With the original Off Broadway play a huge hit, a revival that sold out in spite of mixed reviews, a smash hit movie and a TV remake, "Steel Magnolias" has gotten so much attention I'm surprised that it wasn't musicalized. The attempt to make a TV series out of it (which probably would have been an hour long drama rather than a half hour sitcom) was nice and almost perfectly cast, but something in watching it again after almost 30 years since it aired makes me think it would have only lasted a short while.
It is a year since the death of Shelby, and the widowed Jackson (Tim Grimm) has started to date again, much to the concern of Shelby's mother, M'Lynn (Cindy Williams) and her big hearted but gossipy pals. They all still hang out at Truvy's (Sally Kirkland) and badmouth the briefly spotted Janice Van Meeter, and now they all express concern that Jackson's new girlfriend Elise (Dana Reeve) will be no replacement for Shelby should the relationship continue to grow. M'Lynn confronts her son-in-law, gets to meet Elise, and in a nice touch, opens her eyes to the fact that, like Sally Field's M'Lynn said in the movie, "Life goes on."
It's the ensemble that stands out, although I have my doubts that Sally Kirkland was the right choice for the big-hearted Truvy. Even with her declaration that nobody cries alone in her presence, I never quite believed those words coming out of her mouth like I did with Dolly Parton. Sheila McCarthy gets a few good lines in as the still quiet and religious Anelle, but the best dialog of course goes to the TV Ouiser and Clairee, played by two "Follies" Broadway babies, Elaine Stritch and Polly Bergen. Their friendly banter is both cantankerous and big-hearted, and I couldn't think of better casting for those parts. The chance to see this ensemble working together was a nice dream, but like many TV pilots, it got lost in the shuffle, and somebody wisely decided that the risk wasn't worth the taking, although a full TV movie with this cast of a follow-up story might have been a better idea than the half hour brief slice of Southern life we get here.
It is a year since the death of Shelby, and the widowed Jackson (Tim Grimm) has started to date again, much to the concern of Shelby's mother, M'Lynn (Cindy Williams) and her big hearted but gossipy pals. They all still hang out at Truvy's (Sally Kirkland) and badmouth the briefly spotted Janice Van Meeter, and now they all express concern that Jackson's new girlfriend Elise (Dana Reeve) will be no replacement for Shelby should the relationship continue to grow. M'Lynn confronts her son-in-law, gets to meet Elise, and in a nice touch, opens her eyes to the fact that, like Sally Field's M'Lynn said in the movie, "Life goes on."
It's the ensemble that stands out, although I have my doubts that Sally Kirkland was the right choice for the big-hearted Truvy. Even with her declaration that nobody cries alone in her presence, I never quite believed those words coming out of her mouth like I did with Dolly Parton. Sheila McCarthy gets a few good lines in as the still quiet and religious Anelle, but the best dialog of course goes to the TV Ouiser and Clairee, played by two "Follies" Broadway babies, Elaine Stritch and Polly Bergen. Their friendly banter is both cantankerous and big-hearted, and I couldn't think of better casting for those parts. The chance to see this ensemble working together was a nice dream, but like many TV pilots, it got lost in the shuffle, and somebody wisely decided that the risk wasn't worth the taking, although a full TV movie with this cast of a follow-up story might have been a better idea than the half hour brief slice of Southern life we get here.