Fried Green Tomatoes

( 26 )

Overview

Jon Avnet's Fried Green Tomatoes gets a very strong DVD release from Universal Studios. The disc boasts a widescreen anamorphic transfer that preserves the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1. A closed-captioned English soundtrack is rendered in Dolby Digital Surround. Spanish and French subtitles are accessible. Supplemental features include a commentary track by the director, an original documentary about the making of the film, production photographs, a look at the posters made for the film, and ...
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More About This Product

Overview

Jon Avnet's Fried Green Tomatoes gets a very strong DVD release from Universal Studios. The disc boasts a widescreen anamorphic transfer that preserves the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1. A closed-captioned English soundtrack is rendered in Dolby Digital Surround. Spanish and French subtitles are accessible. Supplemental features include a commentary track by the director, an original documentary about the making of the film, production photographs, a look at the posters made for the film, and theatrical trailers. This disc has everything fans of the film could want (short of a commentary track by the actresses).
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Special Features

Feature commentary with director Jon Avnet; "Moments of Discovery," original documentary with director Jon Avnet, actors Kathy Bates, Jessica Tandy, Mary Stuart Masterson, Mary-Louise Parker Jon Avnet's scene-specific notes; Production photographs; Poster campaign; Theatrical trailers
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Editorial Reviews

Barnes & Noble - Ed Hulse
The very model of the contemporary "chick flick," Fried Green Tomatoes still ranks among the best of the breed. Adapted from her bestselling novel, Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café, Fanny Flagg's screenplay expertly evokes the 1920s in the Deep South while drawing a vivid picture of female resourcefulness and fortitude. Skillfully slipping in and out of time periods, the dual story unfolds as dowdy, unhappily married Evelyn Couch (Kathy Bates), begins visiting a nursing home to chat with Ninny Threadgoode (Jessica Tandy). The still sprightly Ninny, a former resident of Whistle Stop, Alabama, tells Evelyn about a young woman named Ruth Jamison (Mary-Louise Parker), who operated the book's titular café, which specialized in breaded fried green tomatoes. Married to a loutish redneck, Ruth grew much closer to her friend Idgie Threadgoode (Mary Stuart Masterson), her partner in the café. The flashback sequences to the 1920s describe Whistle Stop's racial tensions, which bubble over into violence when Ruth's no-account husband disappears and is presumed to have been murdered by a black man named Big George (Stan Shaw). Less specifically described, but clearly inferred, is a lesbian relationship between Ruth and Idgie. Director Jon Avnet elicits terrific performances from Parker and Masterson, who were then near the beginning of their careers. Avnet sensitively portrays Flagg's underlying subject -- a narrow-minded society's response to nonconformity -- without wallowing in sentimentality or preachiness. The result is an uplifting movie that wins new fans with every screening.
All Movie Guide
Fried Green Tomatoes is a warm adaptation of Fannie Flagg's popular women's novel that does equal justice to its two featured time periods, while offering useful messages about friendship and standing up for oneself. However, it does teeter on the edge of man-hating and the related exaggerations now and again. How else to explain that sympathetic Ruth Jamison (Mary Louise-Parker) gets romantically entwined with a man so loathsome that not only does he beat her, but he's also a member of the Ku Klux Klan? Fried Green Tomatoes is certainly short on subtlety, polarizing its characters into selfless saints and cruel sinners, but this approach does deliver an unambiguous rallying cry for viewers to apply its self-help agenda to their own lives. Kathy Bates' Evelyn Couch is the viewer's surrogate, as well as the most common demographic of Flagg's readership; overweight and bossed around by her husband, she takes the yarn spun by Jessica Tandy's Ninny Threadgoode and uses is it to channel her dormant feminism. The script, as adapted by Flagg, director Jon Avnet, and Carol Sobieski, is sometimes quite leaden, oozing with simplistic Southern metaphors and the kind of melodrama that features not one, but two accidents involving locomotives. But it can also be subtle, especially in handling the unspoken lesbianism of Mary Stuart Masterson's Idgie Threadgoode. Fried Green Tomatoes is the kind of epic of pop feminism and the old South that should be a favorite for those who gravitate toward these topics. Others may find it heavy-handed, but still worthwhile.
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Product Details

  • Release Date: 12/15/1998
  • UPC: 025192024429
  • Original Release: 1991

    • Rating:

