MovieChat Forums > The Evening Star (1996) Discussion > Tommy and Teddy

Tommy and Teddy

posted 18 years ago by ijones-9
5 replies | jump to latest

Did anyone else find it disturbing the way Tommy and Teddy turned up in the sequel? Tommy is in jail and Teddy is an aimless family man who can't hold onto a job...I think from his behavior in the first film, I can understand how Tommy might have ended up in jail (it would have been nice to learn what happened)but I was certain Teddy would turn out to be Emma's finest achievement, a junior executive at some Fortune 500 company maybe. Am I the only one who was disappointed in the way MacMurtry aged these characters?

[–] 18 years ago

[deleted]

[–] ijones-9 18 years ago

Come to think of it, I wasn't too crazy about the way Melanie turned out either.

[–] ilovecamillabelleroth 18 years ago

"And if he doesn't exist, I'll never die of a broken heart"
Guess what?
I exist!

True, but, having recently read the book, I prefer the way the characters turned out in the movie- trust me, if you think that they are messed up in the movie, read the book sometime!

[–] rodvince 16 years ago

From being a child who felt bitter toward his mother in Terms of Endearment, the Tommy character blossomed to become a caring grandson to Aurora in the sequel.

[–] harlowfan 9 years ago

No. I think it was very realistic. Teddy was a sweet mama's boy and he grew up to be a sweet guy. Some people don't ask for much out of life. They are content to just work and provide for their families. Teddy is one of those characters. Even his Grandma criticizing him for it doesn't phase him. He just meets it with a smile. Because he's content with himself.

Melanie doesn't turn out bad. The film shows her struggling at first and a little lost, then she has a stint as an actress, and then by the end of the film we can see she is a well-adjusted adult. The film doesn't detail what she ends up doing after her TV stint, but based on what they show us, it is assumed she has worked through her difficulties of youth and comes out the other side.

Tommy had so much bitterness in him, that him ending up in jail was almost inevitable. When he made the decision to forgive everyone, including himself, and make peace with the past, we can see he grows into a loving family man.

Emma's kids turn out fine.