Friday's Film Adaptions: Terms of Endearment by Larry McMurtry

Summary:
One of Larry McMurtry's most sensitive and compelling portrayals of human relationships, TERMS OF ENDEARMENT is a story of love, its occasional absence and the emotional tensions we generate in its maintenance.

At the story's center is a Aurora Greenway, a woman who makes the world revolve around her. Shrewd yet inwardly tender, spirited but vulnerable, she attracts a series of dedicated protectors.

But in the final analysis she learns about love not from a person but from an event -- in this case loss, specifically the death of her daughter.

An Oscar-winning story of a memorable mother and her fiesty daughter who find the courage and humor to live through life's hazards and to love each other as never before. The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Lonesome Dove created two characters who won the hearts of readers and moviegoers everywhere--Aurora Greenway and her daughter Emma.

Film:

Terms of Endearment covers three decades in the lives of widow Aurora Greenaway Shirley MacLaine and her daughter Emma Debra Winger. Fiercely protected by Aurora throughout childhood, Emma runs into resistance from her mother when she marries wishy-washy college teacher Flap Jeff Daniels. Aurora is even more put out at the prospect of being a grandmother, though she grows a lot fonder of her three grandkids than she does of her son-in-law. Flap proves that Aurora's instincts were on target when he enters into an affair with a student Kate Charleson. Meanwhile, Emma finds romantic consolation with an unhappily married banker played by John Lithgow, who registers well in a rare "nice guy" performance. As for Aurora, she is ardently pursued by her next-door neighbor, boisterous astronaut Garrett Breedlove Jack Nicholson. After 75 minutes or so of pursuing an episodic, semi-comic plotline, the film abruptly shifts moods when Emma discovers that she has terminal cancer. Terms of Endearment won Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Screenplay for TV veteran James L. Brooks making his first feature film, Best Actress for MacLaine, and Best Supporting Actor for Nicholson. It was followed by a sequel, The Evening Star 1996, which again featured MacLaine as Aurora.

Release dates: November 23, 1983 (limited)

December 9, 1983 (wide)

Running time: 131 minutes

Cast:

Shirley MacLaine as Aurora Greenway

Debra Winger as Emma Greenway-Horton

Jack Nicholson as Garrett Breedlove

Danny DeVito as Vernon Dahlart

Jeff Daniels as Flap Horton

John Lithgow as Sam Burns

Lisa Hart Caroll as Patsy Clark

Huckleberry Fox as Ted "Teddy" Horton

Troy Bishop as Tom "Tommy" Horton

Megan Morris as Melanie Horton

Kate Charleson as Janice

Awards:

Wins:

The film won five Academy Awards and four Golden Globes:

Academy Award for Best Picture - (James L. Brooks)

Academy Award for Directing – (James L. Brooks)

Academy Award for Best Actress – (Shirley MacLaine)

Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor – (Jack Nicholson)

Academy Award for Writing Adapted Screenplay – (James L. Brooks)

Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture - Drama

Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Drama – (Shirley MacLaine)

Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – (Jack Nicholson)

Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay - Motion Picture – (James L. Brooks)

DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures – (James L. Brooks)

New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Film

New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress - (Shirley MacLaine)

New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor - (Jack Nicholson)

National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress - (Debra Winger)

Nominations:

Academy Award for Best Actress – (Debra Winger)

Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor – (John Lithgow)

Academy Award for Best Art Direction - (Polly Platt, Harold Michelson, Tom Pedigo, and Anthony Mondell)

Academy Award for Film Editing – (Richard Marks)

Academy Award for Original Music Score – (Michael Gore)

Academy Award for Best Sound – (Donald O. Mitchell, Rick Kline, Kevin O'Connell, and James R. Alexander)

Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Drama – (Debra Winger)

Golden Globe Award for Best Director – (James L. Brooks)

BAFTA Award for Best Actress – (Shirley MacLaine)

Trailer

Clips

I have to be in a certain mood to watch this film because it makes me tear up every time.  I have a very close relationship with my mother so it tugs at my heart.  The cast is superb, their acting is amazing and the writing and timing is perfect.  It's not one that most people can just watch any time, I know I can't but it is definitely one not to be missed.

