MovieChat Forums > Terms of Endearment (1983) Discussion > Why did Emma die so quickly?

Why did Emma die so quickly?

posted 12 years ago by JaysonT
27 replies | jump to latest

"I really don't feel sick", Emma states. She didn't even know she had a lump until the doctor told her at a check up for her daughter. If she had never gone to the doctor, would she have died as fast? I understand cancers can vary, but James L. Brooks didn't write enough scenes to emphasize what she had, how long she had left, what had caused it. It seemed very abrupt. Did the book go into anymore details?

I just find it crazy she died so fast- how long did she have left from the moment she found out? Was there honestly nothing they could do? It seems they caught it early as she had no pain, no symptoms, etc. Insights on this?

[–] 12 years ago

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[–] 12 years ago

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[–] mysprouts-740-813856 12 years ago

She may have felt down but not realized it. I knew someone who had been tired for about 3 years and it was cancer. With baby Melanie, Emma may have written it off as being a tired mother.

I always imagined time from diagnosis to death was 6 months or so for Emma.

[–] 12 years ago

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[–] QueenoftheDookie 11 years ago

It's not so unrealistic. Our family found out my aunt had cancer only two weeks before she died. She seemed fine but rapidly got worse. The same thing happened to her sister in law only six months before.

EVERYBODY DO THE COOL DANCE!

[–] usernumber655321 11 years ago

You've got to be kidding me.

[–] QueenoftheDookie 11 years ago

What's worse is when your watching a movie or a tv show and they spoil a movie you haven't seen yet, they just assume everyone who's watching it has already seen whatever movie.

EVERYBODY DO THE COOL DANCE!

[–] lld3497 11 years ago

There are some cancers that when found its to late to do anything, Pancreatic being one of them. Emma's cancer was lympotic i believe Once cancer hits your Lymph nodes its hard to fight then. My dad had Multple myloma and died 18 months after his diagnosis.

Sláinte I refuse to get into a battle of wits with someone so woefully unarmed

[–] wtb_ydbt_fff 11 years ago

they just assume everyone who's watching it has already seen whatever movie.

While I'll concede that not everyone has the ability to speak or write, I think what most people do when they're going to watch a movie or t.v. show that they haven't seen and they're going to watch it with others, they'll tell people they haven't seen the movie/t.v. show yet. Then, I've found that most people are fairly kind about not spoiling it for the "new viewer." But maybe it's just me...

[–] rochelle-rochelle 10 years ago

What's worse is when your watching a movie or a tv show and they spoil a movie you haven't seen yet, they just assume everyone who's watching it has already seen whatever movie.

You've GOT to be kidding me!! Are you new to the internet? If you don't want to find out how a movie or tv show or sports game ends, DON'T GO ONLINE!! It's not rocket science. It's common sense.

The Sixth Sense - Bruce Willis was dead the entire time
Murder on the Orient Express - They all did it.
Psycho - Norman did it and had dual identities as his mother
The Usual Suspects - Kevin Spacey WAS Kaiser Sosey
Fight Club - Edward Norton WAS Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt didn't exist)
Primal Fear - Edward Norton did it and faked multiple personalities
The Jagged Edge - He did it
The Hours - Nicole Kidman IS the ghost!!
The Sting - Robert Redford and Paul Newman were IN on the Sting the entire time
The Village - Actually set in present day with original villagers purposely dropping out of modern life.
The Vanishing - Rex is dead, buried alive, the entire time!
Friday the 13th - Jason isn't the killer. His mother is!!
Memento - Leonard did it!

Interesting. You're afraid of insects and women. Ladybugs must render you catatonic.

[–] I_heart_toughguys 8 years ago

In The Others - Nicole Kidman is the ghost. In The Hours she is an old woman. lol
SHOCK ME, SHOCK ME, SHOCK ME, with that deviant behavior!

[–] wtb_ydbt_fff 11 years ago

I think what's worse is when people come to a message board for a movie and 1)Don't expect there to be spoilers and 2)Complain about spoilers on a movie that's 30 friggin' years old. Seriously, while it's not written in stone, I think there's some kind of time limit on whining about spoilers...surely a 30-year-old movie falls under that limit?

[–] 11 years ago

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[–] BertramWilberforceWooster 10 years ago

My dad was told he had terminal cancer only 10 days before he died.

--
If I cannot smoke cigars in heaven, I shall not go!

[–] orangeisthenewawesome 11 years ago

i've been burned by spoilers for movies when I've come to imdb before finishing the movie...but I figure I deserved it for coming to the boards before seeing the movie. Sorry, she dies. Now you know!

Even if it means me taking a chubby, I will suck it up! - Tobias Funke

[–] SenoritaTorres 11 years ago

I've learned my lesson now cos people just never stop putting huge spoilers in thread titles for some silly reason. I thought common sense should tell people not to do that, but never mind. Now if I haven't seen a film or show and don't want to know what happens I don't visit the boards until I've seen it.

Justice for the 96
-15th April 1989

YOU'LL NEVER WALK ALONE

[–] 11 years ago

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[–] daughterofolaf 9 years ago

I had a friend who was diagnosed with cancer (lung cancer and had never smoked a day in her life) out of nowhere and she died WAY faster than the character in this movie. She discovered symptoms, was diagnosed, hospitalized and died all within less than three weeks. It does happen.

Dick, I am VERY disappointed.

[–] fiatlux-1 9 years ago

What I did not understand was: Why didn't Emma get radiation treatments for her cancer?
They did have those in 1983, did they not?

I'd say this cloud is Cumulo Nimbus.
Didn't he discover America?
Penfold, shush.

[–] daughterofolaf 9 years ago

Sometimes people choose not to do that if their condition has progressed far enough that their chances are very low anyway. Chemo and radiation is a living hell and if someone's chances are horrible even with that hell then they might not want to go through it.

Dick, I am VERY disappointed.