Steel Magnolias premiered in theaters across the U.S. on November 15, 1989. Directed by Herbert Ross and based on Robert Harling’s successful stage play, the film brought together an ensemble cast featuring Sally Field, Olympia Dukakis, Shirley MacLaine, Dolly Parton, Daryl Hannah, and a young Julia Roberts. The movie tells the tale of six Southern women, bound by the shared experiences of life’s joys and sorrows, all while spending time in their local small-town hair salon.
Today, Steel Magnolias is celebrated as a quintessential “chick flick,” a term often associated with movies targeting female audiences. It’s listed as a prominent example on Wikipedia and ranks fourth in a compilation of the “30 Best & Worst Chick Flicks.” The film’s status as a gendered phenomenon has grown so much that men who enjoy it sometimes feel compelled to clarify their masculinity when praising it online.
However, back in 1989, the reception was far more mixed. Some critics admired its emotional depth, while others felt its sentimentality detracted from its impact. Interestingly, a significant portion of the early criticism revolved around the portrayal of male characters in the film.
The Debate Over Male Representation
Critics like Hal Erickson and Hal Lipper expressed disappointment with the male characters, describing them as caricatures and expressing regret that they were included at all. In the original stage play, the male characters existed only offstage, and some critics believed that keeping them unseen would have been more effective. Robert Novak of People magazine even suggested that the male characters were so poorly depicted that they rendered the female characters’ strength cartoonish.
On the other hand, some critics, like Peter Travers of Rolling Stone and Peter Rainer of the Los Angeles Times, pointed out that the film was not meant to focus on male characters. Instead, it was a movie about the strength and solidarity of women. Roger Ebert, a notable fan of the film, acknowledged that the male characters were not significant, but this was a “woman’s picture,” and the true pleasure of the movie lay in the ensemble work of its actresses.
Reflecting on Steel Magnolias Today
In hindsight, it’s fascinating to consider that in 1989, most of the prominent reviews of Steel Magnolias were written by men, even though the film is now seen as a female-centered classic. This gender dynamic has shifted over time, as evidenced by the more balanced reviewer demographics when Lifetime aired an all-African American remake in 2012.
Steel Magnolias remains a beloved film, cherished for its portrayal of female friendships and the strength women derive from one another. Its enduring appeal lies in its moments of humor and the way it captures the essence of Southern womanhood, even if its male characters take a backseat.
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