Welcome to another edition of Adam's Reviews!!
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Hapy New Year Everyone!!
Let's start off with a bang to the new year and chat about a classic flick Steel Magnolias (1989) heartwarming and poignant comedy-drama that delves into the lives of a group of Southern women who tight-knitted who frequent at a local beauty salon in a small town in Louisiana. The film beautifully captures the enduring strength and camaraderie among its characters, played by a stellar ensemble including Sally Field, Dolly Parton, Olympia Dukakis, Shirley MacLaine, Julia Roberts and Daryl Hannah. The movie is based on the 1987 play of the same name by Robert Harling who doing a quick search up, is based on his sister's life. The film's story skilfully weaves together moments of humour, love and sorrow as the women support each other through life's challenges. The film's emotional depth is heightened by its exploration of themes such as friendship, family and resilience. Massive shout out to the actors, from Sally Field and Julia Roberts deliver standout performances as a devoted mother and a daughter who just wants the greatest gift on earth. The relationship between mothers and daughters is a central theme, particularly in the context of Field's character M'Lynn and Robert's character as the daughter Shelby. The film explores the challenges and joys of motherhood, highlighting the sacrifices and deep love that define these relationships. This leads to other themes which the actors portray their characters' brilliantly that you as the movie goer acknowledge the transient nature of life and the inevitability of change. It confronts the characters with moments of joy and sorrow, underscoring the importance of cherishing the time spent with loved ones. Other stand outs include Olympia Dukakis and Shirley MacLaine who both brought comedic relief. Dukakis brought a delightful charm to the role, infusing her character Clairee with a blend of sophistication and genuine affection for her friends. Her comedic timing and delivery of witty lines added light-heartedness to the film. MacLaine's performance was memorable for its authenticity and depth. She captured Ouiser's complexity, balancing the character's rough exterior with moments of vulnerability and humanity . The combination of Dukakis's warmth and humour and MacLaine's sharpness and vulnerability made their characters integral to the film's success and their dynamic was the highlight of the film to me. The whole ensemble deal with serious issues they face in their lives by incorporating humour as a coping mechanism. The characters use wit and humour to navigate through challenging situations, which helps to balance out the emotional weight of the story. The memorable performances, engaging script and the exploration of themes such as friendship, love and loss contribute to the enduring appeal of Steel Magnolias. My only issue of the film is at the end, after a massive emotional depth from the hospital to the funeral and Field's acting was so raw, the notion of one must go on as life goes on along with the Easter Bunny and egg hunting threw me off. The ending felt like the film didn't fully delve into the emotional complexity of dealing with loss. The idea that life must go on can sometimes be interpreted as a glossing over of the grieving process, just like Field's character who seemed to move on forward relatively quickly after a significant loss. Overall 7.5/10.
**queue intro music**
Hapy New Year Everyone!!
Let's start off with a bang to the new year and chat about a classic flick Steel Magnolias (1989) heartwarming and poignant comedy-drama that delves into the lives of a group of Southern women who tight-knitted who frequent at a local beauty salon in a small town in Louisiana. The film beautifully captures the enduring strength and camaraderie among its characters, played by a stellar ensemble including Sally Field, Dolly Parton, Olympia Dukakis, Shirley MacLaine, Julia Roberts and Daryl Hannah. The movie is based on the 1987 play of the same name by Robert Harling who doing a quick search up, is based on his sister's life. The film's story skilfully weaves together moments of humour, love and sorrow as the women support each other through life's challenges. The film's emotional depth is heightened by its exploration of themes such as friendship, family and resilience. Massive shout out to the actors, from Sally Field and Julia Roberts deliver standout performances as a devoted mother and a daughter who just wants the greatest gift on earth. The relationship between mothers and daughters is a central theme, particularly in the context of Field's character M'Lynn and Robert's character as the daughter Shelby. The film explores the challenges and joys of motherhood, highlighting the sacrifices and deep love that define these relationships. This leads to other themes which the actors portray their characters' brilliantly that you as the movie goer acknowledge the transient nature of life and the inevitability of change. It confronts the characters with moments of joy and sorrow, underscoring the importance of cherishing the time spent with loved ones. Other stand outs include Olympia Dukakis and Shirley MacLaine who both brought comedic relief. Dukakis brought a delightful charm to the role, infusing her character Clairee with a blend of sophistication and genuine affection for her friends. Her comedic timing and delivery of witty lines added light-heartedness to the film. MacLaine's performance was memorable for its authenticity and depth. She captured Ouiser's complexity, balancing the character's rough exterior with moments of vulnerability and humanity . The combination of Dukakis's warmth and humour and MacLaine's sharpness and vulnerability made their characters integral to the film's success and their dynamic was the highlight of the film to me. The whole ensemble deal with serious issues they face in their lives by incorporating humour as a coping mechanism. The characters use wit and humour to navigate through challenging situations, which helps to balance out the emotional weight of the story. The memorable performances, engaging script and the exploration of themes such as friendship, love and loss contribute to the enduring appeal of Steel Magnolias. My only issue of the film is at the end, after a massive emotional depth from the hospital to the funeral and Field's acting was so raw, the notion of one must go on as life goes on along with the Easter Bunny and egg hunting threw me off. The ending felt like the film didn't fully delve into the emotional complexity of dealing with loss. The idea that life must go on can sometimes be interpreted as a glossing over of the grieving process, just like Field's character who seemed to move on forward relatively quickly after a significant loss. Overall 7.5/10.