartstrings – but is so well-acted and smartly scripted that it's almost impossible to resist.

[20] Roger Ebert gave the film a four-out-of-four star rating, calling it "a wonderful film" and stating, "There isn't a thing that I would change, and I was exhilarated by the freedom it gives itself to move from the high comedy of Nicholson's best moments to the acting of Debra Winger in the closing scenes.

"[21] Gene Siskel, who also gave the film a highly enthusiastic review, correctly predicted upon its release that it would go on to win the Academy Award for Best Picture of 1983.

American Film Institute (nominations): The sequel The Evening Star (1996), in which MacLaine and Nicholson reprised their roles, was a critical and commercial failure.