Movie Review: Steel Magnolias
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What Parents Should Know
Parents should know that this movie handles some mature
material, including a mother watching her adult daughter die.
Plus there are plenty of scatological epithets, and one crusty
women curses a blue streak. The women also gossip relentlessly.
Women may seem to rule the roost, but this is genteel Louisiana
-- gender roles are firmly in place. Very few people of color
appear.
Families who see this movie might discuss "chick flicks." What does that term mean, and is it derisive? Do you think that there is something powerful about movies targeted just to women -- or are you offended by the idea that a movie about women's lives and friendships would only appeal to other women?
Common Sense Media Review
Gritty performances by Sally Field, Olympia Dukakis, and
Shirley MacLaine turn this comic melodrama into a true tour de
force.
This adaptation of Robert Harling's play highlights the unwavering friendships that unite a group of Louisiana women as they confront loss and heartache. This movie put Roberts on the map and earned her an Oscar nomination, but Field steals the show.
The story opens on the day of Shelby's wedding to Jackson, a handsome Louisiana lawyer who assures her that he'll take care of her, despite her frail health. Shelby (Julia Roberts) is diabetic, and has been warned that she shouldn't have children. Her mother M'Lynn (Sally Field) has hovered over her daughter for years, intervening whenever her blood sugar dipped. Shelby decides to have a baby despite the risk; her mother is appalled, but remains supportive.
When Shelby's kidneys fail as a result, her mother gives up one of hers. But in the end, M'Lynn can't save Shelby from the ravages of her disease, and she ends up relying upon the salt-of-the-earth women that frequent the local beauty salon for support through her loss.
While the main storyline is a sad one, ending in Shelby's eventual death from diabetes, this movie is really about the friendships that sustain us through life's highs and lows. The girlfriends that populate the movie, from Shirley MacLaine's grumpy Ouiser to Dolly Parton's spunky Truvy, are formidable, and they transform a formulaic tearjerker into a worthy dramatic comedy.
Field is a standout in a cast full of stars, all of whom turn in memorable performances. Her monologue at Shelby's funeral is particularly raw and moving. Although the movie sometimes can't resist its worst sugary instincts, (M'Lynn's grief and anger are swept under the carpet almost as soon as she unleashes them), the feisty characters compensate for the story's weaker moments.
As two rich, rival widows, Olympia Dukakis and Shirley MacLaine are delightfully snippy, despite their deep friendship. Dolly Parton shines as a "beauty technician" and lovelorn philosopher -- it's her salon that provides the backdrop for the movie's best scenes. And Daryl Hannah is a timid beauty school graduate who grows into her own, nurtured by these strong women.
STEEL MAGNOLIAS celebrates the wit and wisdom of a circle of Southern ladies as they curl, tease, and spray their hair into submission. It's a movie with plenty of heart, and it offers a powerful picture of kindness and compassion between women. Adolescent girls may find the friendship theme especially compelling, as they begin to depend on friends' support through their own crises, from heartbreak to the dynamics of family relationships.
Viewers looking for a more recent film about female friendship may enjoy The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants .
Common Sense Media is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing information to help parents make media and entertainment choices for their families.
