If I had been told all those years ago that ‘Fried Green Tomatoes’ wasn’t just Hollywood over-hyping a movie, I would have watched it in a heartbeat. I only found out for myself last night when I finally sat down to watch the movie and what a pleasant surprise I was in for!
Not having read the book I didn’t know that the main story was about Ruth Jamison (Mary Louise Parker) and Idgie threadgoode (Mary Louse Masterson). It is told by Ninny Threadgoode, an old lady in a nursing home (Jessica Tandy) to one of her visitors, Evelyn Couch (Kathy Bates). It unfolds slowly and somewhat frustratingly but what’s really beautiful is the energy with which Mary Stuart Masterson attacks her role. And I mean, ATTACKS. She is brave and kind and vengeful and caring – really just the most perfect friend to her dead brother’s ex girlfriend, only not quite... Every so often you realise you’re watching a carefully underplayed lesbian relationship unfold on screen. Underplayed but not denied. It is one of the most beautiful on screen relationships I have seen between two women.
At the end I think the movie tells you to just get on with it. To give your friends and family the best of yourself and hold nothing back, to have no fear and that eventually things take care of themselves. Whatever that means.
Typical Hollywood though – they messed up the ending and Sinhala teledrama-ed the Kathy Bates – Jessica Tandy relationship but other than for that – I would think it one of the nicest feel good movies I’ve watched in a while.
There’s all sorts of love in this world and you’re lucky if you get any of it.
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