Fried Green Tomatoes
Reviews
Filipe Manuel Neto
**An unfairly forgotten film, quite emotional, that women will find very good and men may or may not like, depending on their tolerance for films with a greater sentimental charge.** Director Jon Avnet brings us a good film that reminds us of the value of good friendships and self-love. Intelligently directing his crew and cast, he managed to make a discreet, unpretentious but very enjoyable film that easily wins over the audience. Still, it's bland and tepid, and perhaps that's precisely why it ended up as forgotten as it is. One of the strongest points is clearly the cast, headed by two solid and talented actresses: Kathy Bates and Jessica Tandy. None of them are big names within the film industry, nor do they draw crowds to a “multiplex” simply by appearing on a poster. However, they are very experienced, knowledgeable about this art of acting and capable of credibly interpreting their characters. For me, it's Tandy's best film, even deserved her an Oscar nomination. In addition to the skill of the two protagonists, it is fair to mention the contributions of Mary Stuart Masterson and Mary Louise Parker. Unfortunately, the male cast is very subdued which, combined with the melodramatic tone, makes the film more interesting for a female audience. Set in Alabama, the story deals with the friendship between two women: they both feel alone, one of whom lives in a nursing home and doesn't talk to many people and the other is trapped in a dead marriage and has lost her self-esteem. The film discusses friendship, racism, violence, the connection to our roots, and there are many friendly and likeable characters. In fact, the emotional charge sometimes seems excessive. I don't see this as a problem, but a feature that will please some more than others. For me, it didn't take away any interest I might have had, but I'll understand if men say they feel a little queasy with so much mushiness. What bothered me most about the film was the length and the way it took a while to get interesting: on the one hand, I found it difficult to get interested in the first half hour and, on the other hand, I felt that it was a little stretched out in running time. With such strong bets on the script and cast, the film did not need to invest too heavily in effects or technical aspects. All he had to do was be careful not to make mistakes and to do things well, and that's precisely what was done: from the cinematography to the costumes, through the visual and sound effects, the soundtrack or the choice of filming locations and scenarios, the film stands out for its effectiveness and elegance, but without being too daring, remaining in familiar and comfortable terrain where it manages to do well what needs to be done.
CinemaSerf
"Evelyn" (Kathy Bates) and her husband "Ed" (Gailard Sartain) are going through the motions in their marriage. They've long stopped making any effort for each other and she is a bit fed up. It's when she is visiting a friend at an old folk's home that she encounters the frail but spritely "Ninny" (Jessica Tandy) and they get chatting. The older lady starts to regale her with stories of her younger wife in rural Alabama and of her sister-in-law "Idgie" (Mary Stuart Masterson). Over the next couple of weeks and months "Evelyn" becomes addicted to hearing the stories, as do we, of racial and sexual inequality, iniquity and joy as this small subsistence community slowly and sometimes brutally evolves. The effects of this retrospective are quite profound on the younger lady who starts to feel empowered by what she's hearing. Her confidence grows - even if her insurance premiums start to go up - and she begins to take steps to improve her domestic situation. The photography and the engagingly crafted script illustrate quite powerfully and affectionately the struggles of just about everyone in a 1920s where racism and bigotry were never far away; the KKK travelled thrived unfettered and any sort of inter-racial relationship was downright dangerous. There are also strong contributions from Mary-Louise Parker as the upstanding, preacher's daughter, "Ruth" and from Stan Shaw as "Big George" as the thrust of inspiration in the face of adversity is transferred onto life in the 1990s. Tandy and Bates prove the perfect pairing as they mix the good and the bad, the happy and the sad and a fair degree of good old fashioned common sense and stoicism to create rounded and plausible characters, a degree of nostalgia and loads of mischief. It is slightly rose-tinted, but it's still well worth a look see an ensemble cast at it's best.
Movie Recommendation
Such a Resounding Silence2024-11-24Through this documentary, Emmanuelle Béart aims to uncover the truth about incest. The actress, accompanied by director Anastasia Mikova, breaks her silence and confronts her reality with that of others, shedding light on a taboo subject.More...
Love Comes Softly2003-04-13Nineteen year old pioneer woman Marty has recently married. She goes west with her husband Clem, hoping to start a new life. But Clem unexpectedly dies, and Marty finds herself alone, two months pregnant. Widower Clark offers her a marriage of convenience: she needs food and money, and he needs someone to take care of his daughter Missie. She accepts his proposal as a temporary solution.More...
East Is East1999-05-14In 1971 Salford fish-and-chip shop owner George Khan expects his family to follow his strict Pakistani Muslim ways. But his children, with an English mother and having been born and brought up in Britain, increasingly see themselves as British and start to reject their father's rules on dress, food, religion, and living in general.More...