RATING: 

Author Bio:
Larry McMurtry is the author of twenty-nine novels, including the Pulitzer Prize-winning Lonesome Dove, three memoirs, two collections of essays, and more than thirty screenplays.

Among many other accolades he was the co-winner of an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for Brokeback Mountain in 2006.

Larry McMurty was born in Wichita Falls Texas in 1936. His first published book Horseman, Pass By was adapted into the film "Hud".

McMurty went on to publish many more novels, a number of which went on to become movies as well as a TV mini-series.

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The Gatekeeper's Son by CR Fladmark

Title: The Gatekeeper's Son

Author: CR Fladmark

Series: Gatekeeper's Son #1

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult

Release Date: October 1, 2014

Summary:
Junya’s grandfather is a billionaire who keeps the secret to his success hidden in a heavily guarded safe.

His mother is a martial artist who wields a razor-sharp katana—and seems to read his mind.

And a mysterious girl in a Japanese school uniform can knock him over—literally—with just a look.

What do they know that he doesn’t?

Junya’s life takes a dangerous turn on his sixteenth birthday, when someone sets out to destroy not only the family’s business empire—the one that he’s set to inherit—but Junya himself. He’s fighting for his life, and doesn’t know who to trust.

What has his family been keeping from him?

Junya’s journey takes him from the narrow streets of San Francisco to Japan, and through hidden portals to the top of the ancient Japanese Izumo Shinto shrine, to places where death and violence are a way of life. And in a mystical world he’s never imagined, he finds his true destiny.

Your book, The Gatekeeper's Son, takes place in two very different worlds and cultures, and you manage to slide from one into the other without any problem - even gracefully. How do you do it?  
Japan is so different from any other place I’ve visited; it was as if I was on a different planet! On my first visit, I just walked around in awe. Huge glass towers, bullet trains and so many people! But then, you’d round a corner and find yourself in the quiet garden of a 800 year old Buddhist temple. The ultra-modern and the ancient co-exist everywhere so for me, it’s not hard to describe an ancient world beside a modern San Francisco.

Like most writers, I noticed on your website that you also work a full-time job. (Yes, we all need to eat and pay bills.) Do you have any secrets for juggling both at once?
Finding time is a constant struggle. With a busy family and a job, writing often ends up at the bottom of a long to-do list. I keep my laptop with me and when I’m waiting for my kids at music class or sports practice, I write. Then, of course, there is the late-night writing sessions that leave me bleary-eyed at work the next day. That’s all I can do until this becomes a full-time gig.

What is your favorite part about writing?
I love it when I lose myself in a scene and become so engrossed that my fingers can’t keep up with the story. It’s also fascinating how my characters surprise me by doing something unexpected. They take on a life of their own.

And what would you rather eat worms than do?
I would happily chomp worms to avoid anything involving heights. “Want to bungee jump or go skydiving?” Chomp, chomp.

Many authors were avid readers during their childhood. What were you favorite books while growing up?
I read like crazy! I can’t really remember specific books but I know there a lot of mysteries and comic books. In my teens, I read a wide variety of novels but westerns were my mainstay.

What are you reading write now?
The Shadow Of What Was Lost (The Licanius Trilogy, #1) by James Islington

When you aren’t writing, what do you like to do? 
Sleep? No, there are many beaches near my home and we try to get to them as much as we can, rain or shine. And of course, reading is one of my favorite things to do.

What’s your advice for aspiring writers?
I know it's a boring answer but you need to write, write, write. We get better by doing. As we say in martial arts, 10,000 times to master something, a lifetime to perfect it. You need to read a lot too; you can't write if you don't. And read a broad range of genres, not just the type you want to write about. Inspiration for a space fantasy story could come from a Jane Austin novel.

