The Evening Star (1996)

Picking up the story thread left by 1983's Terms of Endearment, this overwrought sequel is made palatable by Shirley MacLaine's charismatic performance, which in turn is nearly equaled by Marion Ross's role as her housekeeper. An unexpected surprise, Ross obviously was never allowed to display her range as Mrs. Cunningham on Happy Days. Returning as the vibrant Aurora Greenway, MacLaine far outshines the thin material involving the tangled and unhappy lives of her three grandchildren. The plot picks up 13 years after the death of Greenway's daughter (played by Debra Winger in the original). One of the kids is in jail; one is living in poverty. Her granddaughter, played with prickly rebelliousness by Juliette Lewis, is heading for all sorts of trouble. The plot, told in disconnected and maudlin episodic segments, often borders on the absurd. The characters screech and weep, one of them dies, then we watch others screech and weep some more. So why bother? Because it is occasionally quite witty, and MacLaine indeed shines as brightly as the evening star to which she is compared. Both movies were based on novels by Larry McMurtry. --Rochelle O'Gorman Amazon.com

Turgid, Episodic Mess Offers a Boisterous MacLaine But Little Else

By the time Jack Nicholson shows up for about five minutes of screen time as Garrett Breedlove, this turgid 1996 sequel to 1983's Terms of Endearment has already slogged through two deaths, a psychotherapist with an Oedipal complex, and a lot of scrapbooks. The problems with this shamelessly manipulative movie are many, and they all begin with the inevitable premise that tough Texas matron Aurora Greenway can carry on without being challenged by her feisty daughter Emma. However, without Debra Winger's earthy grit counterbalancing Shirley MacLaine's flamboyant disapproval, the story seems to work in a vacuum. Much of the appeal and resonance of the first film came from how these characters dealt with life's unpredictable course and how James L. Brooks captured their idiosyncrasies with a refreshing level of honesty for a mainstream film.

These nuances are completely missed as Robert Harling takes over for Brooks and takes the episodic approach that seemed to work better in his screenplay for 1989's Steel Magnolias. Based on Larry McMurtry's sequel novel, the story picks up Aurora's story fifteen years after Emma's death as we see true to her daughter's final wishes, that the grandiose older woman has raised Emma's three children. Now adults, oldest son Tommy is in prison for drug dealing, while youngest son Teddy has become standard white trash who wants only to own a tow truck. That leaves granddaughter Melanie who has inherited her mother's independent streak as she struggles through a bad relationship with an aspiring underwear model to become a sitcom actress. Without Emma, Melanie picks up the slack for spats and so do two minor characters from the first film - Emma's best friend Patsy, who has become a wealthy divorcee constantly competing with Aurora, and Aurora's salt-of-the-earth maid Rosie.

The movie becomes a virtual traffic jam of personal problems orbiting around Aurora with the second half an endless series of dramatic climaxes. MacLaine does the best she can under the circumstances, but the rest of the cast is set adrift. Bill Paxton looks particularly lost as the psychotherapist in love with Aurora. Juliette Lewis uses her familiar off-kilter mannerisms as Melanie, while Miranda Richardson is forced to play Patsy on two notes - petulant jealousy and benign resignation. Nicholson's appearance is welcome, but he understandably looks like he wants to leave the minute he arrives to remind Aurora of her enduring appeal. Only Marion Ross and Ben Johnson acquit themselves respectably as Rosie and her husband-to-be Arthur. Except for MacLaine's work, this overlong mess is really unbearable to watch. The 2001 DVD offers no significant extras. April 14, 2008

movie

movie arrived quick and in excellent shape, was very pleased and will be ordering more movies. February 19, 2008

love the spin off of terms!

very moving and great spin off of "terms of endearment" she had a hard life as I had. June 25, 2006

If you loved Terms of Endearment, never watch this film

I adore Terms of Endearment, it's a movie that time and time again has never failed to touch my heart and make my cry. I have known about "The Evening Star" for a long time, but I just got around to seeing it for the first time.

While it was fortunate that Shirley MacLaine reprised her role as Aurora, the film didn't have the same chemistry that made Terms of Endearment such a memorable and much loved film. The cast was just off, with nobody except for Marion Ross delivering a much appreciated and genuine performance.

Aurora returns in The Evening Star as a woman who has been weakened, and instead of seeing her as she was (and as she was loved) we see her adapt to the lives of her loser grandchildren with little contest. It's not the same Aurora from the first film. The Aurora we see in Evening Star doesn't have the same essence of "Houston class", the same sharp wit, and overall she is a different woman than the Aurora you grew used to in Terms of Endearment.

Watching this movie was painful, just because it was so predictable and, well, it was just lacking that soul that made the first film so special. This movie was put together so poorly, and it really shows. Emotional scenes are poorly done, because whomever wrote the screenplay really tried to make everything over-the-top, so when there was a crisis, it became an emotional spectacle with the entire cast instead of an intimate and thoughtful event between certain characters. When tragedy would strike, you'd have a room full of characters you don't care about dilluting the scene and creating a disconnect in the moment.

I give the film 1 star and that is only because we get a moment of time with Jack Nicholson, Marion Ross did a good job, and Shirley MacLaine came back to do her very best under the circumstances. These people are the only minute saving factor in this entire upset of a film.

Honestly though, if you really love Terms of Endearment, you may find yourself let down by The Evening Star. I personally wish that I hadn't of watched it and allowed for the story to end with the first film. Overall, I advise, if you loved Terms of Endearment never watch this film. May 19, 2006

rainy afternoon

I bought this movie to collect and watch right after the first one and it is great how well it meshes. i recommend a rainy afternoon with a big afghan just like Aroura does and snuggle on the coach and watch them. Great movie to add to collection February 25, 2006

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