Being associated with two monster-hit TV series, The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Taxi, should have allowed James L Brooks to write his own ticket when he decided to go into motion pictures with his script for Terms of Endearment. But if it took some coaxing to get Shirley MacLaine to commit for the lead role, his pleas were in vain when it came to the Hollywood studios, which were unanimous in their opinion that the film would be too uncommercial.

With a touching yet humorous story of human weakness and courage, and featuring Debra Winger and Jack Nicholson, this was obviously some new definition of uncommercial. So Brooks put on his producer's hat and did it anyway, earning three Oscars for himself (best picture, direction and screenplay) as well as Oscars for MacLaine and Nicholson. So there! Andrew Horn