(Columns contain opinion and those opinions are of the author)
Ladies in curlers, chain smoking and drinking Tab under metallic and plastic hairdryers, became a part of my earliest memories.
In fact, for a number of years, my mother owned a beauty shop in our front yard called Baxley’s Beauty Boutique in Barnwell, South Carolina. The shop was not huge and, before being remodeled, was once a one-bedroom and one-bath mini-bungalow.
Therefore, it comes to no surprise that she, my mother and owner of the beauty shop, Marleen Baxley, loved a film which centered on the fictional, tiny Truvy’s Beauty Spot in Natchitoches, Louisiana. My mom said she watched the film, “Steel Magnolias,” on VHS with her late sisters not long before they both passed away from cancer.
I remember those difficult years and tried to be there for her as much as I could during them.
Given that the film became part of some of her last memories of her sisters and given its subject matter, she said, “I cannot watch that anymore without crying every time.”
Robert Harling wrote the movie script based upon his play. He first wrote the stage version because of grieving the loss of his sister, so, in my opinion, this adds to its poignancy of the play and the film. Harling certainly excels at pathos.
Speaking of mothers, a belated Mother’s Day present could be to take Mom to the showing of “Steel Magnolias” next Sunday, May 18 at 2 p.m. at the Miller Theater. Keep it mind that it is what my Mom is fond of calling a “tear-jerker.” Some fellows may label it with the pejorative “chick flick.” But, unlike some Hallmark romcoms or Lifetime films, it does have a much broader appeal with its tragi-comic aspects and universal themes.
Also, movie-goers will see that Truvy (played to Southern perfection by Dolly Parton) and her friends love to gossip in and around her beauty shop (and elsewhere), and some of that gossip and that content is quite hilarious.
For example, according to IMDB.com, Clairee, the most senior of the group and former first lady of the town, says, “I’ve just been to the dedication of the new children’s park.”
Truvy replies, “Yeah, how did that go?”
Clairee (played by the witty Olympia Dukakis), says, “Janice Van Meter got hit with a baseball. (smirking) It was fabulous.”
Truvy asks, “Was she hurt?”
Clairee says, “I doubt it. She got hit in the head.”
Ouch! -Stadium mic drop! -Now that really hurt more ways than one!
And more exposition is provided when Truvy explains to those listening that Clairee (again… a former town first lady) hates the woman because she is the new mayor’s wife.
In contrast, my mother had a “No gossip” rule in her beauty shop – particularly against malicious gossip. But that does not mean that she and others did not share quite a few stories from the little town of Barnwell. Those stories were never exaggerated. Oh, no! Never!
Another difference is my Mom mostly waited on older ladies, but she did occasionally have younger ones. Truvy admits in the film that M’Lynn’s daughter, Shelby, does bring a more youthful element to her shop. Shelby is engaged to be married, the wedding is going to be soon, and this makes the older ladies all aflutter with excitement about the wedding.
Truvy asks Shelby what her colors are at the wedding.
Shelby, played in a gushing yet realistic way by Julia Roberts, says her colors are “blush” and “bashful”.
Her mother M’Lynn, played by Sally Fields going from temporary levity to stark seriousness at times answered with humor this time that her daughter’s colors are “pink” and “pink.” And she giggles a little and says, “How precious is this weddin’ gonna get, I ask you?”
At some point, M’Lynn even says the church sanctuary is so decked out in pink that it looks like it is covered in Pepto Bismol.
In a different exchange, Shelby picks at her mother and says her hairstyle is like a brown football helmet. The mild picking and the retorts do tend to fly around the beauty shop.
Shelby at some point says that pink is her “signature color” and has earlier complained that even a fingernail polish is not the right kind of pink. She appears to be a bit of a diva or even bride-zilla at first.
Yet Shelby ends up bringing so much more to the shop than the rest expect. And the trials she goes through bring the women together. My mom can certainly relate to that as the ladies in her shop often shared their trials and tribulations to receive kind words and prayers. And she went through so many trials with her family members.
By the way, being age 14 when the film came out, I did not see it and had not seen the play when put on by regional community theaters. But I grew to like “Steel Magnolias” on satellite television toward the end of high school. I could relate to the scamps who were Shelby’s younger brothers, being a younger brother to a sister myself and related to some of their mischief. In a recent viewing, the exasperation of their father and his extremes to get things done for the wedding so that he can be left alone remind me a little of my late father. In fact, those who are fantasy geeks like me, may have a window into interest in this film beyond its universals. They may see the younger brothers’ antics (and those of their father) comparable to those of Merry Brandybuck and Pippin Took in “The Lord of the Rings”. And, yes, one set of antics does involve fireworks (but the fireworks are used in a different way than in the fantasy film.)
I also liked the witty remarks the ladies made about each other and some of the men in the little town. Most of these come from Clairee about her grumpy battleaxe of a senior friend (as found in the film quotes on IMBD.com):
“Ouiser, I’d recognize this penmanship anywhere. You have the handwritin’ of a serial killer.” That one reminded me of my own unfortunately bad penmanship.
But my favorite part of the film when I finally watched it as an older teenager is a spoiler, so I will not write it here. But it involves having the urge to hurt somebody a little for catharsis and happens after a very emotional scene.
Another favorite aspect of the film is referenced in some dialogue by M’Lynn: “I find it amusing. Men are supposed to be made out of steel or something.” This, of course, relates to the “Steel Magnolias” title itself.
And what one soon discovers is that it is the women who are made out of steel, yet they are also soft and emotional like the magnolia blossom. In fact, I discovered this among the ladies I met in my adulthood and in the film.
You will also discover all the rich characters (mentioned and unmentioned) when you go see “Steel Magnolias” next Sunday.
Barnwell, S.C. author Ron Baxley, Jr. is a social media manager for Paula’s Family Restaurant in Bamberg, South Carolina, a correspondent for Augusta Good News, and a graphic novelist and screenwriter who is currently writing a series set in a small Southern town which he has codenamed “Project Neon.”