What’s the best thing about being a writer?
I get paid to daydream.

Why did you decide to write Young Adult books instead of Adult books?
I think there’s something really exciting about the teenage years. Sure, a lot of things sucked too but it’s a time when you have your whole life ahead of you and anything is possible. I find that YA has a more optimistic outlook than adult books where people are usually ‘set’ in a restricted set of circumstances. Also, I found many YA books I read were somewhat condescending to the readers. Teens are a smart group and there isn’t any topic/subject that needs to be ‘dumbed down’ for them and I wanted to write for them. And lastly, I write the books I would’ve liked to read when I was a teenager.  

Where did the ideas come from for The Gatekeeper's Son?
Any book has innumerable sources of inspiration but the event that first made the idea 'click' was on one of my first trips to Japan. My father-in-law took me to an archeological site where may un-before seen ancient artifacts were discovered. The story was, a work-crew cutting a new road through a bamboo forest noticed something bronze and shiny poking up through the soil. When archaeologists began to dig, they discovered hundreds of bronze swords, laying in rows. There was no doubt they were buried long ago but why? The archaeologists couldn't find any obvious reason--it was the first finding of such a thing. My first reaction when I saw them was, maybe they weren't buried for use on This Side. Maybe they were left for others in another dimension -The Other Side.

When did you first start writing?
I started in high school.

Do you remember the first story you ever wrote?
You’re asking the first one I remember? It was for socials 11. We were reading Macbeth and we had to write a modern version. I'd just finished reading The Godfather and I wrote the Macbeth saga as a gangster story. I got an A+ and the teacher read it to the class!

What is the greatest joy of writing for you?
I love seeing what my characters will do next. It's way more fun than watching TV or movies.

What are you working on next?
The Gatekeeper’s Son II. Junya and Shoko will spend far more time on ‘the other side’ in this book. There will be more violence, more characters and Junya and Shoko are going to get ‘intimate’ in this book (definitely PG14 stuff). VIsit my website (www.crfladmark.com)if you want more details of the publication date.

What motivated you to become an indie author?
The current model of traditional publishing is irrelevant to today's market. They want what's already successful––another vampire book is safer than a new idea because they know vampire books sell. I had a story to tell and the best way to get it to you was to start my own publishing company.

Describe your desk
Uncluttered and neat, 2 large flatscreen monitors and a great view of the mountains and trees.

What inspires you to get out of bed each day?
I have to. I still need a full-time job. Can you help me with that so I have more time to write?

What is your writing process?
I try to plan ahead with a storyboard and I also use an outline. As I write, I update the outline with a short summary of each chapter to keep myself on-track. However, the creative process can’t be re-planned too much. I let the story evolve organically within the structure and change things as I need to.

What’s the best way to write a story?
Know what the ending will be before you start (Although sometimes I don’t)

How do you approach cover design?
I go into it already knowing what I want then my amazing designer, Pete Garceau, brings it into reality. (The Gatekeeper’s Son won a silver medal for the cover design at the 2015 Benjamin Franklin book awards).

What do you read for pleasure?
Lots of different genres, from young adult to literature. Everything I read provides inspiration. You can't write if you don't read.

What do your fans mean to you?
My fans are everything! Without readers, I'm not an author. It's as simple as that. Every time I see a book sales report, I feel so thankful that so many people are interested in what I have to say. It’s pretty cool!

Author Bio:
Award winning author, C.R. Fladmark lives in a small, historic town in British Columbia and travels often to Japan, where he researches his novels among the ancient sites in Shimane Prefecture. To learn more, and read a way longer bio of his life and see FAQ, visit his website or find him on Facebook.

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Release Day Blitz: Unexpected Consequences by Jaye Cox

Title: Unexpected Consequences

Author: Jaye Cox

Series: Love is not Enough #1

Genre: Contemporary

Release Date: May 8, 2015

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Summary:
"He is my weakness"

"Just one look from him was enough to make me lose my resolve and do things I usually wouldn't. He might say he is not a good guy, if only he could see himself the way I do. Even if being with him came with consequences."