  • Source: Universal Studios
  • Region Code: 1
  • Aspect Ratio: Theatre Wide-Screen (1.85.1)
  • Presentation: Wide Screen
  • Sound: Dolby Digital Surround
  • Language: English
  • Time: 2:17:00
  • Format: DVD
  • Sales rank: 2,743

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits
Kathy Bates Evelyn Couch
Jessica Tandy Ninny Threadgoode
Mary Stuart Masterson Idgie Threadgoode
Mary-Louise Parker Ruth Jamison
Cicely Tyson Sipsey
Nick Searcy Frank Bennett
Gailard Sartain Ed Couch
Stan Shaw Big George
Gary Basaraba Grady Kilgore
Jo Harvey Allen Women's Awareness Teacher
Nancy Moore Atchison Little Idgie
Suzi Bass Nurse
Reid Binion Young Julian
Haynes Brooke Older Julian
Michael Burgess Wingo, Man at BBQ
Chris O'Donnell Buddy Threadgoode
David Dwyer Hooded Man
Tom Even Judge
Genevieve Fisher Peggy Hadley
Fannie Flagg Teacher
Grayson Fricke Buddy Jr.
Bob Hannah Defense Attorney
Tres Holton Boy at Supermarket
Catherine Larson Girl #1
Evan Lockwood Tim
Ted Manson Bailiff
James Mayberry Orderly
Ronald McCall Ocie
Macon McCalman Prosecutor
Wallace Merck KKK Man
Carole Mitchell-Leon Sue Otis
Danny Nelson Papa Threadgoode
Enjolik Oree Older Naughty Bird
Ginny Parker Ruth's Mother
Bob Penny Bailiff
Lashondra Phillips Young Naughty Bird
La Tanya Richardson Janeen
Richard Riehle Reverend Scroggins
Raynor Scheine Curtis Smoote
Timothy Scott Smokey Lonesome
Constance Shulman Missy
Afton Smith Leona Threadgoode
Lois Smith Mama Threadgoode
Missy Wolff 2nd Girl
Grace Zabriskie Eva Bates
Technical Credits
Jon Avnet Director, Producer, Screenwriter
Fern Buchner Makeup
Sara Duvall Producer
Mary H. Ellis Sound/Sound Designer
Fannie Flagg Screenwriter, Source Author
Larry Fulton Art Director
Anne Marie Gillen Producer
Martin Huberty Co-producer
Jordan Kerner Producer
Norman Lear Executive Producer
Lisa Lindstrom Co-producer
Barbara Ling Producer, Production Designer
Deborah Love Asst. Director, Producer
Yuriko Matsubara Producer
Elizabeth McBride Costumes/Costume Designer
Andrew Meyer Executive Producer
Debra Neil Editor
Thomas Newman Score Composer
Ric Rondell Co-producer
David Rubin Casting
Shannon Silverman Producer
Geoffrey Simpson Cinematographer
Carol Sobieski Screenwriter
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Scene Index

Chapter List
0. Chapter List
1. Opening logos [:25]
2. Main titles [2:13]
3. The sound of the train [1:42]
4. Ninny [:35]
5. The tale of Idgie Threadgoode [1:27]
6. Buddy and Little bit [2:59]
7. Ruth [2:25]
8. The train tracks [1:49]
9. That magic, that spark [3:59]
10. After buddy [4:09]
11. Taming Towanda [2:38]
12. A train ride with Idgie [3:21]
13. The bee charmer [1:23]
14. The best birthday I've ever had [3:04]
15. Reclaiming our power [3:31]
16. Ruth's new life [:24]
17. Reclaiming Ruth [3:03]
18. The change. [2:30]
19. A separate God for children [2:27]
20. The Whistle Stop Cafe [3:48]
21. Smokey Lonesome [4:01]
22. The cooking lesson [3:40]
23. The coming of the Klan [1:47]
24. The last of Frank Bennett [2:16]
25. The sheriff from Georgia [2:18]
26. He won't bother you again [2:30]
27. Towanda the avenger [3:44]
28. Smokey's return [2:08]
29. So long, old pal [2:19]
30. The murder of a white man [4:16]
31. The trial [3:55]
32. The last witness [4:12]
33. A whole lot of nothing [2:06]
34. Ninny's birthday [1:21]
35. The cancer [2:20]
36. The time for courage [3:34]
37. A lady knows when to leave [1:45]
38. Two women in the house [2:20]
39. Going home [1:08]
40. The secret's in the sauce [3:40]
41. Idgie's alive? [1:40]
42. End titles [2:36]
Bonus Materials
0. Chapter List
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Menu

