Why did I watch Steel Magnolias so often as a young teen? Did I just love all of the humor and appreciate a good cry, even in my earlier years? The film is based on a play by Robert Harling, who adapted it for the screen (and would later go on to pen the screenplay for another gem - First Wives Club). As an adult, I've come to appreciate how it's a movie that depicts the bonds of female friendship in a beautiful way.
And can we talk about the cast? I mean: Dolly Parton, Sally Field, Olympia Dukakis, Shirley MacLaine, Daryl Hannah and Julia Roberts. This is not to discount the men in this movie — Tom Skerritt, Dylan McDermott, Sam Shepard and Kevin J. O’Connor in particular — who are all excellent. But when it comes to the performances of the women, Steel Magnolias is a symphony of emotional range, talent, and comedic timing. Suffice to say, I know I'm not alone in loving this film. It was all I could do not to quote the entire movie here, but I do hope I managed to include some of your favorites…
“There’s so much static electricity in this room, I pick up everything but boys and money.”
Truvy (Dolly Parton) charms from the moment she first appears. And we get to see her politely brushing off Annelle's nervousness (and the little fuzzies on her shirt after getting her hair done) by blaming the static electricity.
“Hi Miss Ouiser.” Shelby's brothers, “Ugh, leave me alone.” Ouiser
Shelby’s brothers Tommy (Knowl Johnson) and Jonathan (Jonathan Ward) seem amused when Ouiser (Shirley MacLaine) comes storming through the house, chasing Drum into the backyard. They offer her as polite a greeting as I imagine they’re capable of, and she responds as honestly as she’s capable of.
“You can’t screw up her hair. You just tease it and make it look like a brown football helmet” Shelby
Shelby (Julia Roberts) eases Annelle's nervousness about doing M'Lynn's hair by explaining the simplicity of making her mother’s hair look like… well, a brown football helmet.
“Oh, I used to have one. But I slammed it against the wall when I couldn’t figure out where the batteries went. Of course, I know now that I was suffering from pre-menstrual syndrome.” Truvy
When Shelby suggests a radio for the beauty parlor as a way of giving people a reason not to have to talk so much, Truvy reveals what actually happened to the one she once had.
“Her colors are pink and pink.” M’Lynn, “My colors are blush and bashful, Momma.” Shelby
The level of pink involved in Shelby’s wedding aesthetic is not going to be for everyone, but Shelby is clearly happy with the look. In fact, when M’Lynn tries to reduce the wedding colors to “pink and pink,” Shelby insists they be referred to by their proper names - blush and bashful.
“Well, any good shoe, I wear a size 6, but a 7 feels so good, I buy a size 8.” Truvy, “They’re 8 1/2.” Clairee, “Perfect” “Truvy”
As a kid, I thought this comment might make more sense to me when I was older, because why would she want shoes that were two-and-a-half sizes too big? Now, I think it's that she’s secretly an 8 1/2 but likes to say she’s a 6? Whether that's correct, I still think this is an adorable Truvy moment. Side-note: I’m also still wondering why they ever thought it was a good idea to stack that many trays of eggs in the trunk of a car…
“Drum would never, ever point a gun at a lady.” M’Lynn, “He’s a real gentleman. I bet he takes the dishes out of the sink before he pees in it.” Ouiser
M’Lynn (Sally Field) is doing her best to downplay her husband’s behavior, but Ouiser’s not having it. Never mind that there are blanks in the gun Drum’s shooting at the Magnolia tree to scare off the birds, I’m siding with Ouiser on this whole debacle. There has to be a better way to deal with the situation (and no, fireworks are not the answer). I feel bad for the poor dog.
"Don't try to get on my good side, Truvy, I no longer have one." Ouiser
Not even Truvy’s charm can penetrate Ouiser’s grumpy nature. Any attempts to break through to a good side will be met with a reveal that she no longer has one.
“I can’t talk about it.” Annelle, “Of course you can!” Truvy and Clairee at the same time
While the other women were polite enough not to pry into Annelle’s mysterious past upon meeting her, Ouiser immediately begins questioning the young woman about her background. What’s hilarious here is the way the other women quickly close in once they see that Ouiser’s getting some information. And then there’s Truvy and Clairee’s (Olympia Dukakis) friendly and perfectly synced “of course you can!” the moment Annelle tries to deflect by saying that she can’t talk about it.
