FILM 1532: TERMS OF ENDEARMENT
TRIVIA: James L. Brooks received a
special gift at the end of production, to congratulate him for completing his
first movie. This was a book of "Life in Hell" cartoons, drawn by Matt Groening. Brooks was
so impressed with the comics that he asked Groening to create cartoon shorts
for The Tracey Ullman Show
(1987). This gave rise to The Simpsons
(1989).
Debra Winger behaved
erratically on the set of this film because she was trying to get over a severe
cocaine addiction. At one point, she and Shirley MacLaine got into
a shoving match.
The character of Garrett Breedlove
does not appear in the novel and was written specifically with Burt Reynolds in mind by
writer-director James L.
Brooks. Reynolds loved the script but was already committed to star
in Stroker Ace (1983). Paul Newman and Harrison Ford turned down
the role before Jack
Nicholson signed on. Nicholson talked with a number of real
astronauts while in Houston in preparation.
The role of Emma was originally
written for Sissy Spacek.
James L. Brooks settled on
Shirley MacLaine to play
Aurora because "she was the only one who saw it as a comedy."
Shirley MacLaine and Debra Winger were both
nominated for 1983's Best Actress Oscar, which went to MacLaine. On her way to
the podium, she reportedly whispered to Winger, "Half of this belongs to
you," to which Winger reportedly replied, "I'll take half."
James L. Brooks was the
fourth director to win an Academy Award for direction on debut. Delbert Mann' was the
first for Marty (1955)
whilst Jerome Robbins was the
second for West Side
Story (1961). Others have been Robert Redford for Ordinary People (1980) and
Kevin Costner for Dances with Wolves (1990).
CAMEO: Albert Brooks: the voice
of Aurora's husband in the opening scene, credited as A Brooks.
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