Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe (1991)
"Fried Green Tomatoes" (original title)

A housewife who is unhappy with her life befriends an old lady in a nursing home and is enthralled by the tales she tells of people she used to know.

Director:

Jon Avnet

Writers:

Fannie Flagg (novel), Fannie Flagg (screenplay),

Stars:

Kathy Bates, Mary Stuart Masterson, Mary-Louise Parker

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 6 wins & 8 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kathy Bates	...	Evelyn Couch
Mary Stuart Masterson	...	Idgie Threadgoode
Mary-Louise Parker	...	Ruth Jamison
Jessica Tandy	...	Ninny Threadgoode
Cicely Tyson	...	Sipsey
Chris O'Donnell	...	Buddy Threadgoode
Stan Shaw	...	Big George
Gailard Sartain	...	Ed Couch
Timothy Scott	...	Smokey Lonesome (as Tim Scott)
Gary Basaraba	...	Grady Kilgore
Lois Smith	...	Mama Threadgoode
Jo Harvey Allen	...	Women's Awareness Teacher
Macon McCalman	...	Prosecutor Percy
Richard Riehle	...	Reverend Scroggins
Raynor Scheine	...	Sheriff Curtis Smoote

Storyline

Evelyn Couch is having trouble in her marriage, and no one seems to take her seriously. While in a nursing home visiting relatives, she meets Ninny Threadgoode, an outgoing old woman, who tells her the story of Idgie Threadgoode, a young woman in 1920's Alabama. Through Idgie's inspiring life, Evelyn learns to be more assertive and builds a lasting friendship of her own with Ninny.

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Plot Keywords:

nursing home | 1920s | stories | alabama | friendship | 

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Taglines:

The secret of life? The secret's in the sauce.

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Genres:

Drama | Comedy

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Certificate:

PG-13

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 December 1991 (USA)

Also Known As:

Tomates verdes fritos

Filming Locations:

Agnes Scott College - 141 E. College Avenue, Decatur, Georgia, USA

Box Office

Gross:

$80,100,000 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Act III Communications, Avnet/Kerner Productions, Electric Shadow Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

130 min 137 min (extended)

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Mary Stuart Masterson did all of the bee stunts herself because her stunt double quit at the last minute.

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Goofs

When Ninnie is voicing the story of Ruth's cancer, she states that Ruth is moved to the Threadgoode house and placed downstairs. The following scenes indicate that Ruth is in an upstairs bedroom, as we see Idgie looking out the window, and looking down at the kids playing ball, and we see the tops of trees when Sipsey prepares the medications.

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Quotes

Evelyn Couch: I never get mad, Miss Threadgoode, never, the way I was raised, it was bad manners. Well I got mad, and it felt great. I felt like I could just beat the shit out of all those punks! Excuse my language. And then when I finish with those punks, I'll take on all the wife beaters like Frank Bennett, machine gun their genitals,
[imitates machine gun]
Evelyn Couch: eh-he-he-he-he-he!
[laughs]
Evelyn Couch: Towanda will go on a rampage, I'll slip tiny bombs into Penthouse and Playboys so they explode when you open them. I'll ban ...

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Connections

Referenced in Married with Children: Banking on Marcy (1993)

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Soundtracks

"I'll Remember You"
Written by Bob Dylan
Produced by Arthur Baker
Performed by Grayson Hugh
Mixed by Michael Brauer

User Reviews

Consummate story-telling, served well by superlative performances

Fannie Flagg's novel of immense complexity (huge cast and innumerable separate stories) could have been impossible to film. However, it is made possible, in large part, by the performances of Mary Stuart Masterson and Mary Louise Parker in what should have been billed as the lead roles. They play the two southern women who's joint story this movie revolves around. Jessica Tandy's role is to relate the story to a lost and longing Kathy Bates (in modern times). Director Jon Avnet ties the two together nicely at times, awkwardly at times, but always (except the end) without doing damage to either. He (and the production crew) bring to life a 'peaceful' southern town very nicely.

The two Marys manage to convey the fullness of a complex relationship with apparent ease. There on-screen chemistry is nothing short of dazzling, and one is left wondering when and how these two actresses carved out such detailed characters without giving voice to their motivations and feelings. While it is rare that dialogue directly addresses the heart and nature of their relationship, what that is becomes clear quickly and transcends the plot of the story to become the real unifying element in this movie. That neither was recognized (in the conventional way) for their performances is unfortunate (which is an understatement).