Steel Magnolias (1989)

Based on Robert Harling's play, which is inspired by his own life story, the film version of STEEL MAGNOLIAS is directed by the schmaltz-brewing old-timer Herbert Ross. Emboldened by a pronounced female-centred cast, its narrative gaily situates in a Louisiana parish, where a palsy- walsy clique of (all-white) residents builds up rapport and strong support during the twist of fate, befalls the central Eatenton family.The film starts from the perspective of an outsider, an gauche young woman Annelle Dupuy (an uglified Hannah) arrives in town on the wedding day of Shelby (Roberts), the eldest daughter of M'Lynn (Field) and Drum Eatenton (Skerritt, a delightful comic relief), to work for Truvy Jones (Parton) in her beauty salon. Soon it turns out that Shelby suffers from type 1 diabetes, which implies that pregnancy will subject her life into great danger. If the couple wants children, adoption might be a wiser option, but no, that never gonna happen, Shelby is opinionated in her regressive determination to have a child of her own with a side-note faintly insinuates that perhaps, it is also what her husband Jackson (McDermott) wants despite the huge risk, their marital undertow only alluded during the women folk's regular saloon gossip, and any slant from their opposite sex has been maximally sidestepped (the original play has no male characters in the plot), and Jackson evidently doesn't come off as a model husband, but what comes to fore is the relationship between M'Lynn and Shelby, a mother's completely-selfless affection to her daughter (including donating one of her kidneys) Vs. a young woman's death-defying conviction to become a mother on her own term (latently also to ameliorate her marriage snag), although in hindsight, the latter descends to borderline injudiciousness, but quite tallies with the ethos of its time.Thankfully there are more upbeat subplots, which include a coruscating widow-duo, a graceful Clairee (Dukakis), once was married to the late former mayor, and a cantankerous Ouiser (MacLaine, a salient transformation in her appearance to enhance her senility), they banter, change repartee, bicker, make up, both are sprightly and wonderfully larger-than-life; whereas Annelle also says goodbye to her own troubled past, and finds solace in religion and soon a new husband with a baby on the way; only the relation between a generically spirited Truvy and her offish hubby Spud (Shepard) doesn't pan out effectively in the final product.STEEL MAGNOLIAS is a springboard to leapfrog Julia Roberts into stardom, earns her the very first Oscar nomination at the age of 22 over the more prestigious distaff thespians, still, how can one not be petrified to watch Field's mind-blowing flare-up in the cemetery one-take and in the next second, not get wryly bemused by Dukakis' off-kilter humor to swerve the mood back from abysmal heartbreak? According to my book, a more Oscar-deserving supporting player is the consistently fiery MacLaine, a recalcitrant rebel and nothing can hold her back! By contrast, a dewy Robert only outshines others by design in her one-off diabetes attack sequence.In all fairness, this female-skewing small-town melodrama hits the right spot as a life-affirming motion picture which appeals to a much more overlooked demography, but it is also stalled by its morally provincial material and a slightly over-honed happy-clappy tone to some extent.

How can you not like this movie. One of the best movies I have ever seen in my life. As it focuses on a mother-daughter relationship played by Sally Field and a then unknown newcomer played by Julia Roberts. As Roberts character choose happiness over her health problems with diabetes. Despite Field's misgivings.As Roberts character is going to be married to a then unknown Dylan McDermott. As they have a child but Field's friends come to her rescue and try to make the most of it. Since she is going to be a grandma.Dolly Parton is the owner of the beauty shop is a hoot that the movie revolves around. Daryl Hannah as the unrecognizable apprentice and Parton's protégé who is shy at first but really blossoms out during the film. Shirley MacLaine as the grouchy two time widow who has been in a bad mood for forty years. Olympia Dukakis as her only friend and finds a cheerful thing about things and people. Despite thick and thin situations.Really a funny, sad, and dramatic film all rolled up into one. Love it a little over twenty years later!

Difficult to find fault with this feel good chick flick. Even Shirley MacLaine can't louse it up but it is a young Julia Roberts who crawls away with it despite strong competition from Olympia Dukakis and Sally Field. I was fortunate enough to see the play before I saw the movie, albeit an English production of an American play set in the Deep South which meant it had two strikes on it going in but the quality of the writing overcame that handicap and is evident in this fine adaptation. Friendship is the theme that runs through it and the fact that in this case it is female friendship is more or less irrelevant. There's a nice symmetry in that it begins with the wedding of the Roberts character and ends, to all intents and purposes, with her premature death following a kidney transplant. Films about the South tend to get it wrong as often as they get it right but when they do get it right, as in To Kill A Mockingbird and this one, they really get it right. A winner.

Granted, this is a movie from the 80s, but it's rather overly silly and annoying. I'm sorry, but it really was. There were some good moments, some woman kinship and whatnot, but it just didn't connect. I think it's me though… My woman kinship bits might be broken. It's not completely out of the question, I'm not big into female family Yaya Sisterhood stuff, where woman moan and groan and act all unreasonably crazy.I'm a bit too cynical. I guess because there were some deep moments, but mostly predictable and uncalled for… because there was no reasoning behind them. Also, I don't really care for the huge gaps of time with the poor transitioning.I guess this gripe just has to do with the semi-high expectation since Sally Fields and Julia Roberts is in this film and it just wasn't that spectacular. But with that said, give it a try if you are interested, because at this point in time I think I'm just being picky.