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Steel Magnolias - Special Edition Customer Reviews (31 - 33 of 33 Reviews)

80% CREDIBLE, BUT FUNNY. YOU'LL WATCH THIS MORE THAN ONCE.
As already mentioned here a number of times, yes, it reeks of a chick flick. But on the simple metric of number of one-liners per minute, I simply cannot think of a better comical powerhouse! The script to this movie is an example for screenwriters.

The hilarious star-studden ensemble is set in southern US, a small Louisiana town. The camaraderie is contagious and nostalgic, and the life of the characters so identifiable you'll be involved with the film immediately. There's almost several subthemes, each character has a peccadillo to share.

But the main focus of the film is the relationship between Sally Field and Julia Roberts, a domineering mother and her strong-willed but physically weak daughter respectively, the latter also plagued with diabetes. And there is a lot of time spent on Daryl Hannah's strange character development as well as the film covers a year or two via holidays.

To me, that is what most undermines the film -- I would much rather have seen more time spent on Parton and MacLaine, and even Dukakis, whose lives, in the brief glimpses we are given, seem much more interesting, and whose characters are by far much more alive and vibrant. Their barbs and quips are a compelling reason alone to watch this movie again and again!

At any rate, this is a movie you should definitely watch if you haven't already, and if you have, watch it again. What a wonderful slice of life, drama and delectable humor!

"Laughter through tears is my favorite emotion."
In 1989, audiences were treated to an all-star cast in the film "Steel Magnolias", which follows the lives of several women who are all friends in a small Louisiana town. The film was directed by Herbert Ross (1927-2001), who directed "The Goodbye Girl" (1977) and "The Turning Point" (1977, for which he received an Oscar nomination for Best Director). It was written by Robert Harding, who had originally written "Steel Magnolias" as a play and also adapted Olivia Goldsmith's novel into the screenplay for "The First Wives Club" (1996).

The story begins with a young woman, Annelle Dupuy (Daryl Hannah), who is new to the Lousiana town and planning to work as a beautician for Truvy Jones (Dolly Parton), whose husband Spud Jones (Sam Shepard) is an often out-of-work contractor. Impressed with her abilities, Truvy hires Annelle and they receive their first customers of the day: the wealthy widow Clairee Belcher (Olympia Dukakis), the responsible mother M'Lynn Eatenton (Sally Field), her engaged daughter Shelby (Julia Roberts) and the eccentric/antisocial divorcee Ouiser Boudreaux (Shirley MacLaine). Since one of the activities that most of the ladies enjoy doing is gossiping, when Ouiser begins to interrogate Annelle about her life, everyone is all ears as Annelle explains her troubled marriage and vanished husband. Shelby then invites Annelle to come to her wedding, which Annelle does and meets a man who becomes very interested in her: Sammy Desoto (Kevin J. O'Connor). Shelby's new husband is Jackson Latcherie (Dylan McDermott), and her outspoken father, Drum Eatenton (Tom Skerritt), often enjoys teasing Ouiser about her aging dog. Shelby suffers from diabetes, but is determined to live as much of a normal life as possible, even when it comes into conflict with M'Lynn's concerns for her health.

With its witty script, wonderful story and engaging characters, "Steel Magnolias" is a very entertaining and emotional film. Julia Roberts received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress, but disappointingly, Sally Field was not nominated for Best Actress for her exceptional performance, especially during the very emotional funeral scene. Olympia Dukakis, Shirley MacLaine and Daryl Hannah performed superbly in their roles, and Dolly Parton was very well casted for her role as Truvy and did an excellent job. Memorable scenes in the film include the opening scenes at Truvy's beauty salon, Shelby's wedding, the Christmas fair, Shelby revealing her pregnancy, other scenes at Truvy's, Annelle's wedding shower, M'Lynn at the hospital, the funeral scene and the closing Easter scenes. Overall, I rate "Steel Magnolias" with 5 out of 5 stars and highly recommend it on widescreen DVD.

Makes you appeciate family, friends and life!
I just love this movie. It's a tear-jerker but the message behind this tale about simple women in a small southern town is very uplifting. Each character is one that most can relate to. Sally Field does an awesome job in this film. By the end of the movie you feel like you're a part of this circle of friends bound by gossip, family and love.

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