Steel Magnolias

1989

Action / Comedy / Drama / Romance

22
Rotten Tomatoes Critics - Rotten 89% · 82 reviews
Rotten Tomatoes Audience - Upright 89% · 100K ratings
IMDb Rating 7.3/10 10 67989 68K

strong woman southern usa beauty female friendship based on play or musical mourning

Plot summary

A young beautician, newly arrived in a small Louisiana town, finds work at the local salon, where a small group of women share a close bond of friendship and welcome her into the fold.

Director

Herbert Ross Photo
Herbert Ross

Top cast

Julia Roberts Photo
Julia Roberts as Shelby Eatenton Latcherie
Sally Field Photo
Sally Field as M'Lynn Eatenton
Olympia Dukakis Photo
Olympia Dukakis as Clairee Belcher
Ann Wedgeworth Photo
Ann Wedgeworth as Aunt Fern
720p.BluRay 1080p.BluRay
1.06 GB
1280*694
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
1 hr 58 min
Seeds 11
2.18 GB
1920*1040
English 5.1
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
1 hr 58 min
Seeds 36

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by Groverdox 7 / 10

Ouiser

"Steel Magnolias" is a movie I believe I've known about my entire life. It was released about the time I became cognizant of such things, at age four or five. I think I can remember my mum talking about it, along with "Fried Green Tomatoes", which I'm also about to watch.The title, indeed, is unforgettable. And intriguing. The movie makes no reference to it, nor explanation. I have seen online that some people have argued it means the characters in the movie are "as delicate as magnolias, but as tough as steel". If that's true it's a fitting title.What's more indelible, though, and what I'll know I'll remember, is Shirley MacLaine's performance as "Ouiser" - and who could forget that name. She's like the engine that powers the whole movie. The other actresses all play off her.The movie has a bunch of other great actresses in it, though, and there's not really a weak link. Even the smaller male roles are played by great performers like Sam Shepard, Tom Skerrit, Dylan McDermott, Kevin J. O'Connor.I wasn't sure if I was going to keep on with this movie at first. It seemed like it might be one of those flicks where the acting is great, but it's like the movie keeps you at a distance. It shows a totally believable world with some colourful characters but you're not sure where you fit in as a viewer.I'm glad I didn't quit on it. I found the throughline eventually, which is Julia Roberts' character. I kind of knew where the movie was headed (no spoilers) because I read the movie's tagline, and it was pretty predictable. Perhaps, for that, the twist didn't have the emotional impact it should have had.You know what? I'm going to revisit this movie later. I think it might be the kind of thing that improves on second viewing.
Reviewed by gftbiloxi 8 / 10

Flawed But Extremely Entertaining Mixture of Comedy and Drama

An extremely episodic story of several smalltown southern women whose social lives revolve around meetings in the local beauty parlor, STEEL MAGNOLIAS' script and performances are dogged by an aura of artificiality--but it scarcely matters, for the film is a tremendous amount of fun.Some of the performances are more successful than others, with Shirley MacLaine, Olympia Dukakis, Julia Roberts, and Darryl Hannah coming out on top (I am greatly surprised that so many other reviewers dislike Hannah's performance, which seems to me considerably less artificial than many others--but perhaps since I'm actually Southern I have a different perspective). Sally Fields and Dolly Parton are less successful, but not in any sense that actually distracts from the fun. Perhaps most surprising in a film which focuses on women are the brief but impressive performances from the male supporting cast, which includes effective performances by Tom Skerrit, Sam Shepherd, and Dylan McDermott, and which serve to ground the film with a sense of the broader community in which the women live.The script abounds in zinging one-liners ("If you can't say something nice, come sit by me!") and often hilarious situations (imagine Olympia Dukakis surrounded by naked men in the highschool football team's locker room); it also contains some very touching segments sure to choke up all but the most heartless viewer. And although the story is extremely manipulative and rather predictable, those factors don't actually get in the way of its effectiveness. While probably not a "great film" by any serious standard, it is tremendously good-natured, well-intended, and extremely entertaining, and most people will find that it lingers pleasantly in mind and holds up well under repeated viewings.Gary F. Taylor, aka GFT, Amazon Reviewer
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