Terms of Endearment NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (86)
See it if you like typical 59 east 59th Street - interesting but missing pazaaz
Don't see it if you aren't patient and into coasting through the moments.
See it if you feel like you have to (like I did)... but try to resist. I'm not sure if they're bad actors or were directed poorly, but it's bad.
Don't see it if ...just don't see it.
See it if You grew up on Pretty in Pink, The Breakfast Club + Sixteen Candles + want to see Molly Ringwald play a grandmother in an iconic film role.
Don't see it if You're a fan of the movie with it's Oscar winning roles and would rather not be thoroughly underwhelmed by this unnecessary stage treatment. Read more
See it if you've never seen the movie and want to know the story
Don't see it if you have other choices Read more
See it if you enjoy decent performances from competent actors in a predictable script.
Don't see it if you expect a good direction or design. Poor writing also plagues this production.
See it if You LOVED the movie, and want to see it rehashed, with lesser performances, and choppy blocking and staging.
Don't see it if You really want to like it. I really wanted to like it. It seemed like the actors watched the movie and just mimicked what they saw.
See it if To see Molly Ringwald do her best at recreating a role made famous by Shirley MacLaine. You go with the expectation of setting the bar low.
Don't see it if You are better off saving the money and renting the film. I only lasted till intermission and decided that I'd had enough. It was so stale.
See it if You want to see Molly Ringwald looking great as a mature woman and trying her best to wrest this play from rigor mortis.
Don't see it if You liked the movie and expect anything close to the sparks delivered by Ms. MacLaine and Mr. Nicholson.
Critic Reviews (31)
"It’s a show with heart, insight, and funny and touching moments. Unfortunately, some glaring weaknesses combine to make the production far less than it could be...For a work of this nature to really come alive, the characters must be totally believable and that’s not always the case here...Many of the early scenes have an almost sitcom-like feel. It’s mostly due to the efforts of Ringwald and Brown that the play has redeeming qualities."
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"It is directed by Michael Parva, who lends his tremendous experience to telling this heartbreaking, heartwarming story with sensitivity...He has crafted satisfying moments of emotional intensity and comedic charm…The chemistry between Ringwald and Brown was superb…Theirs is the pivotal, essential relationship in the play, and they held the center strong with their potent performances…A very well made play. And it’s a tidal wave tearjerker."
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"Molly Ringwald gives a powerful performance directed by Michael Parva, who manages to assemble a cast that puts us in mind of the film's iconic stars without trying to imitate them…This production really is a perfect representation of the popular film…Gordon's script captures all of the humor of the characters and the emotion of their relationships. I don't think I ever have heard such sobbing in the theater."
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"Seeing Ringwald resemble MacLaine reminds us, though, that we’re watching a story we’ve already seen...Why remind us that we’ve had the quintessential 'Terms of Endearment' experience long ago, especially if you can’t do it as well on stage?...The playwright uses clunky exposition all too often, and starts too many scenes with such lines as 'It’s been two weeks' and 'It’s been five years'...Just another reminder of how much 'Terms of Endearment' relies on the film."
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"The show works best in the small intimate moments. Seeing these moments brought to life on stage draws the audience in much more than is possible in a movie. However, some of the larger moments which are only mentioned in the show but actually occur in the movie don't always come across as well in the show...All in all although the show is perfect for mother/daughter bonding, it can be enjoyed by anyone whether they've seen the film or not."
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"Between Brown’s charisma, Ringwald’s gravitas and their chemistry together, this is a production not to be missed...Parva, who has worked with playwright Dan Gordon before, have worked together to craft a graceful, flowing, nearly seamless production...Unfortunately, due to space and time constraints, there are some really powerful moments in the film that simply don’t happen in this version. It’s a disappointment, but not enough to keep from recommending this production."
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"While it is easy to find fault with Ringwald’s somewhat shallow interpretation of the complexities of Aurora’s personality, one must acknowledge that an actress is guided by a script...A great deal of effort is put into the visuals...The actors manage to migrate nicely from scene to scene."
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