Places in the Heart1984-09-11In 1935 rural Texas, recently widowed Edna Spaulding struggles to survive with two small children, a farm to run, and very little money in the bank - not to mention a deadly tornado and the unwelcome presence of the Ku Klux Klan. Edna is aided by her beautician sister, Margaret; a blind boarder, Mr. Will; and a would-be thief, Moze, who decides to teach Edna how to plant and harvest cotton.More...
City of God: 10 Years Later2013-10-05City of God – 10 Years Later investigates what happened to the actors who took part in the award-winning film directed by Fernando Meirelles and Katia Lund. This documentary shows what City of God’s worldwide success meant to their lives. Were the actors prepared for the film’s success? Did the social background of some of them prove stronger than the opportunity that came their way?More...
The Clan of the Cave Bear1986-01-17Natural changes have the clans moving. Iza, medicine woman of the "Clan of the Cave Bear" finds little Ayla from the "others"' clan - tradition would have the clan kill Ayla immediately, but Iza insists on keeping her. When the little one finds a most needed new cave, she's allowed to stay - and thrive.More...
Breaker Morant1980-06-11During the Boer War, three Australian lieutenants are on trial for shooting Boer prisoners. Though they acted under orders, they are being used as scapegoats by the General Staff, who hopes to distance themselves from the irregular practices of the war. The trial does not progress as smoothly as expected by the General Staff, as the defence puts up a strong fight in the courtroom.More...
Parents in Progress2019-08-29Simona is a single mother in her early ‘40s who is wholly devoted to her son, Filippo. To get over her insecurities as a parent and make her son happy on his eighth birthday, she decides to throw him a birthday party in their small flat and invite over his school friends and their parents. For Simona, this birthday is about to pose quite the surprising dilemma between allowing her son to embrace his true self and a mother’s fierce desire to protect her child from their potentially cruel surroundings. This is the last conundrum she was expecting to have to face on a day that is already rife with anxiety.More...
Emma2017-09-08Teo has a good job, a fiancee, a lover, no intention to assume any responsibility in his life. Meeting Emma, a blind woman, will upset his convictions.More...
Season of Love2019-11-21A queer lady holiday movie that follows the lives of three very different couples in dealing with their love lives in various loosely interrelated tales all set right before Christmas through New Years.More...
Powaqqatsi1988-04-29An exploration of technologically developing nations and the effect the transition to Western-style modernization has had on them.More...
Tiger Boy2012-06-16Matteo, a nine years old kid, builds a mask identical to the one of his hero: a wrestler of a roman suburb called The Tiger. Once the mask is on, Matteo never wants to take it off. What simply appears as a tantrum is in reality a call for help that nobody seems to hear.More...
The Cave of the Golden Rose1991-12-22After a queen's tragic death, the king abandons his newborn daughter in a cave, but a witch saves her. Years later, the tomboy princess must confront and ultimately falls in love with the enemy king.More...
The Thirty Nine Steps1978-11-04The year is 1914 and Richard Hannay, Mining Engineer who is visiting Britain for a short time before returning to South Africa, is shocked when one of his neighbours, Colonel Scudder, bursts into his rooms one night and tells him a story that Prussian 'sleeper' agents are planning to pre-start World War I by murdering a visiting foreign minister. However, Scudder is murdered and Hannay is framed for the death by the 'sleepers'. Fleeing to Scotland Hannay attempts to clear his name and to stop the agents with the aid of Alex Mackenzie but not only is he is chased by Chief Supt Lomas for Scudder's death but by the agents who are headed by Appleton who has managed to hide himself in a high-placed position in the British Government...More...
Four Nights with Anna2008-07-17Leon falls in love with a nurse and obsessively tries to get close to her.More...
On My Way2013-05-16Deneuve plays sassy grandmother Bettie who takes to the road after being betrayed by her lover and learning her business is on the verge of bankruptcy on the same day. During a weeklong odyssey across France, she spends time with a grandson she hardly knows and reconnects with her past as former Miss Brittany through a reunion for former beauty queens.More...
The Zombie Diaries2006-10-29In the early part of the 21st Century, an unknown virus began spreading among the populous. Within weeks it had engulfed the entire planet, from the smallest communities to the greatest cities. Upon the death of its host, the virus would reanimate the corpse until it was no longer able to support itself. Soon the planet was infested with a new threat - the undead. So begins our journey into the dystopian world of the zombie diaries.More...
The Rose1979-11-07Rock-and-roll singer Mary Rose Foster's romantic relationships and mental health are continuously imperilled by the demands of life on the road.More...
Water Lilies by Monet2018-11-26A journey through the masterpieces and obsessions of the Genius of the Impressionism, down the River Seine, from Le Havre to Paris and then up the river towards Argenteuil, Poissy, Vétheuil, Giverny – ending in Paris. A tour of the Museums displaying Monet's masterpieces: the Orangerie Museum, the Marmottan Museum, the Orsay Museum, ending in Monet's house and gardens at Giverny.More...
Missing You2016-03-10A girl who lost her father to a serial killer, a detective and a killer are intertwined in a chaotic relationship and are met with an unprecedented series of events.More...