Isabella Preston's life was perfect, until the day she met Rayne Hollywood. He came into her life like a tornado - his world moved so fast that she loved it, she felt free to be the person she really was and not the perfect person everyone expected. Is she strong enough for everything that is Rayne Hollywood?

"She is my strength"

"She is the reason there is light in my darkness, the strength I need to live. Seeing myself through her eyes gives me hope, that I deserve more in life. Finding her was unexpected.

Rayne Hollywood was set on revenge and he was ready to do anything he had to do to get it. He didn't care about anyone he had to hurt in the process - until he saw Isabella Preston. She wasn't part of the plan, but he wanted her. The only question was could he get the revenge he came here for and still keep the girl he always wanted?


When you fall in love so fast, is love really enough to get you through all the secrets and lies?

Maybe love is not enough.

***Can be read as a standalone.***

 Have you ever had a moment of bravery and do something so out of character for no reason at all?  This is the first day I did. My insides are literally shaking as I drop my towel. I know he can see me through the crack in the door that has opened slightly more than where I left it. He knows I know he can see me. I feel his eyes watching me as I slightly bend to slip on my underwear and pull them up as slowly as I can. I hear him say “fuck” as the springs in my bed move.

Author Bio:
Jaye Cox was born in Frankston Victoria and as a young child, she moved to sunny Queensland. Jaye is a wife and mother to six kids. While raising her children for the last twelve years, she decided she wanted to pursue her love of writing, which started with her love of reading. It is the one thing that became her break and escape from the insanity of a large family. Jaye loves being a full-time mother and wife, watching her kids grow and enjoying every minute of it. You will a catch her with her family having family barbecues every weekend during the warmer months, and enjoying life to the fullest.

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Unrestricted by Kimberly Bracco

Title: Unrestricted

Author: Kimberly Bracco

Series: Conclusion to Inhibitions

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: May 1, 2015

Summary:
Earning forgiveness isn’t easy.  Especially when you can’t forgive yourself.

How do you begin to right your wrongs?

What do you do when you realize you love someone but you’ve already pushed them away?

What happens when one foolish decision alters your entire world forever?

How can love recover after devastating heartbreak and betrayal?

What happens when everything becomes unrestricted?

Inhibitions #1
Summary:
In the last six months, Ashley’s life has been one disappointment after another. She walked in on her boyfriend with another woman, leaving her needing a new place to live and a mountain of debt. As if that wasn’t enough, her ex convinces her that his infidelity is her fault for being unadventurous in bed.

Deep down Ashley has always had the desire to be wild but has been held back by her own insecurities. She’s desperate to break free, but she's fearful of how people will judge her if they know her inner desires. She wants nothing more than to lose herself in sex that pushes her to the limit, but she hasn’t found anyone she trusts enough to take her there until she meets Tanner.

Tanner doesn’t trust anyone outside of his inner circle easily. The infamous, media proclaimed playboy, quarterback is tired of people using him for money, connections and to get their fifteen minutes of fame. Determined to protect his image and himself, he makes sure to keep most people at arm’s length until Ashley is thrown into his life. He’s inexplicably drawn to her, and she needs his help in more than ways than one. But to help her, he’ll need to let her in.

There’s an immediate attraction and connection that neither can deny, but can both of them get past their inhibitions and find what they are looking for in each other or will everything backfire in their faces?

Author Bio:
Kimberly is a stay at mom of four crazy beautiful children. She lives in New Jersey with her husband of ten years and enjoys every minute of her never dull life. She loves a good book that is impossible to put down and you will mostly likely find her reading in her downtime, unless of course, there is a football game on.

Inhibitions is her debut novel releasing February 20, 2015.

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Unrestricted #2

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Inhibitions #1

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