Saw Steel Magnolias tonight

Once you’ve seen the movie, trying to watch the play it’s based on is a tough task. Although the accents were all over the place, it definitely captured the feeling of what it’s like to live in a small town in the south. The fact that they filmed it in the town where the true story took place added immeasurably to the authenticity. So many great one liners in that film, particularly by Ouiser and Clairee.

The movie is better than the play. However, the movie almost feels stereotypical in that they didn’t know how to end a story, so they had someone die. In the play it’s pretty evident all along that she’s fighting a losing battle and you know what the outcome will be.

This movie came out right when I needed it to. We’d just moved to Alabama from NELA in 88. I was in need of some Louisiana love for a couple of years and this movie filled that role.

The director did an amazing job of filling every scene with Louisiana. There doesn’t seem to be any wasted opportunities.

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Ouiser and Clairee

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They were the best.

One of my favorite movie quotes comes from Ouiser, when she was looking at the cut-up armadillo cake:

"That looks like an autopsy."

The way she says is dead-panned cracks me up.

literally have seen this movie over 50 times starting when I was 8 in 1988. Wife grew up watching it as well so introduced our daughter to it and she loves it as well.

Wife and I make little quotes to each other at least once a week depending on situations. "Nothing dirty now" I will yell when they are picking out a movie to watch, or wife will say about me "oh, the poet laureate of dogwood lane" when someone tells her I said something should be done a certain way. Tons of other examples but we quote that movie all the time.

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in that they didn’t know how to end a story, so they had someone die. In

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'Steel Magnolias' was based on a true story Actor and writer Robert Harling wrote the play based on the true story of his sister, Susan Harling Robinson, who died from complications with diabetes.

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I’m familiar with the backstory. I’ve seen the play. I was making an observation based on the movie as an individual dramatic work.

I’ve also made the observation that a movie focused on death ends with some pretty in your face symbolism. It ends with a birth, in the spring, on Easter. I think they were trying to imply that the cycle of life continues.

My aunt’s pediatric nurse in Shreveport was the Shelby girl when giving birth to my cousin in 1980.

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So many great one liners in that film, particularly by Ouiser and Clairee.

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Ouiser and Drum had some good exchanges as well.

Ouiser: "I'm at the end of my rope with you."

Drum: "Good. Tie it in a noose and slip it over your head."


Cracks me up every time.

I've seen it a hundred times, great movie, and until this thread, I thought her name was Weezer.

Is it Cajun french? It's very unique.