Streaming: Peacock (Free)
Warnings:
Racism
Domestic Abuse
Explicit Language
Alcohol Abuse
Rating: PG-13
Fried Green Tomatoes is a comedy-drama film about an unhappy housewife named Evelyn who befriends an old lady named Ninny in a nursing home; Evelyn then becomes enthralled by the tales Ninny tells of people she used to know. The film stars Kathy Bates, Jessica Tandy, Mary Stuart Masterson, Mary-Louise Parker and Cicely Tyson. The film is based on the 1987 novel Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, written by Fannie Flagg. The screenplay is written by Flagg, partially by Carol Sobieski as well as the director Jon Avnet. This film is the directional debut for Jon Avnet, it won the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Film, and the Motion Picture Composer Award from the BMI Awards. It was also nominated for two Oscars at the 64th Academy Awards: Best Supporting Actress (Jessica Tandy) and Best Adapted Screenplay. Fried Green Tomatoes is a wonderful film in particular because of the exceptional acting, however the story is unexpected and at times shocking. The production design is also worth noting, the film bounces between the past and present (1991), which helped the film play out like a novel. Fried Green Tomatoes is a gem that is often forgotten today, but it’s certainly worth a watch and one of my favorites from the early 90s.
The first element of the film that is strong is the story. The writing of the screenplay was a bit of a struggle at first and the film was almost not made in result of multiple writers quitting and giving up. Carol Sobieski is known for the 1982 musical film Annie, so the first draft of Fried Green Tomatoes was written as a musical and Avnet was not happy with it. Fannie Flagg attempted to write the second draft of the film but found that it was incredibly difficult to adapt the novel to a screenplay and gave up on it after 70 pages. Avnet had no more money to spend on another writer, so he took over the script himself and spent 2-3 years developing it. Flagg stayed involved advising the script and ultimately gave her blessing for the final draft. Fried Green Tomatoes has such a strong storyline that is hard to believe that it was so difficult to write, however this shows that hard work certainly pays off.
The acting is of course a huge part of why the film is so successful. With a star cast, the chemistry between actors is amazing and the novel-like approach to the story is captured perfectly. Kathy Bates in particular was really excited to work with British-American actress, Jessica Tandy. Tandy appeared in over 100 stage productions and had more than 60 roles in film and TV. She won Academy Awards, Four Tony Awards, a BAFTA, a Golden Globe, and a Primetime Emmy Award. Fried Green Tomatoes was one of the last films Tandy acted in, she unfortunately passed away in 1994. Another interesting fact about the acting that is noteworthy is that the stunt double for the bee scene quit before they could shoot it, so Mary Stuart Masterson volunteered to do the bee scene herself, at one point she is completely covered in bees. This is an extreme approach but also very fitting because her character is fearless and wild, so the fact that the bee scene is real adds to her character’s authenticity. With that being said, the film is filled with wonderful actors and its one of the best films of the early 90’s with a cast mainly consisting of women.
Last but not least, the production design is a strong aspect of Fried Green Tomatoes especially because the story bounces between two eras. Avnet hired Barbara Ling as the production designer. After scouting for locations, the team settled on a nearly deserted town called Juliette, Georgia. The building chosen for the Whistle Stop Café was actually previously an antique and hardware store and it was redesigned as a café for the film. The café features a “horseshoe” shaped counter which allowed for optimal camera angles when shooting scenes in the café. The Whistle Stop Café is actually based on a real-life Café in Irondale, Alabama which Flagg used to frequently visit. After the film was a huge success, the Whistle Stop Café set was turned into an actual restaurant and its surrounding area into a tourist attraction.
Even though Fried Green Tomatoes is not often referenced or remembered today, the film was incredibly successful and assisted with some careers of the actors and production crew involved. The film was even a hit in the box office, grossing $119.4 million on an $11 million budget. According to the critical consensus on Rotten Tomatoes, “Fried Green Tomatoes’ tear-jerking drama is undeniably manipulative, but in the hands of a skilled cast that includes Jessica Tandy and Kathy Bates, it’s also powerfully effective.” This film takes the audience on an unpredictable journey that is beyond what anyone can imagine. Fried Green Tomatoes was one of my favorite films growing up and I highly recommend it if you are looking for a comedy-drama that is both shocking and heartwarming.