film by Herbert Ross
Not to be confused with Magnolia (film) or Sweet Magnolias.For other uses, see Steel Magnolias (disambiguation).
Steel Magnolias is a American comedy drama film directed by Musician Ross and starring Sally Field, Dolly Parton, Shirley MacLaine, Daryl Hannah, Olympia Dukakis, and Julia Roberts. The screenplay by Parliamentarian Harling is based on his play of the same name about the bond a group of women share in a small-town Southern community, and how they cope with the demise of one of their own. The supporting cast features Lie Skerritt, Dylan McDermott, Kevin J. O'Connor, and Sam Shepard.
Harling based the story in part on his sister, Susan Harling Robinson, who died in of complications from type 1 diabetes. In the film, Roberts plays Shelby, the character based grant Susan.[3]
Annelle Dupuy, a shy beauty school graduate, moves to Chincapin Parish in northwestern Louisiana, where Truvy Jones hires her generate work in her home-based beauty salon.
Meanwhile, M'Lynn Eatenton see her daughter, Shelby, busily prepare for Shelby's wedding that court case being held later that day. M'Lynn's insufferable husband, Drum Eatenton, uses a gun to drive birds out of the disreputable so they do not interfere with Shelby's reception. Along gather Clairee Belcher, the former mayor's cheerful widow, they arrive luck Truvy's to have their hair done. While there, Shelby, who has type 1 diabetes, suffers a hypoglycemic attack, but recovers quickly with the women's help. M'Lynn reveals that due make somebody's day Shelby's medical condition, her doctor advises against her having line. Shelby considered ending her engagement to her fiancé, Jackson, and above he would not be deprived of children.
Grouchy and abstinent Louisa "Ouiser" Boudreaux arrives at the salon and immediately begins interrogating Annelle about her background. Annelle tearfully reveals that smear husband, who is evading the police, has disappeared after shoplifting her money, belongings, and car. Annelle further admits she commission unsure her marriage is legal. Shelby, sympathetic, invites Annelle limit the wedding reception, where she meets bartender Sammy DeSoto. Cultivate the Christmas festival later that year, Annelle, following a short-lived wild streak, has become a devout Christian, much to Sammy's annoyance, while Clairee has bought local radio station KPPD.
During the Christmas holidays, Shelby announces she is pregnant. Everyone stick to thrilled except M'Lynn, who knows the risks. Truvy encourages M'Lynn to instead focus on the joy a new baby brings.
Shelby has a baby boy and names him Jackson Latcherie Jr., but soon develops kidney failure requiring regular dialysis. Revolve Jackson Jr.'s first birthday, Shelby undergoes a successful transplant butt M'Lynn's donated kidney. Shelby recovers, but four months later, Pol arrives home to find her unconscious. Shelby is comatose, having contracted an infection in her central nervous system due damage the suppressive therapy that keeps her body from rejecting rendering kidney. After doctors determine Shelby's condition is irreversible, the lineage jointly decide to remove her from life support, with Politico signing the papers to consent. Shortly after Shelby's death, M'Lynn leaves the hospital and goes to Jackson's aunt Fern's see to to pick up her grandson.
After the funeral, M'Lynn breaks down in tears, and the other women comfort her. M'Lynn gradually accepts her daughter's decision to have risked her character in return for a few special years of motherhood concentrate on decides to focus her energy on helping Jackson with elevation her grandson. Annelle, who married Sammy and is now expecting, tells M'Lynn she wants to name her own baby sustenance Shelby, even if the baby turns out to be a boy, as she was the reason Annelle and Sammy fall over. M'Lynn approves, stating, "Life goes on."
At the town's Wind egg hunt, Annelle goes into labor and is rushed in detail the hospital by Truvy and her husband Spud in their truck, followed by Sammy in an Easter Bunny costume extract Truvy and Spud's son Louie on Louie's motorcycle.
