The 1991 comedy-drama Fried Green Tomatoes is one of those films that always stays with you, bringing back strong emotions years down the road. I must have watched it so many times throughout my young adult life that I have basically memorized every scene, anticipating each character’s next move. I’m not sure when I first saw Fried Green Tomatoes, but I am guessing I was a teenager due to some of the film’s more serious topics. I will, however, always remember watching it with my mom and older sister, and it being one of our all-time favorites. I’m not entirely sure if this is because it is an arguably feminist film with such strong female characters we connect with more as women, or if it is just one of those films that everyone loves. I mean, who doesn’t love watching Kathy Bates jump up and down on an exercise trampoline, singing “Stop in the Name of Love”?

Based on the novel Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by author Fannie Flagg, the film tells intertwining stories about love, friendships, and tragedy in Alabama. Part of the film is set in the 1980s and follows Evelyn Couch, an unhappy housewife with low self-esteem who gives an amazing comedic performance, and Ninny Threadgoode, an elderly, high-spirited woman who has made a new friend in a nursing home. The other part of the film flashes back to the 1920s where Ninny tells the story of best friends Idgie Threadgoode and Ruth Jamison in the little town of Whistle Stop.

This is one of those films you still find yourself going through every emotion possible as if watching it for the first time, laughing out loud, ugly crying, and making angry faces at the screen whenever the villain Frank Bennett makes an appearance. To this day, I still feel such strong hatred towards his character. The disturbingly real parts of the film that show domestic abuse, racism, and discrimination are upsetting to watch but are true to the history of the south during that time period.

I almost forget how old this film really is until I see the quality in the original movie trailer and realize their present-day was really in the time of big hair, jazzercise, and Mary Kay cosmetics.

The year that Fried Green Tomatoes came out was the same year that African-American motorist Rodney King was severely beaten by police officers in Los Angeles. Just months after the film’s box office debut, the four LAPD officers were acquitted of assault charges and the LA Riots raged for days. The social issues and racism from the film are very relevant to the time it came out in theaters and are unfortunately still relevant to today.

The performances are so strong that you really connect with the characters in a way that makes you feel like you know them. Kathy Bates was spot on when she stated in a 1991 interview, “The relationships are true and honest”. It is nice to look at recent reviews and see that there is a consensus among first-time viewers and long-term fans that this film is worth watching. A recent reviewer stated, “Just astonishing how impressive this film still is after decades!“

Roger Ebert gave Fried Green Tomatoes a fair review when it first hit theaters, although I disagree with his thoughts on the flashback structure being a distraction. There is a seamless balance throughout the film between light and dark, tragic and comedic, that is achieved with the flashback transitions between the vibrant 80s and the minimalistic 20s.

Fried Green Tomatoes is a conventional film with very unconventional storylines and female-driven characters. This was a low-budget film based on a novel and two of the main characters had previously received Academy Awards. I was a little surprised to learn that the more prominent lesbian relationship between the two main characters that was initially in the novel was suppressed in the film. This isn’t really surprising for the year the film came out.

As I have grown from a teenager into an adult, going through life’s ups and downs, I have a slightly different experience rewatching this film. Jessica Tandy’s outstanding performance as Ninny Threadgoode makes me realize how important it is to connect with our elders and listen to their stories. This film always reminds me to appreciate the amazing women in my life, take time to care about others, and be empowered as a strong woman. Towanda!