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Title: Steel Magnolias (1989)
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| 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 | |
Pivoting around the lively Truvy Jones' Louisiana beauty parlour, a tightly-knit band of friends, confront griefs, loss, life's unforeseen tragedies and heartaches with what they do best: gossiping and sharing. The spirited diabetic and bride-to-be, Shelby; her always supportive mother, M'Lynn; Truvy's gawky assistant, Annelle; the city's curmudgeon, Ouiser; and the town's former first lady, Clairee, are the warm Southern belles who know how to survive life's challenges with their unwavering friendship. But when Shelby decides to conceive, things will turn upside down.. Written by Nick Riganas
This film is worth watching for two reasons. First, it is based on a tragic, real life event. As such, an enhanced credibility sustains the film's underlying premise, and thus renders a much greater potential for viewer impact and depth of meaning, as opposed to a work of fiction. Second, quite aside from its autobiographical roots, the film has entertainment value, expressed mostly as snappy, funny dialogue, delivered competently by an ensemble cast of likable actresses. Attention to detail in costumes and production design, and adroit film editing, further amplify the film's overall technical quality.
"Steel Magnolias" is a story about the close knit relationships between six ordinary Southern women, living in a small town in Louisiana. The film has a homespun, unpretentious feel to it, rather like "Fried Green Tomatoes".
The plot alternates between humorous, small, everyday events and good-natured quips, on the one hand ... and on the other hand, the seriousness and heartache attendant to life's unexpected crises. Through the laughs and tears, the six women learn to endure hard times, and thus emerge from their struggles with grace and dignity.
Finding something to criticize here is not easy. I can think of several changes that I would have made, to satisfy my own personal preferences. But the film is solid and substantial, as is. I suppose one could zero in on the acting. A couple of the cast members overact their parts, at some point or another in the film.
Overall, "Steel Magnolias" is technically well made. And the content engages our interest, as a result of its true-to-life theme, its all star cast, and some very clever dialogue.