The Evening Star

PG-13

1996

2h 8m

Drama

List

20%

35 Reviews

Tomatometer

61%

5,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

A spunky woman (Shirley MacLaine) copes with her troubled adult grandchildren, feuds with an enemy and has a fling with a younger man (Bill Paxton).

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Critics Consensus

Even taken on its own terms, there's nothing terribly endearing about this belated sequel.

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Jeff M

This movie is an absolute textbook example of a sequel being inferior to its predecessor in literally every way possible. 1983's TERMS OF ENDEARMENT was a culture phenomenon that swept the Oscars. While I feel it was a tad bit overrated, it's still a beautiful showcase of blending comedy and drama featuring magnificent performances (especially Debra Winger) and memorable characters. This sequel feels like the sitcom from hell, with broad characterizations, comic scenarios that feel like a laugh track is missing, and maudlin moments of supposed drama that induce eye rolls rather than tears. In a movie full of unforgivable performances, the bottom of the barrel belongs to Juliette Lewis as granddaughter Melanie. When Lewis is on fire like in CAPE FEAR and HUSBANDS & WIVES, she is electrifyingly original - here she drowns under the mediocrity. Writer/director Harling is the man who created STEEL MAGNOLIAS, another movie that suffers under the lead balloon of cliche and manipulation, though not nearly bad as this one. Even a last minute reunion of MacLaine and Jack Nicholson toward the end doesn't work. Marion Ross (Mrs. Cunningham from HAPPY DAYS) has a couple nice moments as Aurora's long time housekeeper, but that's about it. If nothing else, this will surely make you appreciate the original TERMS OF ENDEARMENT a heckuva lot more.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

02/08/24

Full Review

steve d

The cast does a good job, but there wasn't much story left to tell.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Pointless and meandering. The melodrama of Terms but Shirley McClaine has no worthy foil to bring spark and bite to the screen as she did with Debra Winger. In 2019, not worth the time to revisit aside from seeing the all star cast who all went on to bigger and better projects.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

12/01/19

Full Review

Audience Member

Shirley MacLaine should have won another Oscar for this sequel also! I have no idea why it didn't make even the budget at the Box Office. It was a Christmas movie of 1996. It had to have been bad timing. This gem of a film is so tucked away that I never knew it existed until Netflix came along! Now I bought the DVD and buy the merchandise of the movie on Ebay. This script and the actors are perfection! This is my favorite movie. I don't watch Terms of Endearment like I watch this one. Such a GREAT movie! BRAVO!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/22/23

Full Review

william s

An afterthought sequel.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I have neglected my life. Aurora Greenway has gotten much older since we saw her in Terms of Endearment and she has sense raised her daughter's kids and they are now getting to the age of moving out. She deals with an internal divide to ensure her grandchildren's safety and happiness versus living to be happy herself. "You can love them but you can't live their life." Robert Harling, writer of the screen plays for Steel Magnolias, Soapdish, The First Wives Club, and Laws of Attraction, delivers The Evening Star in his directorial debut. The storyline for this film was very well written and contains great dialogue and fantastic character development. The acting was also first rate as the cast includes Shirley MacLaine, Bill Paxton, Juliette Lewis, Jack Nicholson, Scott Wolf, Ben Johnson, and Miranda Richardson. "You didn't come here just to talk." I came across this film while reviewing Jack Nicholson films on Netflix. This was a very well done sequel to Terms of Endearment. Shirley MacLain reprises her role perfectly and provides a solid conclusion to the Aurora Greenway character. I strongly recommend the original and this pictures. "You're so fucking fired." Grade: B

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/19/23

Full Review

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Robert Harling

Director

Shirley MacLaine

Aurora Greenway

Bill Paxton

Jerry Bruckner

Juliette Lewis

Melanie Horton

Miranda Richardson

Patsy Carpenter

Ben Johnson

Arthur Cotton

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The Evening Star: Official Clip - Lola Meet Aurora

1:53

The Evening Star: Official Clip - A Call to Granny

2:13

The Evening Star: Official Clip - Once Upon a Time We Were a Family

2:07

The Evening Star: Official Clip - It's Important to Have Enemies

2:13

The Evening Star: Official Clip - Do You Want to Sleep With Me?

2:10

The Evening Star: Official Clip - Tommy Takes the Brownies

2:12

The Evening Star: Official Clip - I Was Loved

2:10

The Evening Star: Official Clip - Make A Wish

2:13

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Lisa Schwarzbaum

Entertainment Weekly

Any crying in response to this unexceptional sequel occurs strictly on a one-tear-at-a-time basis.

Rated: C+

Sep 7, 2011

Full Review

Tom Charity

Time Out

This adaptation of Larry McMurtry's novel irons out depth without tightening up a baggy shapeless narrative.

Jan 26, 2006

Full Review

Janet Maslin

New York Times

Ms. MacLaine cuts a tart, indefatigable figure who seems much tougher and more likable than anything she's given to say.

May 20, 2003

Full Review

Malcolm Johnson

Hartford Courant

Almost plotlessly, like a slackly paced television soap, Star runs on and on, trying to twinkle.

May 29, 2018

Full Review

Betsy Bozdech

DVDJournal.com

The Evening Star's main shortcoming is that it lacks Terms' firm center; there's no one mainstay relationship ... at the heart of the sequel, and it suffers.

Rated: 2.5/4

Oct 21, 2006

Full Review

Chuck O'Leary

Fantastica Daily

Rated: 4/5

Oct 6, 2005

Full Review

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Synopsis

A spunky woman (Shirley MacLaine) copes with her troubled adult grandchildren, feuds with an enemy and has a fling with a younger man (Bill Paxton).

Director: Robert Harling
Screenwriter: Robert Harling
Production Co: Rysher Entertainment
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 15, 2011
Box Office (Gross USA): $12.7M
Runtime: 2h 8m
Sound Mix: Surround

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