Steel Magnolias Essay

913 Words2 Pages

Would you rather live a prolonged life of nothing special and extravagant, or would you rather live a shorter life filled with wonder and excitement? The movie Steel Magnolias is centered around this exact question. This comedy and drama film’s setting takes place in the lovely, southern, and fictional town of Chinquapin, Louisiana during the mid 80s. The main characters are played by very talented actresses: Sally Field as M’Lynn Eatenton, Dolly Parton as Truvy Jones, Shirley MacLaine as Ouiser Boudreaux, Daryl Hannah as Annelle Dupuy Desoto, Olympia Dukakis as Clairee Belcher, and Julia Roberts as Shelby Eatenton Latcherie. The plot and acting are the two major aspects that gave this film “legs” and created the powerful theme: live life to …show more content…

The main characters seem so real, in fact at times it almost seems as if you are on set with them, or that you are watching a mirror image of someone you know. Specifically speaking, the six main actresses listed earlier each have their own unique personality which adds such an enjoyable amount of feelings and unique attitudes in the atmosphere. From Ouiser’s grumpy attitude, “I'm not crazy, I've just been in a very bad mood 40 years!” to Truvy’s talkative and ecstatic personality, “There's so much static electricity in this room, I pick up everything but boys and money.” These women exchange dialogue and move in such a way that it makes the movie seem “alive”. However, Julia Roberts as Shelby Eatenton Latcherie and Sally Field as M’Lynn Eatenton really make the theme of this film pop out. Julia Roberts and Sally Field show so much emotion in their acting that you almost believe they are mother and daughter, and that everything Shelby and M’Lynn feel is real. The emotion on Shelby's face and in her voice allow a viewer to really see what it looks like and feels like for a person with such a powerful obstacle in their way to push through and enjoy their life. To sum it up the glorious acting makes the film feel real and alive, and because of Julia Roberts’ and Sally Field’s particularly spectacular performance the film’s powerful and unforgettable theme formulates …show more content…

Robert Harling, screenplay writer, and Herbert Ross, director, should be given special thanks for such a wonderful film. This movie can connect to almost any viewers’ life in some way or another regardless of age, allowing many viewers to have a personal connection to the film’s message and story. This is definitely a film I would rewatch and would highly recommend to any people who have not already witnessed it. This movie completes its purpose very efficiently, and though it doesn’t necessarily have a “Hollywood Ending” you will feel very delighted after previewing it. Overall, I would rank this movie at four and a half stars out of

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