Synopsis:

Just think incredibly BIG HAIR! Steel Magnolias is the story of the wedding of a favorite daughter (Julia Roberts) of a small southern community, and the relationships she fostered from childhood to adulthood. With a cast consisting of Julia Roberts, Sally Field, Dolly Parton, Olympia Dukakis, Shirley Maclaine, Darryl Hannah, Tom Skerrit & Dylan McDermott, you have nothing but an incredibly heartwarming story on hand. Shelby (Roberts) is getting married to the man of her dreams (McDermott). The house is alive with all the confusion a wedding day brings. Skerrit (her father) is busy trying to scare the birds out of the trees by shooting & shooing, the champagne glasses are all broken upon delivery & the groom's cake is a red velvet armadillo with gray icing! All her life, Shelby has been protected by her parents. After all, Diabetes is a disease we all need protection from. As such, she is prone to seizures & attacks should she become too excited or her diet not be maintained. Today, Shelby wants to rule her own life including her right to have a child with her husband. Ordinarily, this is not an unreasonable request. However, given her fragile health, getting pregnant, carrying a baby to term & delivering the child would be a fatal mistake for Shelby to make. Determination & the desire to have a child are things that cannot be set aside especially, if you want the child more than life itself. Shelby will have her way, & no one's life will ever be the same. Definitely a 10-hankie movie!

Audio:

Dolby Surround 2 channel stereo is the platform used for the feature & it does a great job presenting the aural textures of Steel Magnolias. There are no great surround features that would have necessitated the need for a 5.1 platform. The stereo presentation in & of itself is quite full. There were no audio problems such as tinniness or muffled sounds that I could detect. The audio was clear; the dialogue was crisp & clean & very easily understood.

Video:

The image is a widescreen anamorphic transfer that has its share of minor glitches & scratches. However, the overall look of the film is pretty darn good for a movie that's 11 years old. I did find the print to be a bit softer than expected but other than that this is the best Steel Magnolias has ever looked!

Extras:

Columbia Tri-Star did a great job with this special edition! There are 10 deleted scenes that didn't add anything to the feature but arte good to have on the disc anyway. A director's commentary that has its origins in the segment –Remembering Steel Magnolias. Herbert Ross did a great job setting up the scenes & the impetus for the film however; the featurette really was far more engaging than the commentary track. The featurette was incredible! I had no idea that this was based on a true story-in a way. Robert Harling discussed openly the influence that his sister's life & subsequent death had on him. Essentially, Steel Magnolias was his way of immortalizing her for not only himself but for all of us as well! It also had an interview with Shirley Maclaine wherein; she gave her introspections on the cast & crew during filming & postproduction. Easily, the best part of the disc. Lastly, two trailers are included-both for Julia Roberts'( My best friends' Wedding & Stepmom) films, static talent files & production notes round out the discs features.

Overall:

Without a doubt, this is one of my most loved films. Every one of the film's stars transcends themselves & becomes the character they are playing. So much so that, you are totally engrossed in the storytelling. The phrase, I laughed, I cried, it became a part of me, really embodies the entire Steel Magnolias experience. Highly recommended