“Laughter through tears is my favorite emotion” might just sum up this whole movie.
Why did I watch Steel Magnolias so often as a young teen? Did I just love all of the humor and appreciate a good cry, even in my earlier years? The film is based on a play by Robert Harling, who adapted it for the screen (and would later go on to pen the screenplay for another gem – First Wives Club). As an adult, I’ve come to appreciate how it’s a movie that depicts the bonds of female friendship in a beautiful way.
And can we talk about the cast? I mean: Dolly Parton, Sally Field, Olympia Dukakis, Shirley MacLaine, Daryl Hannah and Julia Roberts. This is not to discount the men in this movie — Tom Skerritt, Dylan McDermott, Sam Shepard and Kevin J. O’Connor in particular — who are all excellent. But when it comes to the performances of the women, Steel Magnolias is a symphony of emotional range, talent, and comedic timing. Suffice to say, I know I’m not alone in loving this film. It was all I could do not to quote the entire movie here, but I do hope I managed to include some of your favorites…