“I really don’t think things could get any worse.” Annelle, “Of course they can.” Ouiser
If you want warmth and compassion, your best bet is probably Truvy. If you want brutal honestly, Ouiser’s your woman. Though I’m not sure if saying things can get worse is brutal honesty or just plain pessimism. I guess it depends on how optimistic a person you are… or how bad you've seen things get.
“Her mother and I do!” Drum
Drum (Tom Skerritt) proved he wasn’t the kind of man to give up on a challenge, which is how he ended up unable to hear much by the time the wedding ceremony began. After using fireworks to scare the birds out of the magnolia tree, Drum was left temporarily unable to hear anything quieter than a shout. He had one part during the wedding ceremony after walking his daughter down the aisle, which was to give his daughter away. And he did. Loudly.
“Well, I haven’t left the house without lycra on these thighs since I was fourteen.” Truvy, “You were brought up right.” Clairee
Truvy and Clairee are not above gossip, ever. While watching a woman cut loose on the dance floor without what they deem to be an appropriate level of support beneath her pricy dress, Truvy shares this tidbit with Clairee, who approves of her friend’s upbringing.
“The older you get, the sillier you get.” Clairee, “The older you get, the uglier you get.” Ouiser
As harsh as this quote might seem on paper, it’s actually one of the sweeter moments between Clairee and Ouiser. Never mind that Ouiser lives nearby, she doesn’t feel comfortable walking home by herself. Or maybe she just wants a bit more time with her friend. Either way, she and Clairee give each other a hard time as they leave the wedding together.
“Oh no! Nobody move, nobody movie, my contact!” Annelle
Annelie’s personal story seems to really be about journeying into womanhood, and figuring out who she is and what she wants for herself. This moment comes amidst one of those glimpses of how she's changing, as she animatedly talks about all of the stuff she’s been up to when her contact lens pops out, causing a major halt in the carnival fun.
“You are special, Shelby. There are limits to what you can do.” M’Lynn
Not all of the quotes here are the happy kind. It’s easy to see how much M’Lynn cares about her family, and I imagine there’s nothing she wouldn’t do to protect her daughter. So when Shelby, who has diabetes, reveals that she’s pregnant (though her doctors had warned her that she shouldn’t have children due to her health), M’Lynn is unable to celebrate this news due to how worried she is. It’s a heartbreaking scene, and not the only one in this movie.
“I’m not crazy, M’Lynn, I’ve just been in a very bad mood for forty years.” Ouiser
Ouiser’s perpetually grumpy, so it’s easy to imagine that her friends are used to her moodiness. Still, M’Lynn does offer her friend information on counseling, which Ouiser refuses. She’s just in a bad mood and has been for a few decades. Maybe talking it out with someone wouldn't be the worst thing?
“Well, as somebody always said, if you can’t say anything nice about anybody, come sit by me.” Clairee
There’s little Clairee seems to enjoy more than good gossip, even when she’s the one sharing it. We see that on display at a Christmas party, when Clairee and Truvy sit together for a chat.
“Nothing pleases Shelby more than proving me wrong.” M’Lynn
M’Lynn is too worried about Shelby’s well-being to be able to celebrate her daughter’s pregnancy. It really isn’t until M’Lynn’s friends surround her with love and support, quite literally, that she allows their optimism to seep in a bit and try to feel the joy in the situation.
“Because I’m an old southern woman, and we’re supposed to wear funny looking hats and ugly clothes and grow vegetables in the dirt. Don’t ask me those questions. I don’t know why. I don’t make the rules.” Ouiser
While there are moments in Steel Magnolias that show us how good and caring Ouiser actually is beneath her rough exterior, most of the time she’s very humorously playing the role she’s cast herself in. That applies here, when she brings her home-grown tomatoes to Truvy’s, and insists that this was just something she has to do as an “old southern woman."
“Drum loves pork and beans. Eats ’em with everything.” Clairee, “That explains a lot.” Ouiser
When M’Lynn prepares to undergo surgery to donate a kidney to Shelby, her friends rally to look after Drum and the boys in her absence. For Clairee, that includes piling numerous cans of pork and beans into her grocery cart. The number of cans is almost as funny as Ouiser’s lack of surprise that Drum eats pork and beans with everything.
