Past and present are winningly blended in the gentle comedy FRIED GREEN TOMATOES which became a "sleeper" hit with audiences.
Evelyn Couch (Kathy Bates), an overweight, repressed housewife, meets and befriends Ninny Threadgoode (Jessica Tandy), a remarkable octogenarian. Ninny is a permanent resident, though she won't admit it, at a rest home for the aged where Evelyn accompanies her husband Ed (Gailard Sartain) on his
weekly visits to his gruff aunt. The aged Alabaman begins to enthrall Evelyn with the fascinating life story--seen in flashback--of one of her relatives, Idgie Threadgoode.
An early proto-feminist, Idgie (Mary Stuart Masterson) owns and operates the local cafe in Whistle Stop, Alabama. Traumatized as a girl by the gory death of a beloved older brother, Idgie has remained a tomboy loner all her life, taking to the trees when the world around her gets to be too much.
Idgie literally rescues her best friend, Ruth Jamison (Mary-Louise Parker), from Ruth's marriage to the abusive Frank Bennett (Nick Searcy). Bringing her young baby with her, Ruth moves in with Idgie and the two women soon have a thriving business at the cafe, with Ruth doing the cooking and Idgie
handling the bookwork.
FRIED GREEN TOMATOES is an engaging if sentimental tale, charmingly handled by producer-turned-director Jon Avnet (RISKY BUSINESS) and flawlessly acted by its four female stars. Plaudits must also go to Geoffrey Simpson, for his splendid cinematography, and to Thomas Newman for his drama-enhancing
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