35th Anniversary of "Fried Green Tomatoes" – The Movie

Just in time for Mother's Day, Fathom entertainment is re-releasing the 1991 film, "Fried Green Tomatoes" in movie theaters nationwide on May 10th. It is the 35th anniversary of the motion picture that is based off of the novel by Fannie Flagg, "Fried Green tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café". With Flagg being a native of Birmingham, Alabama. Fannie Flagg helped adapt her novel into the script for the film for which she was nominated for an Academy Award for the best screenplay adaptation.

The film, "Fried Green Tomatoes", stars Kathy Bates, Jessica Tandy, Mary Stuart Masterson, Mary-Louise Parker, and Cicely Tyson. It was originally released in movie theaters nationwide on December 27th, 1991. It was nominated for two Academy Awards and grossed $119.4 million dollars with the film only having an $11 million dollar budget. The plot of the film centers around two women who become acquainted in a nursing home in Alabama. The two women being the elderly Ninny Threadgoode, who starts telling Evelyn, who is naturally timid, about the days of yore in Whistle Stop. Those days of yore include a serious criminal trial and a Reverend who is less than truthful during the legal proceedings.

The film was directed by Jon Avnet, a New York native, who wrote most of the screenplay with Jessica Tandy in mind. While the novel has a lesbian romance between the two lead characters, the movie makes the relationship more ambiguous. Jessica Tandy is an English actress who at the age of 80 became the oldest actress to win the Academy Award for Best Actress. She won the coveted Oscar for her portrayal of the aging Southern Jewish matron in "Driving Miss Daisy". For her role in "Fried Green Tomatoes", she received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

The novel, "Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café", is influenced by the Irondale Café which is still in operation during lunch time hours in Irondale, Alabama. The Irondale Café was once owned by Fannie Flagg's aunt, Bess Fortenberry, who purchased what was at that time a hot dog stand, in 1932. Fortenberry, along with her friends Sue Lovelace and Lizzie Cunningham, transformed the hot dog stand into one of the most popular eateries in town that was known for its delicious meats and vegetables.

The novel was originally published in 1987 where it remained on the bestseller list of The New York Times for 36 weeks. It was written by Patricia Neal, who uses the pen name, "Fannie Flagg", since an actress by the name of Patricial Neal was already registered with Actors' Equity when Flagg was trying to pursue an acting career. Some popular lines from the movie version of the novel include, "What we really need is an assertiveness training class for Southern women", "Well I got mad . . . it felt terrific!", and "Face it girls, I'm older and I have more insurance."

The 35th Anniversary re-release of the film will include insights from the American film critic and historian, Leonard Maltin. A preview of the film, for those who have not seen it, is available here:

https://www.fathomentertainment.com/releases/fried-green-tomatoes-35th-anniversary/

Luisa Reyes is a Tuscaloosa attorney, piano instructor, vocalist, poet, reporter, and columnist who writes on current events, politics, and the arts.