Steel Magnolias (1989)

Revolving around Truvy's Beauty Parlor in a small parish in modern-day Louisiana, STEEL MAGNOLIAS is the story of a close-knit circle of friends whose lives come together there. As the ... See full summary »

Director:

Herbert Ross

Writers:

Robert Harling (screenplay), Robert Harling (play)

Stars:

Sally Field, Shirley MacLaine, Olympia Dukakis

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 2 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sally Field	...	M'Lynn Eatenton
Dolly Parton	...	Truvy Jones
Shirley MacLaine	...	Ouiser Boudreaux
Daryl Hannah	...	Annelle Dupuy Desoto
Olympia Dukakis	...	Clairee Belcher
Julia Roberts	...	Shelby Eatenton Latcherie
Tom Skerritt	...	Drum Eatenton
Sam Shepard	...	Spud Jones
Dylan McDermott	...	Jackson Latcherie
Kevin J. O'Connor	...	Sammy Desoto
Bill McCutcheon	...	Owen Jenkins
Ann Wedgeworth	...	Aunt Fern
Knowl Johnson	...	Tommy Eatenton
Jonathan Ward	...	Jonathan Eatenton
Bibi Besch	...	Belle Marmillion

Storyline

Revolving around Truvy's Beauty Parlor in a small parish in modern-day Louisiana, STEEL MAGNOLIAS is the story of a close-knit circle of friends whose lives come together there. As the picture opens, we find Drum Eatenton shooting birds in the trees of his back yard in preparation for his daughter's wedding reception that afternoon. Shortly thereafter, M'Lynn and Shelby (Drum's wife and daughter) depart for Truvy's to get their hair done for the wedding. "Just the sweetest thing," Annelle Depuy Desoto (who may or may not be married because her marriage may not be legal) is introduced to Truvy's customers as her new "glamour technician." While in the chairs, the sour-tempered Ouiser Boudreaux shows up and entertains the assemblage with her barbs. It seems that the only one of the group who truly understands Ouiser is Clairee who is recently widowed and looking for a diversion. As she says, later in the picture, "If you can't find anything good to say about anybody, come sit by me." ...

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Plot Keywords:

wedding | louisiana | beauty parlor | bird | armadillo | 

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Taglines:

Sometimes laughter is a matter of life and death.

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 November 1989 (USA)

Also Known As:

Magnolias de acero

Filming Locations:

Natchitoches, Louisiana, USA

Box Office

Gross:

$83,759,091 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

TriStar Pictures, Rastar Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

117 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby (as Dolby Stereo)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Meg Ryan was initially under contract to play Shelby, the Julia Roberts role, but the producers let her out of it to play Sally in When Harry Met Sally...

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Goofs

At the trash can, Annelle picks up the third magazine twice.

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Quotes

M'Lynn: [after Ouiser drinks a soda and belches] Oh, now, that's attractive, Ouiser.

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Connections

Referenced in Parker Lewis Can't Lose: Civil Wars (1992)

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Soundtracks

"YANKEE DOODLE DANDY"
(1904)
Written by George M. Cohan

User Reviews

A 'Chick Flick' Men Can Enjoy, Too!

With Julia Roberts the superstar she is today, it's an excellent time to enjoy the film that contains her best performance, Steel Magnolias.

As the doomed but optimistic daughter of Sally Field and Tom Skerrit, she holds her own in a cast of movie divas, including Shirley MacLaine, Olympia Dukakis, Dolly Parton, and (in her best film work, as well), Darryl Hannah.

The film is basically a warm, upbeat character study of a group of women friends, played out in a beautiful Louisiana bayou town. The story begins with Roberts' wedding, then carries on through the ups and downs of the friends' lives. The men in the story are secondary characters, and occasionally come across as a bit selfish (Roberts' husband), or buffoons (Hannah's boyfriend), yet one of the joys of this movie is that you come to love the women so much, you don't mind the men's shortcomings, and start liking them, too!

The standout performances of the film are from Roberts, and MacLaine, as a spinster with a sarcastic tongue, and, ultimately, a heart of gold. Her scenes with Dukakis are hilarious, yet full of the warmth that makes this film so special!

A couple of things usually overlooked, but worth mentioning; the enchanting film score (I wish the soundtrack would be re-released!), and a bit part by Janine Turner, before 'Northern Exposure' made her a star.

This is a very special film, for both Roberts' fans, and anyone who wants to believe in the healing powers of friendship. Yes, this film can be defined as a 'chick flick', but guys, you'll end up enjoying it, too!