Steel Magnolias

Steel Magnolias is a 1989 American comedy drama film directed by Herbert Ross and starring Sally Field, Dolly Parton, Shirley MacLaine, Daryl Hannah, Olympia Dukakis, and Julia Roberts. The screenplay by Robert Harling is based on his 1987 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 death of one of their own. The supporting cast features Tom 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 1985 of complications from type 1 diabetes. In the film, Roberts plays Shelby, the character based on Susan.<ref name="Locker">Template:Cite magazine</ref>

The film was released on November 15, 1989, and received mixed reviews from critics, who praised the humor and performances but criticized its portrayal of the South. Roberts, Field and MacLaine earned nominations for their performances; Roberts (who won Best Supporting Actress) and Field at the 47th Golden Globe Awards and MacLaine at the 44th British Academy Film Awards. At the 62nd Academy Awards, Roberts earned a nomination for Best Supporting Actress (her career-first nomination)

Plot

Annelle Dupuy, a shy beauty school graduate, moves to Chinquapin Parish in northwestern Louisiana, where Truvy Jones hires her to work in her home-based beauty salon.

Meanwhile, M'Lynn Eatenton and her daughter, Shelby, busily prepare for Shelby's wedding that is being held later that day. M'Lynn's high-spirited husband, Drum Eatenton, fires a gun loaded with blanks to drive birds out of the trees so they do not interfere with Shelby's reception. Along with Clairee Belcher, the former mayor's cheerful widow, they arrive at 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 to Shelby's medical condition, her doctor advises against her having children. Shelby considered ending her engagement to her fiancé, Jackson, so he would not be deprived of children.

Grouchy and sarcastic Louisa "Ouiser" Boudreaux arrives at the salon and immediately begins interrogating Annelle about her background. Annelle tearfully reveals that her husband, who is evading the police, has disappeared after stealing her money, belongings, and car. Annelle further admits she is unsure her marriage is legal. Shelby, sympathetic, invites Annelle to the wedding reception, where she meets bartender Sammy DeSoto.

At 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. Shelby attempts to set Ouiser up with Owen Jenkins, an old flame, then at a holiday party, announces she is pregnant. Everyone is 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. Clariee relates how her brother has become estranged from her nephew after he came out as gay and Ouiser is seeing Owen, but insists that they are only friends. Annelle has become a fundamentalist Christian, much to the consternation of her new boyfriend. Shelby and M'Lynn, to the horror of the other ladies, relate how the stress of pregnancy has caused Shelby's kidneys to shut down and she is now on dialysis. M'Lynn will be donating a kidney to her daughter the next day.

Shelby recovers from the transplant, but four months later, Jackson arrives home to find her unconscious. Shelby is comatose, having contracted an infection in her central nervous system due to the suppressive therapy that keeps her body from rejecting the kidney. After doctors determine Shelby's condition is irreversible, the family jointly decide to remove her from life support, with Jackson signing the papers to consent. Shortly after Shelby's death, M'Lynn leaves the hospital and goes to Jackson's aunt Fern's house to pick up her grandson.

After the funeral, M'Lynn breaks down in tears, and the other women comfort her and each other.

M'Lynn gradually accepts her daughter's decision to have risked her life in return for a few special years of motherhood and decides to focus her energy on helping Jackson with raising her grandson. Annelle, who married Sammy and is now pregnant, tells M'Lynn she wants to name her own baby after Shelby, even if the baby turns out to be a boy, as she was the reason Annelle and Sammy met. M'Lynn approves, stating, "Life goes on."

At the town's Easter egg hunt, Annelle goes into labor and is rushed to the hospital by Truvy and her husband Spud in their truck, followed by Sammy in an Easter Bunny costume and Truvy and Spud's son Louie on Louie's motorcycle.

Cast

Actor	Character	Description
Sally Field	Mary Lynn "M'Lynn" Eatenton	Social worker; wife to Drum; mother to Shelby, Tommy and Jonathan; Jackson's mother-in-law; Jackson Jr.'s maternal 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; town grouch; Drum's nemesis
Daryl Hannah	Annelle Dupuy-DeSoto	Newcomer to town; apprentice beautician hired by Truvy Jones; first married to Bunkie Dupuy; later marries Sammy DeSoto
Olympia Dukakis	Clairee Belcher	Former town first lady; sister to Drew Marmillion; sister-in-law to Belle Marmillion; aunt to Marshall and Nancy Beth Marmillion; best friend and confidant of Ouiser Boudreaux; friend of the Eatentons and Joneses
Julia Roberts	Shelby Eatenton-Latcherie	Eldest child and only daughter of Drum and M'Lynn; sister to Tommy and Jonathan; marries Jackson and gives birth to Jackson Jr.; suffers from type 1 diabetes
Tom Skerritt	Drum Eatenton	Husband of M'Lynn; father to Shelby, Tommy and Jonathan; 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; Jackson Jr.'s father; Drum and M'Lynn's son-in-law and Tommy and Jonathan's brother-in-law
Kevin J. O'Connor	Sammy DeSoto	Annelle's eventual husband, who met her at Shelby and Jackson's wedding reception
Bill McCutcheon	Owen Jenkins	Ouiser's former boyfriend who recently returned to town
Ann Wedgeworth	Fern Thornton	Jackson's aunt; her specialty is baking animal-shaped cakes
Knowl Johnson	Tommy Eatenton	Drum and M'Lynn's first-born son and middle child; Shelby and Jonathan's brother; Jackson's brother-in-law; Jackson 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; Jackson 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 Marshall and Nancy Beth
Tom Hodges	Louie Jones	Truvy and Spud's rebellious son
C. Houser	Jackson Latcherie Jr. (1 year old)	Jackson and Shelby's son; Drum and M'Lynn's grandson; Tommy and Jonathan'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 of Jackson Jr.

