Fried Green Tomatoes (film)
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| Fried Green Tomatoes | |
|---|---|
 Movie poster |
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| Directed by | Jon Avnet |
| Produced by | Jon Avnet |
| Written by | Fannie Flagg Carol Sobieski |
| Starring | Kathy Bates Mary Stuart Masterson Mary-Louise Parker Jessica Tandy |
| Music by | Jo Jo Hailey K-Ci Hailey Thomas Newman |
| Cinematography | Geoffrey Simpson |
| Editing by | Debra Neil-Fisher |
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
| Release date(s) | December 27, 1991 |
| Running time | 136 min. |
| Country |  United States |
| Language | English |
| All Movie Guide profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
Fried Green Tomatoes is a 1991 drama film based on the novel Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg. It was released in the UK under the novel's full title.
The film was directed by Jon Avnet and written by Fannie Flagg and Carol Sobieski. It stars Kathy Bates, Jessica Tandy, Mary-Louise Parker and Mary Stuart Masterson. It received a PG-13 rating from the MPAA.
Contents |
[edit] Plot
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Evelyn Couch (Kathy Bates) meets an elderly woman named Ninny Threadgoode (Jessica Tandy) in a nursing home waiting room. Ninny tells her the story of the now-abandoned town of Whistle Stop, Alabama, and the people that lived there - specifically the tale of the relationship between Idgie Threadgoode and Ruth Jamison, the two women that ran the Whistle Stop Cafe. As the story of Idgie and Ruth (and a missing person) develops, Evelyn Couch finds herself being empowered by the stories of the strong-willed Idgie and the fiercely loyal and independent Ruth. She also finds a true best friend in Ninny.
[edit] Differences between the film and novel
The film version heavily obscured the lesbian romance between the two central characters, so much so that it went right past persons who had not read the book, and made it appear that Idgie and Ruth were merely best friends. The DVD edition of the film has an audio commentary with the director acknowledging this and pointing out that a scene between the two women engaging in a food fight was intended to be seen as symbolic love-making.
The character Artis O. Peavey, who was a favorite of many in the novel, did not merit an appearance. Additionally, in the novel every important character has his or her own backstory, but many of these were eliminated in the film version.
The novel portrays Idgie and Ninny as two separate women. However, the end of the film version hints that Ninny may be the same person as Idgie.
In the novel, Evelyn tries, unsuccessfully, to lose weight on her own several times and, eventually, resorts to going to a weight loss spa. In the film, Evelyn is able to control her dietary habits and maintain a regular exercise regiment on her own
In the novel, Ninny passes away while Evelyn is visiting a weight loss spa. However, in the film, Ninny leaves the nursing home and ends up going to live with Evelyn and Ed in their home.
The novel's version of Evelyn is somewhat darker than her film portrayal. In the novel, Evelyn is extremely depressed over her weight and how her life has turned to the point of considering suicide. While her unhappiness with her marriage and weight are stated in the film, the degree of seriousness is much lighter than in the novel.
The passage of time in the novel and the film is portrayed differently. In the novel, the events of the story are stretched and explored just after the ending of World War I up to the late 1980's. In the film, most of the story takes place between 1919 and the late 1930's.
In the novel, Idgie and Big George are placed on trial for the murder of Frank Bennett years after Ruth has passed away. In the film, the trial takes place less than a year before Ruth's death in which she testifies on Idgie's behalf.
[edit] Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Kathy Bates | Evelyn Couch |
| Mary Stuart Masterson | Idgie Threadgoode |
| Mary-Louise Parker | Ruth Jamison |
| Jessica Tandy | Ninny Threadgoode |
| Cicely Tyson | Sipsey |
| Chris O'Donnell | Buddy Threadgoode |
| Stan Shaw | Big George |
| Gailard Sartain | Ed Couch |
| Timothy Scott | Smokey Lonesome (as Tim Scott) |
| Gary Basaraba | Grady Kilgore |
| Lois Smith | Mama Threadgoode |
| Jo Harvey Allen | Women's Awareness Teacher |
| Macon McCalman | Prosecutor |
| Richard Riehle | Reverend Scroggins |
| Raynor Scheine | Curtis Smoote |
| Grace Zabriskie | Eva Bates |
| Reid Binion | Young Julian |
[edit] Box office
The film grossed a total of $82,418,501 in the United States alone, and took in $37,000,000 outside the U.S., bringing the total to $119,418,501 worldwide [1].
[edit] Awards
The movie was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Jessica Tandy) and for Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium (Fannie Flagg and Carol Sobieski).
[edit] The Café
The "Whistle Stop Café" is loosely based on a real-life restaurant, the Irondale Café in Irondale, Alabama. The restaurant is still very much in operation and somewhat of a local tourist attraction, thanks to the novel and movie. It is famous for its fried green tomatoes, and is located adjacent to the main line of the Norfolk Southern Railroad (formerly Southern Railway) and very near one of the line's large classification yards. Irondale is a suburb of Birmingham, Alabama, Flagg's birthplace. After the film became a hit, the set used as the Whistle Stop Café, in Juliette, Georgia, was converted into a real restaurant, and is still a tourist attraction.
