This commentary could have been a lot better. James L. Brooks jokes that he hasn't seen the movie in awhile so he may end up just watching it, and it turns out to be true. There are a lot of gaps of total silence, especially toward the end. A couple times I forgot I had the commentary on because there was no speaking. When the participants do talk, they give some interesting facts. For instance, a couple of the children in the movie were going through in real life what their characters were experiencing. If you're a really big fan of this movie, it's worth a listen. Otherwise, you may want to skip this one.

Apparently, Mr. Brooks spent alot of time in Texas prior to adapting "Terms of Endearment." I've yet to listen to this track, but you should know that his "Broadcast News" track is prone to the same stretches of pauses and mild bemusement at the talent of his actors. Some genuine nuggets to be had, but he recorded the track in 2 sessions. The first half, lots of info on casting, research, and behind the scenes tales. The second half, really falls off a cliff. Dead air, and Mr. Brooks admits he's still looking for an ending to "News." Oh, well.

From my point of view the other reviews here are too negative. Sure there are some gaps here, but Brooks has a lot of good points during the whole track. He talks about the novel, the script, the characters, the actors, the tight budget, working with children, the tone of the movie, the release, the medical research and Jeff Daniels roll.

He has a lot for respect for the actors. He talks about the actors input for some scenes. Also some missing scenes are mentioned. Brooks henpecks the track. For me this is a solid track. 7 out of 10.