Beignets de tomates vertes

I enjoyed this movie immensely. This is one of the best examples of storytelling that I have seen. The structure of the movie - alternating between the past and present, with multiple intertwining plots - keeps the viewer hooked on how the story will unfold. It unfolds gracefully and is enjoyable throughout.

The acting is exceptional. Mary Stuart Masterson and Mary Louise Parker carry the bulk of the acting load. They are fantastic. The relationship between these very different young women is complex and satisfying.

Since the movie is about women and the female roles are so strong, this movie has been dubbed a "chick flick", but that pejorative is unfair. This is good film making and those who like plot-driven cinema will enjoy this immensely. This one is in my DVD collection.

This is one of my top five films of all time. I was somewhat skeptical the first time I saw it because I adored the book and I knew there were some changes, but I found the essence of Fannie Flagg's fabulous novel in tact. This is a story that burrows into your heart and mind and stays there. It is absolutely magical storytelling with a stellar cast and beautifully written characters that never fade from memory.

A time and place in America, filled with the best and the worst of our life and history, is impeccably captured. The flashbacks take us to the time of an Alabama whistle stop town that was a bustling hub when the railroad was the center of all movement. This was the era of hobos and simple pleasures. The scenes from the past become more powerful by the juxtaposition to modern times, where the story begins and returns at intervals.

Kathy Bates plays Evelyn Couch, an unhappy middle-aged housewife who stumbles on Ninny Threadgoode (the superb Jessica Tandy) one day by accident at the nursing home where she is visiting one of her husband's relatives. The two have an instant chemistry and a deep friendship begins. Ninny proceeds to tell Evelyn the story of Idgie and Ruth, two young women who shared an amazing friendship and love 50 years earlier.

This movie has to be experienced, as mere descriptions might sound like another southern-flavored movie about women or a weepy nostalgic tale. It is much more than that, and more than the most glowing review can ever convey. If you are reading this and haven't seen it, please make a point to. The actors are nothing short of magical. All four actresses (Jessica Tandy, Kathy Bates, Mary Stuart Masterson and Mary-Louise Parker) are at the top of their craft.

I will borrow a line from Ninny Threadgoode to describe how I always feel after seeing this film. "I may be sitting here in this nursing home but in my mind I'm over at the Whistle Stop Cafe having a plate of Fried Green Tomatoes".

I may be sitting here finishing this comment but in my mind I'm at the Whistle Stop Cafe. That's how powerful this story is for me.

Sometimes sad and sometimes amusing, "Fried green tomatoes" is the story of the woman's value. A imaginative and touching film about much things... things about life.

The movie talks about of several women that in spite of a hard and sad life caused by the indifference of people who perhaps never had such a big heart as them, they survive thanks to the love and the understanding.

Besides the beautiful plot, the performances of Kathy Bates, Jessica Tandy, Mary Louise Parker and Mary Stuart Masterson are more than special, are unique, exquisite and of course touching.

"Fried Green Tomatoes" is a little of all. So, don't wait just tears, don't wait just laughs, don't wait just an overflow of feelings. This is not only a drama movie. This movie is more than that.

* Excuse me for mistakes in words.

A heartwarming female bonding movie that has all the elements of a good ol' Southern yarn.

It was a good thing that Kathy Bates made this movie so soon after "Misery." She had made such an impression as a psycho in the earlier film that she might have had trouble getting herself out from under the mantle of Annie Wilkes. But she plays a completely different character here, a dowdy, bored housewife who befriends a little old lady forgotten in a retirement home (Jessica Tandy). Tandy begins to tell her the story of a female relative, Idgie Threadgoode, and her deep friendship with Ruth, which is played out in flashback by Mary Stuart Masterson and Mary-Louise Parker. The story is one of those melodramatic, life-affirming ones, but it's acted extremely well by the four women, and the film mostly avoids the treacle that threatens to come pouring in around the edges.

Grade: A-

This is such an awesome movie. I remember watching it as a girl, and when I found it in a clearance bin a few months ago, I jumped on it. I watched it then, and now, having watched it again... Mary Stuart Masterson is AMAZING. Tears fall unwittingly down my cheeks during her performance. I was also enchanted by Mary-Louise Parker, and I always always LOVE Kathy Bates. Jessica Tandy is also her usual fit self, and Cecily Tyson was great ("Shoo! I ain't scared of you!") and I could go on for ages about all of them.

I will admit that this is the Ultimate Chick Flick. That title, however, does not detract from its overall quality. The men are more than just caricatures, and the nostalgia and love of the book made its way into the movie. I have to commend Avnet for his efforts.

And now that I am out of intelligent things to say, THIS MOVIE ROCKS MY SOCKS! It's re-watchability and great everything make this the movie (along with Love and Basketball and my Buffy DVDs) that I take with me to college and suggest we watch at every opportunity.