Current:Home > FinanceForty years on, 'Terms of Endearment' captures Jack Nicholson at his most iconic -FinanceMind
Forty years on, 'Terms of Endearment' captures Jack Nicholson at his most iconic
View
Date:2025-04-17 21:44:52
"I don't know what it is about you, but you do bring out the devil in me."
Moviegoers first heard Jack Nicholson's retired astronaut Garrett Breedlove deliver that line to next-door neighbor and unlikely love interest Aurora Greenway (Shirley MacLaine) 40 years ago, when "Terms of Endearment" was released on Nov. 23, 1983.
The dramedy's main story centered on the mother-daughter relationship between the overprotective Greenway and her daughter Emma Horton (Debra Winger). However, "Terms" showcased Nicholson at his mischievous best in the outsize supporting role, as he brought unforgettable laughter and surprising poignancy to the role of the crass Breedlove.
Screenwriter, producer and first-time director James L. Brooks' critically acclaimed box-office hit led the 1984 Oscars with 11 nominations (including best picture and supporting actor for Nicholson).
Nicholson and Brooks reteamed again for 2010's "How Do You Know," the last time the Hollywood legend, now 86, has appeared onscreen. "Terms," which marks its 40th anniversary with a digital and home release on Tuesday, is a chance to see, or revisit, Nicholson at his best.
"He's the greatest actor of my lifetime and an amazing human," says Brooks. "He's exactly how you want him to be except you never imagined how deep his sensitivity is."
Brooks shares his insights into Nicholson's "Terms" performance:
The 'Terms of Endearment' role of Garrett Breedlove was intended for Burt Reynolds
Houston widow Greenway has many quirky suitors in the original novel, Larry McMurtry's "Terms of Endearment." But when Brooks researched the city that's home to Johnson Space Center, he fleshed out an invented character, the retired astronaut Breedlove.
"I interviewed former astronauts and that just became interesting," Brooks says. "Then it was just riffing off the boy-next-door idea."
After working with Burt Reynolds in 1979's "Starting Over," Brooks offered him the part. Once the big-name star accepted, Brooks' struggle to get money to make "Terms" vanished. But Reynolds put the production in peril by backing out.
"I got a call from his publicity person who said, 'Burt's doing another movie. But he wants you to know he loves you,'" Brooks recalls. "That's the last I heard from him."
Harrison Ford and Paul Newman were never offered the role that went to Jack Nicholson
Persistent reports that Harrison Ford and Paul Newman were offered the Breedlove role are not true, Brooks says. But Winger sent her friend Nicholson the script, and to Brooks' delight and shock, Nicholson signed on.
"It was crazy that Debra was able to get the script to him, and we were able to get him for the part," says Brooks.
Nicholson was legendarily solid on a "tempestuous" set on which MacLaine and Winger famously clashed.
"He used to come up to me and say, 'Do you want to know the worst direction you made today?' And he'd tell me. And the best direction, too," says Brooks. "He'd make a joke about it, but he was so supportive. He was my rock."
Theater audiences screamed with delight during the revealing robe scene in 'Terms of Endearment'
Nicholson, 46 at the time, had no problem sending up his superstar image. In one revealing scene, Greenway finds the middle-aged lothario at home reading a romance novel with his paunch exposed in a bathrobe. The comical but telling setup was Nicholson's idea.
"That was all him," says Brooks. "There were screams in theaters when Nicholson showed his stomach like that. People just loved it. It just stopped the show."
Yet Nicholson could turn on the star power effortlessly. He returned to the sunglasses-wearing Hollywood superstar in the famed airport farewell scene where he grins the famous line to MacLaine, "I was just inches from a clean getaway." It's vintage Nicholson, as Breedlove gives his "stock" answer to Greenway's profession of love, saying, "I love you, too, kid."
"There were many scenes in 'Terms' that required many takes," says Brooks. "But not that scene."
James L. Brooks on Jack Nicholson returning to the screen: 'I feel like we'll see him again'
Nicholson wore the shades again for the 1984 Oscars, where he was nominated for best supporting actor along with co-star John Lithgow, who played Winger's love interest Sam Burns.
"Terms" ruled the night, winning five Oscars: best picture, actress (for MacLaine, who beat out co-star Winger), director, screenplay and Nicholson's second Oscar (he has three total).
The star took off the sunglasses during his acceptance speech, in which he thanked Brooks. "He did everything for us on 'Terms of Endearment,' including writing 11 versions of this speech," Nicholson joked, before ending with a "rock on."
It's been 13 years since Nicholson rocked the big screen, but the Lakers fanatic returned to his famed courtside seats in April. Brooks is still hopeful that Nicholson, who has never announced a retirement, will return to acting.
"I feel like we'll see him again," says Brooks. "He's going to get itchy and scratch that itch."
15 must-see holiday movies:From 'The Marvels' and 'Napoleon' to 'Trolls 3' and 'Wish'
veryGood! (8)
Related
- What to know about Tuesday’s US House primaries to replace Matt Gaetz and Mike Waltz
- Motor City Kwanzaa Kinara returns to downtown Detroit
- Supreme Court won’t fast-track ruling on whether Trump can be prosecuted in election subversion case
- At least 20 villagers are killed during a rebel attack in northern Central African Republic
- Grammy nominee Teddy Swims on love, growth and embracing change
- Dreaming of a white Christmas? Try Alaska. Meanwhile, some US ski areas struggle with rain
- THINGS TO KNOW: Deadline looms for new map in embattled North Dakota redistricting lawsuit
- What are the most popular gifts this holiday season?
- Opinion: Gianni Infantino, FIFA sell souls and 2034 World Cup for Saudi Arabia's billions
- Cristina Pacheco, foremost chronicler of street life in Mexico for half a century, has died at 82
Ranking
- Appeals court scraps Nasdaq boardroom diversity rules in latest DEI setback
- Man accused of attacking Muslim lawmaker in Connecticut ordered to undergo psych exam
- Jury clears 3 Tacoma officers of all charges in 2020 death of Manny Ellis
- AP Week in Pictures: Asia
- Friday the 13th luck? 13 past Mega Millions jackpot wins in December. See top 10 lottery prizes
- Are COVID-19 symptoms still the same? What to know about this winter's JN.1 wave
- Federal court revives lawsuit against Nirvana over 1991 'Nevermind' naked baby album cover
- Those White House Christmas decorations don't magically appear. This is what it takes.
Recommendation
Google unveils a quantum chip. Could it help unlock the universe's deepest secrets?
28 years after Idaho woman's brutal murder, DNA on clasp of underwear points to her former neighbor as the killer
ICHCOIN Trading Center: Significance of Cryptocurrency Cross-Border Payments
Remy and the Jets: How passing down my love (and hate) of sports brings so much joy
Former longtime South Carolina congressman John Spratt dies at 82
Used car dealer sold wheelchair-accessible vans but took his disabled customers for a ride, feds say
Spain’s bumper Christmas lottery “El Gordo” starts dishing out millions of euros in prizes
'The Color Purple' finds a new voice