Widow Aurora Greenway (Shirley MacLaine) and her daughter, Emma (Debra Winger), have a strong bond, but Emma marries teacher Flap Horton (Jeff Daniels) against her mother’s wishes. When the marriage grows sour due to Flap’s cheating, Emma eventually splits from him, returning to her mother, who is involved with a former astronaut (Jack Nicholson). Soon, Emma learns that she has terminal cancer. In the hospital, supported by Aurora, she tries to make peace with Flap and her children.
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[youtube https://youtu.be/B0HH3Rt5Kow?si=mcHWoa-Atp-V-rUj&t=2010]
Video Quality
Terms Of Endearment comes to 4K UHD Blu-Ray with a pretty good 2160p/Dolby Vision transfer that improves upon the remastered Blu-Ray included in the package. The film was first released on Blu-Ray in 2013 courtesy of Warner Bros. through their distribution deal with Paramount, but we have never seen that release before for comparison. This new release comes from a new 4K remaster of the Original Camera Negative reviewed and approved by James L. Brooks. From what we can tell, the original Blu-Ray release was not maligned, but some areas can surely benefit from the new pass. While some areas give us pause, most fans will be happy with how it looks.
The biggest area of concern for this new 4K UHD Blu-Ray is the issue of natural film grain. Paramount has become somewhat notorious for being inconsistent in their remastering process when it comes to processing the image and robbing it of some of its natural texture in favor of a “clean” look meant to appeal to casual consumers who do not know better. To our eyes, the image here does not seem to provide the amount of film grain you would expect from this time period. There is still some grain intact, yet it is so compact at times that it almost disappears. We are not familiar enough with the film to know if this is simply a case of a film stock that resolves impeccably well or something more unfortunate. There are aspects of the production design with some fun texture, and the clarity of the transfer brings out a great amount of facial detail. The encode does seem to hold up pretty well with no major distractions in the compression.
The implementation of Dolby Vision is where this presentation truly shows its worth. The picture offers plenty of gorgeous landscapes that deliver a visual quality unlike ever before. The green of foliage in particular plus key articles of clothing radiate off the screen. You will observe a stellar amount of detail in the shadowy moments of the journey. Black levels display a rock-solid depth and control of the environment. Highlights are stable yet still brilliant without veering into blooming. No blemishes were caught during the viewing for a clean and consistent experience. This appears to do a lot right for longtime fans.
Audio Quality
The 4K UHD Blu-Ray delivers a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that realizes this soundscape well even without the presence of the original mono track as an option. The sounds in the mix appear to be carefully deployed so that nothing ever feels incorrectly positioned. Dialogue comes through crisp and clear without any environmental effects or the soundtrack overshadowing key exchanges. The soundscape is active with the world appropriately represented in the mix. The score from Michael Gore is beautiful as it flows through the room with top-notch fidelity. The surround channels provide some welcome ambient details that are nice. The subwoofer is not a forefront element, but it adds texture when necessary. Paramount has done a fine job with the audio for fans.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Director James L. Brooks, co-producer Penney Finkelman Cox, and production designer Polly Platt provide a great legacy commentary track in which they reflect on the making of the film, shooting on location, working from a place of naivete, the temperament of certain performers, the atmosphere on set, where certain lines or details came from, subtle details they wish they could change, and more.
- Filmmaker Focus with James L. Brooks: There is a new 14-minute interview with the writer/director who discusses his history with the film, the casting of the picture, the tonal balance, the special qualities brought to the roles by the performers, and more. There is an archival interview with Debra Winger woven into this piece, as well.
- Theatrical Trailer: The nearly five-minute trailer is provided here.
Final Thoughts
Terms Of Endearment is a hilarious and heartbreaking dramedy that captures the complexities of parent-child relationships, and more specifically mother-daughter dynamics. While rarely explored in a way that holds the audience’s hand, the story shows how we process our own emotional baggage and attempt to not pass it on to others, often to mixed results. While we would be hard-pressed to find a false performance in the entire ensemble, the two leads are especially great and natural throughout. Even if you do not find yourself weeping at the end, it is easy to appreciate everything this story does so well. Paramount Home Entertainment has released a new 4K UHD Blu-Ray with a nice A/V presentation and a small selection of special features. If you do not own this one yet, it is worth adding to your collection. Recommended
Terms Of Endearment is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD + Blu-Ray Comb Pack.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Paramount Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
