Steel Magnolias
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Steel Magnolias is a 1987 off-Broadway play, which was later made into a successful movie in 1989. It was originally released by Tri-Star Pictures. It is a comedy-drama about a group of southern women in northwest Louisiana. The film scored an Academy Award nomination for Julia Roberts, her first.
The movie begins just before Shelby's (Julia Roberts) wedding to Jackson (Dylan McDermott). The movie takes place mainly in Truvy's Beauty Parlor. It covers events over the next several years, including Shelby's decision to have a son despite being diabetic and the consequences that resulted from the decision.
The movie goes into the friendship of the women who regularly gather at Truvy's Beauty Parlor: the unlikely friendship between Clairee and Ouiser; Annelle's transformations from a shy, anxious young woman, to a partying woman, then to a religious fundamentalist; and Truvy's relationships with her son and husband (or lack thereof). Although the main storyline involves Shelby, her mother, and Shelby's battle with juvenile-onset diabetes, the underlying group friendship is prominent throughout the film.
Starring Dolly Parton (Truvy Jones), Olympia Dukakis (Clairee Belcher), Shirley MacLaine (Ouiser Boudreaux), Sally Field (M'Lynn Eatenton),Julia Roberts (Shelby Eatenton) and Daryl Hannah,Julia Roberts herself was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
The screenplay was based on the first stage play written by Robert Harling based on the death of his sister. Harling also wrote the screenplay for the movie version as well as that of The First Wives Club feature film.
At the wedding reception, a red velvet cake made in the shape of an armadillo was served as the groom's cake, becoming a part of popular culture
The movie was filmed in Natchitoches, Louisiana, and was released in the United States on November 15 1989. It would go on to gross more than US$83.7 million there.
The Stage Play
The stage play, written by Robert Harling, is still popular today, shown in many theatres across the United States. The stage play follows the same storyline, but the story is told almost exclusively through dialogue between the six lead characters during their visits to Truvy's salon. The original 1987 stage production featured Margo Martindale as Truvy, Constance Shulman as Annelle, Kate Wilkinson as Clairee, Mary Fogarty as Ouiser, Blanche Baker as Shelby, and Rosemary Prinz as M'Lynn. In the stage version, the male characters are only referred to off-stage.
A new version of the play was produced in the Spring of 2004 with the play making its Broadway debut. Previews of the new production began March 15, 2004 and officially opened on April 4. The cast included Delta Burke as Truvy, Christine Ebersole as M'Lynn, Rebecca Gayheart as Shelby, Marsha Mason as Ouiser, Lily Rabe as Annelle and Frances Sternhagen as Clairee. At the close of its run, the staging had played 23 previews and 136 regular performances. A touring production of Steel Magnolias is expected for the 2007-08 season. Many regional theaters also perform the play each year.