Rated: PG-13
Starring: a youngish Kathy Bates, a still alive Jessica Tandy, a still working Mary Stuart Masterson, a never-aging Mary-Louise Parker
Plot: An unhappy woman going through a mid-life crisis (Bates) serendipitously befriends an elderly woman (Tandy) in a nursing home who captivates her with stories about friends from her past.
Tanya’s Verdict: Sure it’s slightly dated and I’m probably watching this movie with a bias of nostalgia (the last time I saw it was in the theatre at age 17) but it is still an enjoyable, feel-good film. One of the original “chick flicks” back when chick flicks had substance and character and didn’t necessarily equate to shallow and bland. The story within a story has always been one of my favourites – as is the theme of life’s randomness when it comes to friendship, love and happiness. My girls enjoyed Fried Green Tomatoes as well. And for any readers out there – this movie is based on the 1987 novel Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg – which is one of the better books I’ve read in the past 10 years.