Review of Steel Magnolias (2012) by Harry W — 13 Jan 2015

With a strong collection of actresses headlining the film, Steel Magnolias sounded like an interesting ensemble piece.

The main reason most people would see Steel Magnolias would be on the basis of its large cast. The only thing is that because there are so many characters in the film whom are key in relevance to the narrative, it is hard for the film to really focus on any of them with much depth. Because of this, Steel Magnolias falls less into the category of being a well structured story and more into a cinematic gimmick of being a film which maintains an array of well-known and talented actresses more than anything else. The story in Steel Magnolias was a really unfocused one which made it a difficult one to get a grasp of. I couldn't exactly tell who were the most interesting characters because it was less about the script and more about the performances, yet good acting alone can not carry a film of this calibre. There are some powerful moments in the film which have characters interacting on a serious dramatic level, but so much of the film has characters just coming and going without much consistency or talking about anything deep. This becomes more prevalent after the first hour gets cleared because from there the story gets intriguing and begins to grasp some edgy subject matter. But still, the issues pertaining to focus on characters remain for the majority of the film.

Steel Magnolias is not without its charm, but there are too many characters and an insufficient plot to carry them all. The main focus of the story relates to the marriage and pregnancy of Shelby Eatenton-Latcherie. She seems to be the character at the heart of the story, but the film focuses on both her and various characters around her as they deal with their own subplots as well as her situation. But since the script doesn't seem to have much good to do with them, they end up seeming like little more than a distraction. I just couldn't wrap my head around why Steel Magnolias had so many characters but used so little of them, particularly when the cast was such a talented collection of actresses. The subject matter in the film is touching and the characters in the film are likable enough to reach out to audiences, but I just didn't feel it. I feel as if the themes in the film are more likely to appeal to female viewers due to themes of sisterhood friendships and pregnancy, and that is understandable. But the fact is that there was not enough supporting that for the film to really reach me. I just got lost in the surplus of characters and lack of plot consistency to the point that I ended up lost in my attempts to keep track of it all. I wasn't overwhelmed by the film, more I was underwhelmed by its inability to do much. The story maintained with edgy subject matter in many plot dynamics, but it couldn't take a lot of its material in many directions. We gather that the events are saddening and affect the lives of the many characters in an unhappy fashion, but considering the nature of what the film deals with that is to be expected. There are smart concepts in the film, but they are used as little more than a gimmick which are not explored any better than most of the characters are. While some of them are interesting, most of them seem to be there solely for the sake of having famous actresses there and little more. I've never seen a theatrical production of the play that Steel Magnolias is based on, but it would make a lot more sense on stage than screen because when so many big names get together only to headline a film where they take on such arbitrary roles, it can be very misleading. I guess the problem is that I expected a bit much from Steel Magnolias considering the talent assembled, as well as the fact that it had been so well received. But it just didn't get me. For a play to be turned into an ensemble film with many well known names yet have so many of them play arbitrary roles in the story is just unsatisfying.

But I will admit that the cast make a nice effort.

Julia Roberts stands out in Steel Magnolias. In her first of several Academy Award nominated performances, Julia Roberts stands out among such a largely popular cast and delivers a breakthrough performance. As her character is the heart of the story, she has a lot of responsibility carried on her shoulders. Without question, she rises to the challenge and delivers a performance which is just incredible. She carries all the stress of the character without forgetting to put a sense of charm into the part which means the approaches the material at just the right angle to find a balance between taking things lightly and dleaing with the drama in the most legitimate sense. Julia Roberts is excellent in Steel Magnolias.

And Sally Field also delivers a firm part. Like many of the other characters, her part in the film is all over the place with the relevance coming and going. But that doesn't stop her from delivering a strong performance which is likable and sympathetic. There is one moment towards the end of the film where she delivers an extremely powerful soliloquy which illuminates a lot of what the drama in the film has spent building towards in its own subtle way, and her line delivery in this scene is very powerful without seeming anything beyond natural. Sally Field is a great addition to Steel Magnolias.

Daryl Hannah, Olympia Dukakis, Shirley MacLaine and Dolly Parton all do their part as well in capturing naturally likable personas.

So Steel Magnolias has as strong cast led by Julia Roberts and Sally Field in strong performances, but the lack of focus in the film and its inability to explore enough subject matter with sufficient depth renders it a film which fails to capitalize on its misleading gimmicks.