Sequels can come from the strangest of places. In 1983, Terms of Endearment was the darling of the Oscars, capturing five gold men including best picture. I’m sure it single-handedly caused a tissue shortage with its manipulative summoning of tears.
Thirteen years later, Paramount decided to try and stir those emotions up again by bringing back Shirley MacLaine for another go as the eccentric southern belle, Aurora Greenway in The Evening Star. While equally tear-jerking and often flawed, The Evening Star is still a touching character sketch, no matter how manipulatively it pulls on your heartstrings.
With the death of her daughter Emma, Aurora has had a tough go at raising her three grandchildren. Through her stubborn and stifling persona, Aurora has naively built many high walls between herself and her daughter’s kids. The youngest, Melanie ( Juliette Lewis) is an 18-year-old college rebel who is turned on by whatever turns her grandmother off. Their tumultuous relationship is the basis for much of the story.
Aurora has shut others out from her life too. Her long-time maid and friend, Rosie (Marion Ross), has tried for years to convince Aurora to be happy again. It takes a closet full of pictures and a lifetime of memories to make a change in the depressed senior. A fling with a significantly younger man doesn’t hurt matters either.
The Evening Star is surprisingly funny at several points. But there aren’t enough of these points to keep a two-hour film moving. There is no really compelling plot and a full two hours seems quite long for what’s essentially a character sketch. Had a half-hour been trimmed, this sequel might have fared a little better.
In a role that seems tailored for Shirley MacLaine, she is the film’s showcase in the starring role. Through highs and lows, not to mention the saddening soundtrack, we’re taken into Aurora’s roller coaster life. Fluff or not, it’s hard not to feel for her even if you dislike her.
Jack Nicholson also returns to his role as ex-astronaut Garrett Breedlove, albeit 90 minutes into the film and only for one pointless scene. Hyped in trailers, Nicholson adds nothing to the film except disappointment. But the hype is the most interesting product of sequels. Rarely does the hype stand up, so why expect it to?
Is The Evening Star a memorable movie? Definitely not. Will it stir emotions? Even if the Tin Man didn’t get a heart, he’d have a streak of rust from the tears running down his cheeks after watching this tearjerker. As long as you don’t mind having your strings pulled, The Evening Star can pull them in a touching way.
