It is difficult to put this film into standard categories. I would call it a tragic comedy. Set in Texas and Iowa in the 1960s, the film wonderfully captures the life and transformation of middle class America. The constant bickering between the mother (Shirley MacLaine) and her daughter (Debra Winger) reminded me of A Streetcar Named Desire with Marlon Brando. But unlike the later film, Terms of Endearment does not feel out of date. It covers about 30 years in the life of tough-minded mother and strong-willed daughter. It has moments of great beauty.  Jack Nicolson plays the mother’s austronaut neigbour, who not only chases young girls, but also develops a taste for the mother after she has her first grandchild.