Steel Magnolias (Special Edition)

She and her brother Robert attended the exact same university that I now attend: Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana. She was a member of Phi Mu Kappa Iota Sorority (The second oldest in the nation) and WAS indeed a nurse. For whatever sad reason, Susan decides to have a child ("I would rather have 30 minutes of wonderful than a lifetime of nothing special."... one of her famous last words) even though doctor's warn her against this and she ultimately loses her life. The sad facts of life is that her son Robert will never know his mother. The movie is definitely worth watching and I say this not because of the "famous cast," but because it shows that, hey, life is short and sometimes we make choices that cost us dearly. Susan died a very young woman and left behind a husband, son, mother and family forever bereft of her presence. Her brother said (of the script) that he wrote it in 10 days not long after her death because he was angry that she was dead. He later wanted it so that his nephew would remember his mother.

Wynona Ryder was originally offered the role of Shelby/Susan, but was considered too young. Julia Robert's was a wonderful choice and definitely not someone I would consider "horsey faced." If she is "horsey faced," she makes one d*** good salary being so ugly.

It is unusual for so many famous stars to appear in one film. Julia Roberts is listed after many of the other names, though today she is one of the most popular and highly paid actors in the world. Sally Field plays Julia Roberts' fretful mother, always concerned about her daughter, but a balanced concern. Julia is the marginally rebellious daughter, who thinks her mother fusses too much over her, wanting her mother to let her lead her own life.

Much of the interaction in this movie takes place between Dolly Parton, Olympia Dukakis, Shirley MacLaine, Darryl Hannah and Sally Field. The women gossip, criticize each other and support each other, the kind of love and friendship that seems to exist more often in smaller communities. Dolly Parton is outgoing and friendly, as is Olympia Dukakis. Shirley MacLaine is noisy and complains about everything, figuring that being old and wealthy allows her the right to complain. Darryl Hannah is a very religious frumpy young woman with (gasp!) a past, though her past seems mild to many of us. These women support each other and provide advice, but also an outlet for their wishes and hopes and problems. They also often like to talk about each other, though in a way they try hard to be polite and supportive when they can.

Some of the funniest scenes involve Tom Skerritt as Sally Field's husband Drum. Tom seems to have a way of doing things that provide at least smiles, and a bit of eye rolling on occasion. Tom is funniest when he interacts with Shirley MacLaine. Tom seems to enjoy tormenting Shirley and Shirley enjoys griping back at Tom. While on one level it appears that the two dislike each other, the viewer also must recognize that they could have avoided each other and yet do not, so surely they must get some enjoyment out of the encounters.

The central character throughout the movie is Julia Roberts. We discover early in the movie that she suffers from diabetes, and the effects are often severe. The tension between Julia and Sally Field as Julia's symptoms and problems increase, and the tension with the rest of the women in the movie, increases during the movie, awaiting release. The movie alternates between laughter and pain until near the ending that has its sad moments, but ends relatively happily as the true lesson of the movie is finally revealed.

Stories of real life are often boring or are hard to comprehend because of lack of a common background. This story of real life has enough caricature to be funny enough to keep your attention, while being sufficiently rooted in life to allow you to feel like this life could have been yours, your parents, or your grandparents.

Some of the subject matter in this film makes it unsuitable for young members of the family. (...) However, I think this excellent film should be suitable for older children and all other family members.