All-Black STEEL MAGNOLIAS Film In The Works — Page 8

For the record, this is the only version that made me cry.

Now...that may be because of the whole extended 'Let's take her off life support' hitting a little too close to home. But, in general, I felt that this version was much less folksy and home-spun. It felt more 'real.' Mostly because of Condola Rashad (really...great performance). But I was surprised by the depth of what Latifah brought. But only a little...I kinda thought she had it in her.

But can someone confirm something for me? Was the budget so completely blown by the casting of the six women that they had to go to the local homeless shelter to cast all the men??? Every man in the movie was TERRIBLE. I mean...'hasn't mastered a working sense of English' TERRIBLE.

I think at LEAST Sam Shepard should have played Spud again.

Yes, for me, tonally, it was somewhat lacking in the joyousness that Harling made the centerpiece. Humor isn't Leon's specialty, and I think the fear that it could turn into slice of Tyler Perry ville made it all a bit reverential. A little more fun, a little less respect wouldn't have hurt. Though it's critical to set up the emotional stakes with the daughter, it's easy to "play the ending," and miss out on the comedy.

But minor reservations. The film did its job, didn't it? I think more people genuinely enjoyed and were moved by it, and will continue to be. It's not faint praise to say it ended up what many expected. Surely that was a goal. Who wants to bet that it has some of the highest ratings in Lifetime history? I think it would've done a smash-up job at the box office.

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Here is why I hate Steel Magnolias.

As I was watching this movie, one of my best friends in the world turned to me during the hospital scenes and said, 'I mean...it's so weird...here's a guy who's only been married to her for a little bit, but he gets to sign off on turning off her life support...but it's the mother who's been there the entire time, taking care of her.'

This friend, mind you, was in the hospital with me every day when I was signing those same forms for the man with whom I spent 8 years of my life. After I got over the initial, 'Are you really F*CKing saying this to me????' I realized that THAT is exactly what this movie wants you to feel. That men cannot handle these moments. That it's women who do all the heavy lifting, and men will just wilt under the pressure.

I've always been bothered by the raising up of women at the expense of men in this property (at least as a film...I don't think it's as obvious on stage). But these days? I find it offensive.

Well, I do think that is what it wants you to think (the stage show, too, since M'Lynn recounts the details of letting Shelby go to the women in the parlor) and yeah, it's a flaw of the work. But I always figured that it must have been how it happened it Robert Harling's life, since the Shelby story is a shrine to his sister.

I think...because there are no men in the stage show, that it generally seems far more palatable. Once you introduce the characters of the men, they kind of need to act the buffoons in order to make the story work.

I felt that the first time I saw the movie...and that one had skilled actors like Skerritt and Shepard and McDermott. But that ragtag collection of hobos and insurance salesmen who were 'acting' in the new one? It made it all the worse.

^ Interesting point. And it speaks to what star casting (or at least 'familiar actor' casting can do). If you have a role that's underwritten, casting a known actor shades the role immediately. Some of the work can be done just through casting because the audience will already have preconceived feelings about the actor. When you cast nobodies (who also aren't particularly skilled) you turn a liability into something almost fatal.

I made it thorough about half an hour, which I think was more than generous.

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