One of the best movies of this type ever made.

A

A real and well acted look into the lives of two women struggling with their sense of self amongst a not-so-romantic background. Overall I liked it and can understand why it is so influential.

Two things hold it back. The worst is the score, which always took me out of the story and made me fully aware I was watching Oscar bait in which something really really sad was going to happen. I didn't actually know about the death, though she was sick the entire movie so it didn't come as too much of a surprise. And even though its really sad and probably the main reason this movie won all the Oscars, I think the death was kind of a cop out, a conveniently tragic ending to real world problems that don't ever end. Though it did give us the scene where Shirley is freaking out while walking in a circle around the nurses - so that's something worthwhile that her daughters' life bought.

Nicholson is appropriately crazy, and I like how he got fat.

B

I remember liking this when I saw it a few years back but it didn't impact me as much as it should have probably because so many movies have now drawn the formula from this movie. It was very well made though and I understand the fame and awards it got.

The Maclaine and Nicholson parts were definitely my favorite, I could have watched an entire movie of that storyline. Winger's character is possibly even more narcissistic than her mother so she could be hard to take at times, as good and physical as the performance was, and it did end on an emotional note. I just thought Daniels character and the relationship didn't quite reach that level. Overall a strong drama about flawed narcissistic people, and after seeing this and Broadcast News, I'm a fan of James L Brooks style in this period between the ensemble casting and feel and passage of time.

You should check out The Big Chill if you haven't yet.