Watch The Evening Star

Larry McMurtry wrote the screenplay and Robert Harling directed this sequel to the Academy Award winning “Terms of Endearment.” This is a story about a grandmother enduring the emptying of the nest for a second time. Shirley MacLaine is back as Aurora Greenway coping with her three grown grandchildren, who are giving her plenty to worry about, especially the youngest: Melanie (Juliette Lewis). Melanie still lives with Aurora but wants to leave. Patsy (Natasha Richardson), an old friend of Melanie’s late mother, is not helping matters any. Aurora finds herself relying more and more on Rosie (Marion Ross), her housekeeper, as she watches her friends die off or leave.

Aurora begins a relationship with younger lover (Bill Paxton) and her psychiatrist to boot, while former astronaut and love Garrett Breedlove (Jack Nicholson) shows up and has something to say about love. After Melanie takes off for California, Aurora goes into action to try save her granddaughter from some serious mistakes.

It’s perhaps Rosie, her housekeeper, who teaches her the biggest lesson about what’s important.