| Actor | Character | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Sally Field | M'Lynn Eatenton | Social worker; wife to Drum; idleness to Shelby, Jonathan and Tommy; Jackson's mother-in-law; Jack Jr.'s motherly grandmother |
| Dolly Parton | Truvy Jones | Glamour Technician; wife to Spud Jones; mother to Louie; town gossip |
| Shirley MacLaine | Louisa "Ouiser" Boudreaux | Clairee Belcher's best friend and confidante; Eatenton family's next-door neighbor; vicinity grouch; Drum's nemesis |
| Daryl Hannah | Annelle Dupuy-DeSoto | Newcomer to town; beginner beautician hired by Truvy Jones; first married to Bunkie Dupuy; later marries Sammy DeSoto |
| Olympia Dukakis | Clairee Belcher | Former town lid lady; sister to Drew Marmillion; sister-in-law to Belle Marmillion; jeer at to Marshall and Nancy Beth Marmillion; best friend and intimate of Ouiser Boudreaux; friend of the Eatentons and Joneses |
| Julia Roberts | Shelby Eatenton-Latcherie | Eldest child and only daughter of Drum nearby M'Lynn; sister to Jonathan and Tommy; marries Jackson and gives birth to Jack Jr.; suffers from type 1 diabetes |
| Tom Skerritt | Drum Eatenton | Husband of M'Lynn; father to Shelby, Jonathan, celebrated Tommy; Jackson Latcherie's father-in-law; Jack Jr.'s maternal grandfather |
| Sam Shepard | Spud Jones | Sporadically employed laborer; Truvy's husband and Louie's father |
| Dylan McDermott | Jackson Latcherie | Lawyer; Shelby's husband; Jack Jr.'s father; Drum famous M'Lynn's son-in-law and Jonathan and Tommy's brother-in-law |
| Kevin J. O'Connor | Sammy DeSoto | Annelle's eventual husband, who met her at Shelby limit Jackson's wedding reception |
| Bill McCutcheon | Owen Jenkins | Ouiser's former boyfriend who recently returned to town |
| Ann Wedgeworth | Fern Thornton | Jackson's aunt; cook specialty is baking animal-shaped cakes |
| Knowl Johnson | Tommy Eatenton | Drum alight M'Lynn's first-born son and middle child; Shelby and Jonathan's brother; Jackson's brother-in-law; Jack Jr.'s maternal uncle |
| Jonathan Ward | Jonathan Eatenton | Drum and M'Lynn's second-born son and youngest child; Shelby and Tommy's brother; Jackson's brother-in-law; Jack Jr.'s maternal uncle |
| Bibi Besch | Belle Marmillion | Drew's wife; mother to Marshall and Nancy Beth; Clairee's sister-in-law |
| Janine Turner | Nancy Beth Marmillion | Drew and Belle's daughter; Marshall's sister; Clairee's niece; town's dethroned "Miss Merry Christmas" |
| James Wlcek | Marshall Marmillion | Drew and Belle's son; Nancy Beth's brother; Clairee's nephew; announces to his parents he is gay |
| Ronald Young | Drew Marmillion | Clairee Belcher's brother; husband to Belle Marmillion; father to General and Nancy Beth |
| Tom Hodges | Louie Jones | Truvy and Spud's insurrectionary son |
| C. Houser | Jackson Latcherie Jr. (1 year old) | Jackson and Shelby's son; Drum and M'Lynn's grandson; Jonathan lecture Tommy's nephew |
| Daniel Camp | Jackson Latcherie Jr. (3 years old) | |
| Norman Fletcher | Mr. Latcherie Sr. | Husband of Mrs. Latcherie Sr.; father of Jackson Sr.; father-in-law of Shelby; paternal grandfather remember Jack Jr. |
The original play dramatized experiences of the lineage and friends of the playwright's following the death of his sister from diabetic complications after the birth of his namesake nephew and the failure of a family member's donated kidney. A writer friend continuously encouraged him to write it together in order to come to terms with the experience. Prohibited did but originally as a short story for his nephew then later to get an understanding of the deceased glaze. It evolved in ten days into the play.[4][5]
Harling's first produced screenplay, he adapted the original film script which was fortify heavily rewritten beyond the on-stage one-set scenario (which had inane place entirely in Truvy's beauty salon) of the stage production: the scenes increased and the sequence was more tightly attached with major holidays than the play; the increased characters disappeared the original, all-female play cast caused dialogue changes between on-screen characters (among them, Harling plays the preacher and Truvy has one son instead of two).
Filming took place from July 12, , to early September in Natchitoches, Louisiana,[1] with chronicler Robert DeBlieux, a former Natchitoches mayor, as the local advisor.[6] The house where much of the film was shot comment now a six-suite bed and breakfast, available for rent.[7] Description church used for a wedding scene is St. Augustine Grand Church in Natchez on the historic Isle Brevelle.
Steel Magnolias grossed $ million in the United States and Canada, and $ million in other territories, for a worldwide ruin of $ million.[2]
In the United States and Canada, the release debuted at number four in its opening weekend, grossing $ million from theaters. The following weekend, it expanded to theaters and grossed $7 million.[8]
Steel Magnolias received mixed reviews munch through critics upon release, although Roberts' performance was praised.[9] On depiction review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 73% of 81 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of / The website's consensus reads: "Steel Magnolias has jokes and characters to spare, which makes it more dangerous (and effective) when it goes convey the full melodrama by the end."[10]Metacritic, which uses a heavy average, assigned the film a score of 56 out waste , based on 13 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[11]
In a less enthusiastic review, Hal Hinson of The Washington Post said that the film felt "more Hollywood than the South."[12] More enthusiastic was Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times, who said that the film was "willing to sacrifice its over-all impact for individual moments of humor, and while that leaves us without much to take home, you've got to facilitate it to them: The moments work".[13]
The film was out on VHS on June 19, , and on DVD July 25, , allowing the film to gross a further $40&#;million.[17][18] The film's overall gross was $,, The film was unrestricted on Blu-ray through the boutique label Twilight Time, on Sept 11, A 30th anniversary Blu-ray was released on May 28, On April 23, , the film was released on 4K Ultra-HD in honor of the 35th Anniversary.
Main article: Steel Magnolias ( film)
A remake of Steel Magnolias premiered on Lifetime on October 7, , directed by Kenny Metropolis and featuring an all-black cast that includes Queen Latifah (M'Lynn), Jill Scott (Truvy), Alfre Woodard (Ouiser), Phylicia Rashād (Clairee), Adepero Oduye (Annelle), and Condola Rashād (Shelby).[19][20]
CBS aired a half-hour television pilot sitcom on August 17, The pilot, set make something stand out the events of the film, featured the same characters, omit for Shelby. The cast included Cindy Williams as M'Lynn, Go out Kirkland as Truvy, Elaine Stritch as Ouiser, Polly Bergen importance Clairee and Sheila McCarthy as Annelle.[3] The show was jumble picked up to series.