Background

The original play dramatized experiences of the family and friends of the playwright following the 1985 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 down in order to come to terms with the experience. He did but originally as a short story for his nephew then later to get an understanding of the deceased mother. It evolved in ten days into the play.<ref>People Archives: Vol. 29, No. 3 (January 25, 1988), "Robert Harling, Author of a Hit Comedy Based on a Family Tragedy" by Kim Hubbard.</ref><ref>"What's Up, Robert Harling? Reflections on the 25th Anniversary of Steel Magnolias, Kristin Chenoweth in a Soapdish Musical & More". Interviews by Kathy Henderson November 28, 2012</ref>

Production

Harling's first produced screenplay, he adapted the original film script which was then heavily rewritten beyond the on-stage one-set scenario (which had taken place entirely in Truvy's beauty salon) of the stage production: the scenes increased and the sequence was more tightly linked with major holidays than the play; the increased characters beyond 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).

Meg Ryan was initially cast as Shelby, but dropped out to make When Harry Met Sally; she was replaced by Julia Roberts.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Filming took place from July 12, 1988, to early September 1988 in Natchitoches, Louisiana,<ref name="afi"/> with historian Robert DeBlieux, a former Natchitoches mayor, as the local advisor.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The house where much of the film was shot became a six-suite bed and breakfast, available for rent.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The church used for a wedding scene is St. Augustine Catholic Church in Natchez on the historic Isle Brevelle.

Reception

Box office

Steel Magnolias grossed $84.6 million in the United States and Canada, and $12.1 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $96.8 million.<ref name="mojo"/>

In the United States and Canada, the film debuted at number four in its opening weekend, grossing $5.4 million from 480 theaters. The following weekend, it expanded to 720 theaters and grossed $7 million.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Critical response

Steel Magnolias received mixed reviews from critics upon release, although Roberts's performance was praised.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Template:Rotten Tomatoes prose<ref>Template:Cite Rotten Tomatoes</ref> Template:Metacritic film prose

In a negative review, Hal Hinson of The Washington Post said that the film felt "more Hollywood than the South."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 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 hand it to them: The moments work".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Accolades

Award	Year	Category	Recipient	Result
Academy Awards	1989	Best Supporting Actress	Julia Roberts	Template:Nom<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Golden Globe Awards	1989	Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture		Template:Won<ref name="Steele Magnolias Golden Globes">Template:Cite web</ref>
		Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama	Sally Field	Template:Nom<ref name="Steele Magnolias Golden Globes"/>
British Academy Film Awards	1991	Best Actress in a Supporting Role	Shirley MacLaine	Template:Nom<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Chicago Film Critics Association Awards	1990	Best Supporting Actress		Template:Nom
American Comedy Awards	1990	Funniest Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture		Template:Nom
	1990	Funniest Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture	Olympia Dukakis	Template:Nom
People's Choice Awards	1990	Favorite Dramatic Motion Picture	Steel Magnolias	Template:WonTemplate:Efn

Home media

The film was released on VHS on June 19, 1990, and on DVD July 25, 2000, allowing the film to gross a further $40 million.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The film's overall gross was $135,904,091. The film was released on Blu-ray through the boutique label Twilight Time, on September 11, 2012. A 30th anniversary Blu-ray was released on May 28, 2019. On April 23, 2024, the film was released on 4K Ultra-HD in honor of the 35th Anniversary.

Other versions

Lifetime remake

Template:Main A remake of Steel Magnolias premiered on Lifetime on October 7, 2012, directed by Kenny Leon 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 Rashad (Shelby).<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Television pilot

CBS aired a half-hour television pilot sitcom on August 17, 1990. The pilot, set after the events of the film, featured the same characters, except for Shelby. The cast included Cindy Williams as M'Lynn, Sally Kirkland as Truvy, Elaine Stritch as Ouiser, Polly Bergen as Clairee and Sheila McCarthy as Annelle.<ref name="Locker"/> The show was not picked up to series.

See also

• List of films featuring diabetes
• Isle Brevelle

External links

• Template:IMDb title
• Template:Mojo title
• Template:Rotten Tomatoes
• Template:AFI film
• Template:TCMDb title
• Diabetes in the Movies
• Steel Magonila house; the house used in the film