“I think we should pray” Annelle, “Oh, I’d rather eat dirt.” Sammy
Annelle and Sammy’s relationship clearly has its ups and downs. We see one of the down moments after Sammy (Kevin J. O’Connor) makes the mistake of leaving beer in Annelle’s Frigidaire. He doubles down during the argument by using the Lord’s name in vain. All Annelle can do in response is pray, but Sammy would rather do anything else.
“Ouiser never did a religious thing in her life.” Clairee, “Now that is not true. When I was in school, a bunch of my friends and I would dress up as nuns and go bar-hopping.” Ouiser
Clairee seems to know Ouiser pretty well, but clearly she wasn’t aware of her friend’s religious past. Or what Ouiser thinks is a religious act, anyway. I’m not sure bar-hopping while dressed as a nun counts.
“I do not see plays because I can nap at home for free. And I don’t see movies because they’re trash, and they got nothing but naked people in them. And I don’t read books ‘cause if they’re any good, they’re gonna make them into a miniseries.” Ouiser
This is one of the many scenes throughout the movie that demonstrates Shirley MacLaine’s perfect line delivery. When Clairee attempts to introduce a bit of culture into their conversation, Ouiser delivers this brief monologue, which is enhanced by the fact that she’s wearing wax strips on her upper-lip as Annelle works on her face.
“I realize, as a woman, how lucky I am. I was there when that wonderful creature drifted into my life, and I was there when she drifted out. It was the most precious moment of my life.” M’Lynn
If I haven’t already cried yet while watching this movie, this is the scene that’ll usually do it. After Shelby’s funeral, we see M’Lynn display pretty much every stage of grief in the span of a monologue with her friends. Amidst this, she recognizes the preciousness of witnessing her daughter’s death after having been there to see her come into the world once upon a time.
“I just want to hit somebody until they feel as bad as I do. I just want to hit something. I want to hit it hard.” M’Lynn, “Here. Hit this. Go ahead, M’Lynn. Slap her!” Clairee
Steel Magnolias is truly one of Sally Field’s best movies, and her performance in this scene is nothing short of magnificent, and also hearth-wrenching. While crying over the loss of her daughter, she finally erupts in anger. And then the tension is obliterated with sweet comic relief as Clairee offers up Ouiser as a thing M’Lynn can hit if it’ll make her feel better. It does the trick in making M’Lynn laugh (though it also leaves Ouiser seething).
“You are evil, and you must be destroyed.” Ouiser
Maybe Clairee really is too twisted for color TV, as Ouiser puts it, but she means well. And when she contritely approachers Ouiser for forgiveness after suggesting M’Lynn hit her to relieve her grief, Ouiser doesn’t let her off the hook right away.
“Laughter through tears is my favorite emotion.”
If there’s one quote that I think sums up the heart of Steel Magnolias, it’s Truvy’s line about laughter through tears. Because that is the emotion of this entire film as far as I’m concerned. There’s so much joy in the movie, but it will also rip your heart out every time.
“I have a strict policy that nobody cry alone in my presence.” Truvy
As a sympathy cryer, I get this one. When Shelby tears up at the beauty parlor, Truvy begs her not to, insisting that she refuses to let anyone cry alone. It’s one of many sweet moments from Truvy, but also one of great emotional moments featuring Shelby, and a demonstration of Julia Roberts’ talent as a dramatic actress. Steel Magnolias is undoubtedly one of Roberts’ best movies, particularly from earlier in her career.
“A dirty mind is a terrible thing to waste.” Ouiser
When her friends are plying her for information about her potential relationship with an old flame, Ouiser attempts to shut down their interrogation with this little quip about a dirty mind. That they’re on their way out of church during the conversation is neither here nor there.
“The only thing that separates us from the animals is our ability to accessorize.” Clairee
Clairee really does have it all figured out. I’m not sure the ability to accessorize is the only thing that separates us from the animals, but it is one thing, right?
“The only reason people are nice to me is because I have more money than God.” Ouiser
It’s one of many amusing moments where Ouiser demonstrates her self-awareness, while also downplaying the things about her that make her lovable. Because ok, some people probably wouldn’t want to be nice to her if not for her money, but her friends clearly love her for who she is.
“Shelby was right. This is a brown football helmet.” M’Lynn
The funny-but-also-devastating moment M'Lynn sees her hair and realizes her daughter's snarky comment about her hair looking like a brown football helmet was right all along.
