I must have been six years old the first time I sat through a movie called Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood. It hadn’t been the first time my mom had slipped it into the DVD player, but my ripe young age paired with my delicate attention span was simply a recipe for innocent disinterest on such topics, leading me to avert to another activity away from the TV as my single mother ate her popcorn in peace.

I think the introduction was what intrigued me the most; a group of four girls sneak out in the dead of night as they circle up, dressed in embellished headpieces and silk PJs, engaging in some ritual under the generous moonlight. I watched, I’ll admit confused at first, as flashbacks weaved in and out of the film, depicting a dysfunctional household and the horrors hid behind smiles. I think it was one of the first times where it felt like more than just watching a movie. I was invested, completely and utterly invested.

Watching it this last time, I was astonished to find that I vividly remember most of the scenes. It was like digging into a box of memories that I forgot I even had. I also appreciated the swift scene changes and playful, yet beautifully written dialogue much more this time around. At first, I giggled lightly at the outrageous actions of the introductory characters. Playwright Siddalee Walker is giving an interview with Time magazine, and she does so, her mother Viviane reads what her daughter has to say about her on pages as Siddalee’s voice-over continues. Outraged at her daughter’s caustic tone, she goes on a series of vengeful acts to express her dismay, going as far as mailing Siddalee a revised copy of her will, laced with red pen ink that says “AKA YOU GET NOTHING!” Eventually the tension cools, as Viviane’s friends roofie and kidnap Siddalee in attempts to humanize her mother and mend their broken relationship.

The characters are of senior age and incredibly  witty. There’s a lot of clever banter between the characters, one of my favorites being when Viviane says “Don’t you talk to me like that or I’ll knock you into the middle of next week” to which the other lady replies “then I will kick your sorry ass on Thursday…” There are other lines that make light of dark subjects, Siddalee telling her own father he has Stockholm syndrome for example, as it must be the only reason explaining why he’s stayed with her mother for so long. His most memorable line to her was “pride covers a multitude of sins,” giving the film a brief hint of wisdom shortly after humorous moments.

While Siddalee learns more about her mother through Vivianne’s friends, she has her own corresponding flashbacks of events wherein the audience can she that her own puzzle slowly comes together. Siddalee’s moments of nostalgia oddly trigger some of my own, as scenes from the movie remind me of the times I’d watch as a child snuggled up to my mother on the couch.

As the film dwindles down, Siddalee slowly comes to learn why her mother was the way she was and learns the Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood.

The 2001 movie was based on a novel of the same name by author Rebecca Wells. It currently holds a score of 44% on  rotten tomatoes and a 6/10 on IMDb.