Steel Magnolias

The title refers to those seemingly frail Southern belles who survive any and all deprivations through whims of iron. Robert Harling's original stage play was set exclusively in a Louisiana beauty parlor where an all-female cast of characters laughed, cried and compared menfolk. The film expands the ...more

While it never truly escapes its theatrical origins, Robert Harling's tale of a gaggle of loquacious Southern belles manages to succeed as a straightforward entertainment. More sentimental and heavy-handed than it needs to be, the movie nevertheless has a major selling point: it creates full-bodied characters for a talented troupe of A-list actresses, many of whom never get an opportunity to play roles that are as much fun. The film expands on the original six-character outline to include the ...more