Steel Magnolias” by Herbert Ross

Tristar Pictures released a 30th Anniversary edition of “Steel Magnolias” in May 2019
Credit: Tristar Pictures

Directed by Herbert Ross, “Steel Magnolias” is the all-star 1989 dramedy based on the play by Robert Harling. Starring Dolly Parton, Sally Field, Julia Roberts, Shirley MacLaine, Olympia Dukakis, and Daryl Hannah, this ensemble film presents a slice-of-life in a small Louisiana town that centers on the women’s friendships, in particular the relationship between M’Lynn Eatenton (Sally Field) and her daughter Shelby (Julia Roberts) over the course of 2-3 years.

“Steel Magnolias” begins on the day of Shelby’s wedding to a handsome young lawyer named Jackson. Prior to the event, all of the women congregate at Truvy (Dolly Parton)’s hair salon to prepare for the event. The segment establishes all of the women’s relationships to each other, including Ouiser (Shirley MacLaine)’s friendly rivalry with Clairee (Olympia Dukakis). The women are trading gossip when Shelby, who has type 1 diabetes, has a hypoglycemic attack. M’Lynn treats this immediately with some orange juice, which normalizes her blood sugar. 

The wedding is a beautiful, small town Southern affair (and very 80s). M’Lynn warns Jackson that Shelby shouldn’t have kids, and Annelle meets bartender Sammy DeSoto with whom she develops a relationship throughout the course of the movie. 

Truvy Jones (Dolly Parton) and Clairee Belcher (Olympia Dukakis) at the wedding. (Photo credit: TCM)

Fast-forward to the Christmas season, and Shelby announces that she’s pregnant. Everyone is thrilled for her except for M’Lynn, who reminds her that the doctor said she shouldn’t get pregnant.  Truvy, the good-natured voice of reason among the group, encourages M’lynn to focus on the blessing of a new baby. 

After she gives birth to Jack Jr., Shelby experiences kidney failure as a result of her diabetes and requires dialysis. With her condition going downhill, M’Lynn donates one of her kidneys to Shelby as a way to ease her suffering. Despite their efforts, months later, Jackson comes home to find an unconscious Shelby on the porch. 

Rushed to the hospital, Shelby is then declared comatose having contracted an infection in her central nervous system. Once doctors determine that her condition is irreversible, the family decides to remove her from life support. 

After Shelby’s funeral, M’lynn cries in anger over her daughter’s fatal decision to become a mother while the other women comfort her.  The now-pregnant Annelle tells M’lynn that she wants to name her child Shelby (since Shelby is the reason how and why she met Sammy). 

A few months later, at the town’s Easter Egg Hunt, Clairee tells Jack Jr. a scary story that results in him slapping Ouiser. Annelle goes into labor, and the film ends as she’s rushed off to the hospital. 

“Steel Magnolias” offers a comforting, cinematic experience to anyone who’s grieving. Not only does it portray a unique time and place (the late 80s in a Southern town), but it offers up fresh rounds of sass. Because its six female characters are so well-drawn, the film would probably bring the most comfort to a female audience.

You can watch the trailer for the original “Steel Magnolias” below.