What is "the evening star"

Evening \E"ven*ing\, n. [AS. [=ae]fnung. See even, n., and cf. Eve.]

1. The latter part and close of the day, and the beginning of darkness or night; properly, the decline of the day, or of the sun.

   In the ascending scale Of heaven, the stars that usher evening rose.
   --Milton.

   Note: Sometimes, especially in the Southern parts of the United States, the afternoon is called evening.
   --Bartlett.

2. The latter portion, as of life; the declining period, as of strength or glory.

   Note: Sometimes used adjectively; as, evening gun. ``Evening Prayer.''
   --Shak.

   Evening flower (Bot.), a genus of iridaceous plants ( Hesperantha) from the Cape of Good Hope, with sword-shaped leaves, and sweet-scented flowers which expand in the evening.

   Evening grosbeak (Zo["o]l.), an American singing bird ( Coccothraustes vespertina) having a very large bill. Its color is olivaceous, with the crown, wings, and tail black, and the under tail coverts yellow. So called because it sings in the evening.

   Evening primrose. See under Primrose.

   The evening star, the bright star of early evening in the western sky, soon passing below the horizon; specifically, the planet Venus; -- called also Vesper and Hesperus. During portions of the year, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn are also evening stars. See Morning Star.

The Evening Star is a 1996 sequel to Academy Award for Best Picture-winning Terms of Endearment, starring Shirley MacLaine, who reprises the role of Aurora Greenway she won an Oscar for playing in the original film. The script is by Larry McMurtry, based on his novel, and Robert Harling, who also served as director.

The story takes place about fifteen years after the original, following the characters from 1988 to 1993. It focuses on Aurora's relationship with her three grandchildren, her late daughter Emma's best friend Patsy and her longtime housekeeper Rosie. Along the way Aurora enters into a relationship with a younger man, while watching the world around her change as old friends pass on and her grandchildren make lives of their own.

Miranda Richardson co-stars as a Houston divorcee and Aurora's rival, Patsy Carpenter. Juliette Lewis plays Aurora's rebellious granddaughter, Melanie Horton, with Marion Ross as Aurora's housekeeper (Golden Globe nominated in the Best Supporting Actress category) and Bill Paxton as Aurora's psychiatrist and lover.

The movie was Ben Johnson's last, in a career that spanned over 60 years. The film is dedicated to him.

Jack Nicholson returns in an extended cameo appearance, playing the role he played in Terms of Endearment, retired astronaut Garrett Breedlove.