Back to trending
Steel Magnolias

Steel Magnolias

Comedy · Drama · Romance · 1989

A young beautician, newly arrived in a small Louisiana town, finds work at the local salon, where a small group of women share a close bond of friendship and welcome her into the fold.

Movie details

Steel Magnolias

“Six extraordinary friends. They share each other's laughter. They dry each other's tears.”

1989 Comedy · Drama · Romance 1h 58m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

7.2 / 10

Community rating

A young beautician, newly arrived in a small Louisiana town, finds work at the local salon, where a small group of women share a close bond of friendship and welcome her into the fold.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Steel Magnolias?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

Nappily Ever After

Nappily Ever After

Comedy · 2018

After an accident at the hair salon, Violet realizes she's not living life to the fullest. A soulful barber helps her put the pieces back together.

Love & Basketball

Love & Basketball

Comedy · 2000

Monica Wright and Quincy McCall grew up in the same neighborhood and have known each other since childhood. As they grow into adulthood, they fall in love, but they also share another all-consuming passion: basketball. As Quincy and Monica struggle to make their relationship work, they follow separate career paths though high school and college basketball and, they hope, into stardom in big-league professional ball.

Now and Then

Now and Then

Comedy · 1995

Waxing nostalgic about the bittersweet passage from childhood to puberty, four childhood girlfriends — Teeny, Chrissy, Samantha and Roberta — recall the magical summer of 1970. During their walk down memory lane, they reconcile experiences with boys, secrets, bullies and more.

Moxie

Moxie

Comedy · 2021

Inspired by her mom's rebellious past and a confident new friend, a shy 16-year-old publishes an anonymous zine calling out sexism at her school.

Tender Mercies

Tender Mercies

Drama · 1983

Alcoholic former country singer Mac Sledge makes friends with a young widow and her son. The friendship enables him to find inspiration to resume his career.

The Best of Me

The Best of Me

Drama · 2014

A pair of former high school sweethearts reunite after many years when they return to visit their small hometown.

Stargirl

Stargirl

Comedy · 2020

An unassuming high schooler finds himself inexplicably drawn to the free-spirited new girl, whose unconventional ways change how they see themselves…and their world.

The Man in the Moon

The Man in the Moon

Drama · 1991

Maureen Trant and her younger sibling Dani share a strong connection, but local boy Court Foster threatens to throw their bond off balance. Dani and Court meet first and have a flirtatious rapport -- but when he meets Maureen, he falls hard and they begin a passionate affair. The new couple try to keep their love hidden from Dani, but she soon learns the truth, disavowing her sister. But a heartbreaking accident later reunites the girls.

The Other Sister

The Other Sister

Comedy · 1999

A mentally challenged girl proves herself to be every bit as capable as her "perfect" sister when she moves into an apartment and begins going to college.

Crazy, Stupid, Love.

Crazy, Stupid, Love.

Comedy · 2011

Cal Weaver is living the American dream. He has a good job, a beautiful house, great children and a beautiful wife, named Emily. Cal's seemingly perfect life unravels, however, when he learns that Emily has been unfaithful and wants a divorce. Over 40 and suddenly single, Cal is adrift in the fickle world of dating. Enter, Jacob Palmer, a self-styled player who takes Cal under his wing and teaches him how to be a hit with the ladies.

Where it lives

Watch in your region.

Cinema release signals and current streaming, rental, and purchase options for your region.

Streaming availability data supplied by JustWatch.

Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Herbert Ross

Written by

Robert Harling

Sally Field

Sally Field

M'Lynn Eatenton

Dolly Parton

Dolly Parton

Truvy Jones

Shirley MacLaine

Shirley MacLaine

Ouiser Boudreaux

Daryl Hannah

Daryl Hannah

Annelle Dupuy

Olympia Dukakis

Olympia Dukakis

Clairee Belcher

Julia Roberts

Julia Roberts

Shelby Eatenton Latcherie

Tom Skerritt

Tom Skerritt

Drum Eatenton

Court is in session

Put Steel Magnolias on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Sentimental Softie

“Sincerity is not manipulation.”

The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.

The prosecution The Cool Ironist

“The strings are showing.”

Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.