Fried Green Tomatoes is a 1991 drama film based on the novel Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg. It was released in the UK under the novel's full title.
| Fried Green Tomatoes | |
|---|---|
 Movie poster | |
| Directed by | Jon Avnet |
| Written by | Fannie Flagg Carol Sobieski |
| Produced by | Jon Avnet |
| Starring | Kathy Bates Mary Stuart Masterson Mary-Louise Parker Jessica Tandy |
| Cinematography | Geoffrey Simpson |
| Edited by | Debra Neil-Fisher |
| Music by | Jo Jo Hailey K-Ci Hailey Thomas Newman |
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
Release date | December 27 1991 |
Running time | 136 min. |
| Country |  United States |
| Language | English |
The film was directed by Jon Avnet and written by Fannie Flagg and Carol Sobieski. It stars Kathy Bates, Jessica Tandy, Mary-Louise Parker and Mary Stuart Masterson. It received a PG-13 rating from the MPAA.
Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Kathy Bates | Evelyn Couch |
| Mary Stuart Masterson | Idgie Threadgoode |
| Mary-Louise Parker | Ruth Jamison |
| Jessica Tandy | Ninny Threadgoode |
| Cicely Tyson | Sipsey |
| Chris O'Donnell | Buddy Threadgoode |
| Stan Shaw | Big George |
| Gailard Sartain | Ed Couch |
| Timothy Scott | Smokey Lonesome (as Tim Scott) |
| Gary Basaraba | Grady Kilgore |
| Lois Smith | Mama Threadgoode |
| Jo Harvey Allen | Women's Awareness Teacher |
| Macon McCalman | Prosecutor |
| Richard Riehle | Reverend Scroggins |
| Raynor Scheine | Curtis Smoot |
| Grace Zabriskie | Eva Bates |
| Reid Binion | Young Julian |
Plot summary
Evelyn Couch (Kathy Bates) meets an elderly woman named Ninny Threadgoode (Jessica Tandy) in a nursing home waiting room. Ninny tells her the story of the now-abandoned town of Whistle Stop, Alabama, and the people that lived there - specifically the tale of the relationship between Idgie Threadgoode and Ruth Jamison, the two women that ran the Whistle Stop Cafe. As the story of Idgie and Ruth (and a missing person) develops, Evelyn Couch finds herself being empowered by the stories of the strong-willed Idgie and the fiercely loyal and independent Ruth. She also finds a true best friend in Ninny.
Expanded information
The action takes place in Alabama. The heroine, Evelyn Couch, is a housewife. Evelyn is unhappy with her life and her marriage and her husband Ed appears to not be interested in her any more. Their son Cal is grown and is "busy with his own life." She has a lot of problems including thinking very lowy of herself. She and Ed are visiting his aunt in a nursing home and there in a waiting room she meets an old but very nice woman - Ninny Threadgoode.
Ninny tells her stories about the life of two women she used to know. The heroines of her story are Idgie Threadgoode and Ruth Jamison. Together they ran the Whistle Stop Cafe in Ninny's small Alabama home town. The film is named “Fried Green Tomatoes” because it is a feature dish at the cafe. From Ninny’s recollections Evelyn knows that Ruth loved Idgie’s brother who was killed in a railway accident. Then follows the story of the relationship between Ruth and Idgie.
Ruth and Idgie’s story is about their life after Buddy's death. Idgie helps Ruth to become free from her abusive husband. These two strong women work together to raise Ruth's son. He loses an arm in a railway accident. It is a very touching story of friendship and love, as well as courage and self-sacrifice.
The recollections of Ninny greatly influences Evelyn. First she is inspired by the strength and strong-will of these two independent women, and Evelyn’s life changes for the better. Second, she finds a true best friend in Ninny. Evelyn invites Ninny to live with her after Ninny's house in Whistle Stop is destroyed.
The ending leads you to believe that Ninny is in fact Idgie herself, but her statements during the film do not support this.
Differences between the film and novel
The film version does not present the lesbian romance between the two central characters, making it appear, to viewers who had not read the book, that Idgie and Ruth were merely best friends. The DVD edition of the film has an audio commentary with the director acknowledging this and pointing out that a scene between the two women engaging in a food fight was intended to be seen as symbolic love-making.
The character Artis O. Peavey, who was a favorite of many in the novel, did not merit an appearance. Additionally, in the novel every important character has his or her own backstory, but many of these were eliminated in the film version.
In the novel, Evelyn tries, unsuccessfully, to lose weight on her own several times and, eventually, resorts to going to a weight loss spa. In the film, Evelyn is able to control her dietary habits and maintain a regular exercise regimen on her own.
In the novel, Ninny passes away while Evelyn is visiting a weight loss spa. However, in the film, Ninny leaves the nursing home and ends up going to live with Evelyn and Ed in their home.
The novel's version of Evelyn is somewhat darker than her film portrayal. In the novel, Evelyn is extremely depressed over her weight and how her life has turned to the point of considering suicide. While her unhappiness with her marriage and weight are stated in the film, the degree of seriousness is much lighter than in the novel.
The passage of time in the novel and the film is portrayed differently. In the novel, the events of the story are stretched and explored just after the ending of World War I up to the late 1980's. In the film, most of the story takes place between 1919 and the late 1930's.
In the novel, Idgie and Big George are placed on trial for the murder of Frank Bennett years after Ruth has passed away. In the film, the trial takes place less than a year before Ruth's death in which she testifies on Idgie's behalf.
Box office
The film grossed a total of $82,418,501 in the United States alone, and took in $37,000,000 outside the U.S., bringing the total to $119,418,501 worldwide [1].
Awards
The movie was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Jessica Tandy) and for Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium (Fannie Flagg and Carol Sobieski).
The Café
The "Whistle Stop Café" is loosely based on a real-life restaurant, the Irondale Café in Irondale, Alabama. The restaurant is still very much in operation, and is something of a local tourist attraction, thanks to the novel and movie. It is famous for its fried green tomatoes, and is located adjacent to the main line of the Norfolk Southern Railroad (formerly Southern Railway) and very near one of the line's large classification yards.
Irondale is a suburb of Birmingham, Alabama, Flagg's birthplace. After the film became a hit, the set used as the Whistle Stop Café, on ___location in Juliette, Georgia, was converted into a real restaurant, and is still a tourist attraction.
A second Whistle Stop Café ___location can now be found on Houston Rd in Macon, Georgia. A third Whistle Stop Cafe can can be found in downtown Kennesaw in Georgia.