Steel Magnolias (1989)

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."

Watching it is like watching the spectacle of a class clown at their best: you laugh at their jokes, instigate their defiance, and "ooooh" when they get in trouble.

...more than a good movie. because all is impressive in its case. the performances, the sweet-bitter story, the links between characters, the events, the sadness and small joy, the fights, endurance, mercy, love and determination. each does "Steel Magnolias" a meet with a world so familiar than it seems be part from yourself. so, a special film. for many reasons. you discover at new each meet with the lives of the great characters.

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.

Steel Magnolias is a comedy drama that stars Sally Field, Shirley MacLaine, Olympia Dukakis, Dolly Parton, Daryl Hannah and Julia Roberts. It is about the bond among a group of women from a parish in the Louisiana area. The film is based on a play Steel Magnolias which in turn dealt with the playwright's experience with the death of his sister.It was written by Robert Harling,who also is the playwright; and it is directed by Herbert Ross. The title refers to those seemingly frail Southern belles who survive any and all deprivations through whims of iron. This is about the story of an all-female cast of characters laughed, cried and compared menfolk.It expands the playing field by including scenes at picnics, hospitals and the like, and by visually depicting the males who never appeared in the stage version. Truvy Jones is the goodhearted beauty-shop owner, while Louisa "Ouiser" Boudreaux is the cantankerous town eccentric, decked out in grungy overalls and speaking fluent Trash. Well-to-do M'Lynn Eatenton bravely endures several assaults to her sensibilities, not the least of which is the illness and subsequent death of daughter Shelby Eatenton Latcherie. The movie is a prime example of ensemble film making and it is lovingly coordinated.The performances are first-rate, with the possible exception of Daryl Hannah's over emphatic portrayal of her character.It was a good character study plot which unfortunately had a clichéd and formulaic conclusion.Overall,it was an entertaining film that can make the viewer laugh and cry as he/she relates to the characters.

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.