Trivia

Winona Ryder was originally offered the role of Shelby.

Daryl Hannah was originally turned down for the role of Annelle as the director thought that she was too attractive to play the part, she asked if she could come in and read for the part anyway. She arrived at the studio the next day dressed as Annelle and was so unrecognisable that security refused to let her in.

Is shot in the small Louisiana town of Natchitoches. Reportedly, the filmmakers placed such a great strain on the locals, particularly those who volunteered to be extras, that several years later, when the film The Man in the Moon was shot in the same town, extras were difficult to find, as so many townspeople had been burned by the Steel Magnolias crew.

There is no parish or town in Louisiana known as Chinquapin. "Chinquapin" is the name for a type of fish and a particular breed of oak tree. The town of Natchitoches in the parish of the same name served as the backdrop for the film. The town was named after the "NAKTOSH" Indians whose names means "chinquapin eaters". Natchitoches actually does have a large Christmas Light Festival annually. Natchitoches was also the first settlement in the Louisiana Territory.

On the DVD's commentary track, Herbert Ross describes how Georges Delerue was not his first choice as a composer for this film. Another "well known" composer's music was rejected but he fails to say who.

Dolly Parton and Daryl Hannah studied hair stylists so their scenes where they are doing hair would be real and authentic.

Opened on Broadway on Monday, April 4th, 2005 at the Lyceum Theater and ran for 136 performances.

The title has been said to suggest that the main characters are delicate as magnolias but tough as steel, but this is not explained in the movie. The only references to the two words are Ouiser's near accusation of Drum of stealing Magnolias from her tree, and then a later comment by M'Lynn that men are supposed to be made out of steel.

Writer Robert Harling has said that the film follows the last three years of his sister's life.

The Natchitoches Hospital Administration wanted the film company to film their actual emergency room and intensive care ward. Gene Callahan had serious reservations filming in the actual hospital, just in case a heart attack patient should arrive interrupting filming. This set was built in the gym-stage used as the main film interiors studio. Location managers, after the film was released, repeatedly called Hub Braden (Art Director) in L.A. asking where the hospital location was because their film's director wanted to shoot in the same hospital.

After jetting into Natchitoches from Beverly Hills, Herbert Ross, Ray Stark, and production members of the scout party, were examining location sights on the Main Street when an urgent cell phone call came for Herbert and Ray. Meg Ryan had agreed to be in the movie but had not signed a contract. The cell phone call announced "we lost Meg Ryan, she signed for another movie!" Angry executives were very unhappy, facing an immediate casting issue to resolve losing Meg Ryan. They had no other choice but find another actress. Flying, returning to Beverly Hills, cell phone lines were hot and heavy during the entire return flight. Julia Roberts was cast in the roll. After assembling the cast at the satellite stage (gym) mock-up beauty parlor set, Herbert Ross initiated script rehearsals. Herbert was especially tough with Julia Roberts during this week of scene rehearsals. Shirley MacLaine relieved tensions created by Herb's intense work-outs. Originally, Dolly Parton's scenes were to be filmed first, which would release Dolly for her return to Hollywood, continuing her ABC TV musical comedy second season series. The network announced her series was canceled. Scheduling was revised and Dolly remained, filming the daily planned script scene sequence.

Robert Harling, living and working in New York City, not only distraught over his sister's death, he was also upset with his brother in-law, who remarried within six months of his sister's demise. Stressed and distraught, Harling was advised by his fellow acting class workshop members to put his thoughts on paper. Harling began writing his story in a script form, which the acting class members would read and act out his stage directions. These segments developed, combined, and became the script for the off-Broadway workshop presentation, eventually becoming a full fledged drama presented professionally on stage. Ray Stark, prompted by Herbert Ross, negotiated the film rights for the property. Production Designer Gene Callahan (LSU) became involved because of his past association with Ray Stark, and his Louisianna heritage and knowledge of everything Southern. The film's schedule occurred during a Hollywood writer's strike, which required Robert Harling not be involved (rewrites) due to the writer's union contract. Ray Stark, Herbert Ross, and Gene Callahan flew to Natchitoches, Louisianna, South of Shreveport, scouting Robert Harling's town, (where the actual story occurred), for the film's location sight which would remove the production from the Hollywood union jurisdiction problem. Incognito, Robert Harling would be present during the filming and available for any rewrites. Negotiating with the President of Northwestern University, the University's satellite teachers training school facility provided a complex for production offices (principle/administrative and attendance offices); one large indoor gym for a stage, located in the central core of the building's offices, class rooms, and labs (art department, set decorating and property room, wardrobe, screening room, lunch-break room acting as a "green room"); another smaller gym which functioned both as a construction mill and stage; playground exteriors providing parking for the companies circus of support vehicles. The female cast were given each a motor home for a dressing room. A Georgia motor home and car/truck dealer provided the motor home vehicles and the film companies transportation requirements. The motor homes were delivered and parked on the school's front main entrance, on the grass lawn, fanned-lined parallel with the vehicles' nose pointed toward the school's main door entrance. Instead of yellow school buses, the front of the school facility looked like a gypsy camp with boardwalks, on top of the grass, set between the vehicles. Each morning's exodus, a driver steered a motor home to the filming location, creating another parking night-mare for the transportation captain. The male cast members were not provided a dressing room vehicle nor trailer.

Robert Harling, the man who wrote the play 'Steel Magnolias' in honor of his sister, plays the pastor who performs Shelby's wedding and then again her funeral.

The cemetery scene was filmed in one take.