Thirty-five years ago, a then-21-year-old Julia Roberts delivered one of her earliest breakout performances in Steel Magnolias.
With just seven credits to her name, the Georgia native held her own alongside Hollywood heavyweights like Dolly Parton, Sally Field, Olympia Dukakis, Daryl Hannah, and Shirley MacLaine.
The 1989 tearjerker, set in a small Southern community, explored themes of friendship, resilience, and loss as it followed a group of women grappling with the untimely death of one of their own.
The film was based on playwright Robert Harling’s 1987 play, which he wrote to honor his sister Susan, who tragically passed away from complications related to diabetes.
Director Herbert Ross adapted the play into a star-studded Hollywood production, transforming the quaint town of Natchitoches, Louisiana, into the backdrop of this heartfelt story.
The film’s arrival brought a touch of Hollywood to the South, with locals amused by the demands of the “L.A. people.”
As Harling shared with Garden and Gun in 2017, even the town’s Piggly Wiggly was introduced to upscale delicacies like beluga caviar.
Despite its charm, Steel Magnolias wasn’t without critique.
The New York Times pointed out the lack of depth given to male characters, noting how they remained peripheral in a story dominated by strong female leads.
Still, the film’s focus on its women protagonists struck a chord with audiences, making it one of the top-grossing films of 1989.
For Roberts, the film was a career milestone.
Her portrayal of Shelby, a newlywed with fragile health determined to become a mother despite the risks, earned her the first of four Oscar nominations.
Shelby’s tender optimism, encapsulated in her choice of “blush and bashful” as her wedding colors, remains iconic decades later.
Also read: Cheltenham Jazz Festival 2025 Announces First Lineup For 80th Anniversary
