Fried Green Tomatoes
| Fried Green Tomatoes | |
|---|---|
 Movie poster | |
| Directed by | Jon Avnet |
| Written by | Fannie Flagg Carol Sobieski |
| Produced by | Jon Avnet |
| Starring | Kathy Bates Mary Stuart Masterson Mary-Louise Parker Jessica Tandy |
| Cinematography | Geoffrey Simpson |
| Edited by | Debra Neil-Fisher |
| Music by | Jo Jo Hailey K-Ci Hailey Thomas Newman |
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
Release dates | December 27 1991 (USA) March 13 1992 (UK) March 26 1992 (Australia) |
Running time | 136 min. |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $80,100,000 (USA) |
Fried Green Tomatoes is a 1991 drama film based on the novel Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg. It was released in the UK under the novel's full title.
The film was directed by Jon Avnet and written by Fannie Flagg and Carol Sobieski. It stars Kathy Bates, Jessica Tandy, Mary-Louise Parker and Mary Stuart Masterson. It received a PG-13 rating from the MPAA.
Cast
- Kathy Bates as Evelyn Couch
- Mary Stuart Masterson as Idgie Threadgoode
- Mary-Louise Parker as Ruth Jamison
- Jessica Tandy as Ninny Threadgoode
- Cicely Tyson as Sipsey
- Chris O'Donnell as Buddy Threadgoode
- Stan Shaw as Big George
- Gailard Sartain as Ed Couch
- Timothy Scott as Smokey Lonesome
- Gary Basaraba as Grady Kilgore
- Lois Smith as Mama Threadgoode
- Danny Nelson as Papa Threadgoode
- Jo Harvey Allen as Women's Awareness Teacher
- Macon McCalman as Prosecutor
- Richard Riehle as Reverend Scroggins
- Raynor Scheine as Curtis Smoot
- Grace Zabriskie as Eva Bates
- Reid Binion as Young Julian
- Nick Searcy as Frank Bennett
Plot summary
Evelyn Couch (Kathy Bates) meets an elderly woman named Ninny Threadgoode (Jessica Tandy) in a nursing home waiting room. Ninny tells her the story of the now-abandoned town of Whistle Stop, Alabama, and the people that lived there - specifically the tale of the relationship between Imogen (Idgie) Threadgoode and Ruth Jamison, the two women who ran the Whistle Stop Cafe. As the story of Idgie and Ruth (and a missing person, Frank Bennett) develops, Evelyn Couch finds herself being empowered by the stories of the strong-willed Idgie and the fiercely loyal and independent Ruth. She also finds a true best friend in Ninny.
Expanded information
The action takes place in Alabama. The heroine, Evelyn Couch, is a housewife. Evelyn is unhappy with her life and her marriage and her husband Ed appears not to be interested in her any more. Their son Cal is grown and is "busy with his own life." She has many problems including needing more confidence in herself. She and Ed are visiting his aunt in a nursing home and in a waiting room, she meets a very pleasant old woman - Ninny Threadgoode.
Ninny tells her stories about the life of two women she knew long ago. The heroines of her story are Idgie Threadgoode and Ruth Jamison, who together ran the Whistle Stop Cafe in Ninny's small Alabama hometown. The main dish served there is fried green tomatoes. From Ninny’s recollections, Evelyn learns that Ruth loved Idgie’s brother Buddy, who lost his life in a railway accident. Then follows the story of the relationship between Ruth and Idgie.
Ruth and Idgie’s story is about their life after Buddy's death. Idgie helps Ruth to become free from her abusive husband, Frank Bennett. These two strong women work together to raise Ruth's son and face the trials of life during and just after the Great Depression.
The recollections of Ninny greatly influence Evelyn. First, she is inspired by the strength of these two independent women, and Evelyn’s life changes for the better. Secondly, she finds a true best friend in Ninny. Evelyn invites Ninny to live with her after Ninny's house in Whistle Stop is demolished.
The ending implies that Ninny is in fact Idgie herself, but other statements during the film do not support this. However, these other statements are Ninny's, so it is possible to take them with a grain of salt.
poop and @$$E$
Reception
Critical reception
Fried Green Tomatoes was generally well received by critics. Film review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a "fresh" score of 82% based on 22 reviews.[1]
Box office
The film grossed a total of $82,418,501 in the United States alone, and took in $37,000,000 outside the U.S., bringing the total to $119,418,501 worldwide.[2]
Awards
The movie was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Jessica Tandy) and for Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium (Fannie Flagg and Carol Sobieski). Several online reviewers, however, feel that Mary Stuart Masterson should have been nominated for Best Actress, for her performance as Idgie.
The Café
The "Whistle Stop Café" is loosely based on a real-life restaurant, the Irondale Café in Irondale, Alabama. The restaurant is still very much in operation, and is something of a local tourist attraction, thanks to the novel and movie. It is famous for its fried green tomatoes, and is located adjacent to the main line of the Norfolk Southern Railroad (formerly Southern Railway) and very near one of the line's large classification yards.
Irondale is a suburb of Birmingham, Alabama, Flagg's birthplace.
After the film became a hit, the set used as the Whistle Stop Café, on location in Juliette, Georgia, was converted into a real restaurant, and is still a tourist attraction.
A second Whistle Stop Café location can now be found on Houston Rd in Macon, Georgia. A third Whistle Stop Cafe can be found in downtown Kennesaw in Georgia.
References
- ^ "Fried Green Tomatoes Movie Reviews". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2008-04-11.
- ^ "Fried Green Tomatoes (1991)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2008-04-05.