Similar Movies
Grand Canary
1934-07-20Based on an AJ Cronin novel, a disgraced doctor exiled to the Canary Islands, meets and falls in love with a married woman.The Tin Drum
1979-05-02Oskar Matzerath is a very unusual boy. Refusing to leave the womb until promised a tin drum by his mother, Agnes, Oskar is reluctant to enter a world he sees as filled with hypocrisy and injustice, and vows on his third birthday to never grow up. Miraculously, he gets his wish. As the Nazis rise to power in Danzig, Oskar wills himself to remain a child, beating his tin drum incessantly and screaming in protest at the chaos surrounding him.Ben-Hur
1959-11-18In 25 AD, Judah Ben-Hur, a Jew in ancient Judea, opposes the occupying Roman empire. Falsely accused by a Roman childhood friend-turned-overlord of trying to kill the Roman governor, he is put into slavery and his mother and sister are taken away as prisoners.Contact
1997-07-11A radio astronomer receives the first extraterrestrial radio signal ever picked up on Earth. As the world powers scramble to decipher the message and decide upon a course of action, she must make some difficult decisions between her beliefs, the truth, and reality.The Bridges of Madiso...
1995-06-02Photographer Robert Kincaid wanders into the life of housewife Francesca Johnson for four days in the 1960s.Manhattan
1979-04-25Manhattan explores how the life of a middle-aged television writer dating a teenage girl is further complicated when he falls in love with his best friend's mistress.A Streetcar Named Des...
1951-09-19A disturbed, aging Southern belle moves in with her sister for solace — but being face-to-face with her brutish brother-in-law accelerates her downward spiral.Finding Forrester
2000-12-21Gus Van Sant tells the story of a young African American man named Jamal who confronts his talents while living on the streets of the Bronx. He accidentally runs into an old writer named Forrester who discovers his passion for writing. With help from his new mentor Jamal receives a scholarship to a private school.Together
2000-08-25Elisabeth leaves her abusive and drunken husband Rolf, and goes to live with her brother, Göran. The year is 1975 and Göran lives in a commune called Together. Living in this leftist commune Elisabeth learns that the world can be viewed from different perspectives.Murder She Said
1961-09-26Miss Marple believes she's seen a murder in a passing-by train, yet when the police find no evidence she decides to investigate it on her own.Murder at the Gallop
1963-06-24Miss Marple and Mr. Stringer are witnesses to the death by heart attack of elderly, rich Mr. Enderby. Yet they have their doubts about what happened. The police don't believe them, thus leading Miss Marple to yet again investigate by herself.Murder Most Foul
1964-03-01A murderer is brought to court and only Miss Marple is unconvinced of his innocence. Once again she begins her own investigation.GoodFellas
1990-09-12The true story of Henry Hill, a half-Irish, half-Sicilian Brooklyn kid who is adopted by neighbourhood gangsters at an early age and climbs the ranks of a Mafia family under the guidance of Jimmy Conway.Gone with the Wind
1939-12-15The spoiled daughter of a Georgia plantation owner conducts a tumultuous romance with a cynical profiteer during the American Civil War and Reconstruction Era.Forrest Gump
1994-06-23A man with a low IQ has accomplished great things in his life and been present during significant historic events—in each case, far exceeding what anyone imagined he could do. But despite all he has achieved, his one true love eludes him.A Story of the Forest...
1980-07-23Mavka, a water nymph, loves Lukash, a country youth. Their brief happiness ends when Lukash is forced to marry the shrewish Kilina. The Spirit of the Forest turns Lukash into a wolf as punishment for his infidelity. The strength of Mavka's love breaks the spell, but Kilina curses the nymph, transforming her into a weeping willow. This beautiful and tragic story is based on a play written in 1912 by Lesya Ukrainka, a Ukrainian poet, writer and political, civil and female activist, and includes mythological characters taken from Ukrainian folklore.Dynamit
1973-12-17The drama of a man driven to crime by the mechanism of violence in an American prison. It is an indictment of American justice and the barbarically cruel methods of prison staff. Based on Jack London's novel "The Star Rover".Uncontrolled Love 2
2016-08-20Xie Yan realizes his love for Shu Nian, but Shu Nian hides his feelings. After Shu Nian is fired by Xie Yan's father, their relationship faces more turmoil.Beaches
2017-01-21Follows the serendipitous meeting of two young girls on the Venice Boardwalk, who, though worlds apart in lifestyle, embark on unexpected and lifelong friendship. CC is an aspiring singer trying to make it in Los Angeles. Hillary is the daughter of a prominent civil rights lawyer who struggles to find her own destiny. Their friendship—even with its ups and downs—sustains them for decades.Hilmanpäivät
1954-10-08The everyday life of the small village is mixed when a fire breaks out the night after the party. The cooperative manager and fire manager alerts the young judge Heiki to the extinguishing work, but due to the confusion, extinguishing the fire turns out to be more complicated than expected.