Main
   Menu Group #1 with 44 chapter(s) covering 02:16:21
      A few changes
Bonus Materials
   MOMENTS OF DISCOVERY: The Making of Fried Green Tomatoes
      Play
         Moments of Discovery
         A Story that we Love
         Evelyn and Ninny
         Idgie and Ruth
         Fried Green Tomatoes
         Finding Whistlestop
         Food in the South
         Food Fight
         Music is the Soul
         Ruth's Death
         Heat, Bugs, Snakes and Leeches
         Bee Charming
         Mythic Journeys and Mythic Characters
         Friends, Best Friends
      Languages
         Music Score Only
         Spoken Langauage
            English Only
         Captioned for the Hearing Impaired
            English
   Feature Commentary with Director Jon Avnet
   Jon Avnet's Director's Notes
   Production Photographs
   Poster Campaign
   Sipsey's Recipes
      Buttermilk Biscuits
      SKillet Cornbread
      Coconut Cream Pie
      Pecan Pie
      Sipsey's Southern-Fried Chicken
      Chicken and Dumplings
      Fried Ham with Red-Eye Gravy
   Production Notes
   Cast and Filmmakers
      Jessica Tandy
      Kathy Bates
      Mary Stuart Masterson
      Mary-Louise Parker
      Jon Avnet
      Cicely Tyson
      Chris O'Donnell
   Theatrical Trailer
   Universal Weblinks
Language Selection
   Spoken Languages
      English
      Feature Commentary with Director John Avnet
   Captions and Subtitles
      Subtitles
         Français
         Español
      Captioned for the Hearing Impaired
         English
Play
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Customer Reviews

Average Rating 5
( 26 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(21)

4 Star

(5)

3 Star

(0)

2 Star

(0)

1 Star

(0)

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See All Sort by: Showing 1 – 20 of 26 Customer Reviews

  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    Spellbinding story that gets better in the retelling!

    I have watched this movie more than a dozen times, and enjoy it more each time. I have let people borrow my DVD, and they usually chuckle when they talk about the realization they come to toward the end of the movie. This is a movie the whole family can enjoy. The best advice I have is, if you haven't seen this movie yet, make a point to do so.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted October 1, 2010

    Fried Green Tomatoes and More

    I told my son this movie is not just about women. It's what they can do and get away with. The bait that hooked him in to watch this movie was the annual BBQ. Was a man deep fried and BBQ'd and served on the menu or was it all just a lie? It's up to the viewer to decide if this really happened. As you listen to the story your torn between the present and the past. Who is a better person? What makes a good friend? The main character wins a viewer from the beginning to the end. Her independence and ability to fend for herself creates adventure,mystery, and triumph for everyone. The Bee Charmer charms everyone she comes in contact with.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    It made me really moved.. :)

    what a warm-hearted, unforgettable movie~!

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    A Heartwarming Drama

    "Fried Green Tomatoes" is one of my guilty pleasures. Everytime it comes on, I can't resist watching it. It's absolutely heartwarming, sad, though could brighten your day at the same time. The movie reflects upon the story of a lonely housewife, who wants nothing more than to be the best wife for her husband, who barely takes notice of her. Then, she meets a aging woman who tells her the story of two best friends. It's truly an amazing story, and I would recommend it to any woman out there.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    My Absolute Favorite Movie

    This is the best movie ever. It's funny, sad, heartwarmming, and unforgettable. This movie shows what true friendship really is. I highly recommend this movie to all women and girls.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    A reviewer

    This is my favorite movie for many reasons. Nuber one, it shows what true love and friendship really are. Nuber two, it gives hope, strength, and a positive look on life to all those who watch it. Number three, it will make you laugh and make you cry. Nuber four, it has a good plot, setting, and wonderful characters. Number five, it gets better every time you watch it, no matter how many times you've already seen it. Finally, it is a wonderful story that you will never ever forget. This movie is so inspirational and I highly, highly, highly recommend it to all girls and women.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    Never looked at barbecue the same way

    A real original film that started the the questionable genre of "The Chick Flick." The inferred lesbian relationship between Ruth and Idgie was courageous, especially during the Bush I "family values" era. Fannie Flagg's dual storyline is delicious in more ways than one, including the mystery with the barbecue!

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    Fabulous

    This movie is wonderful! I loved every minute of it. I highly recommend it!

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    fried green tomatoes

    lovely movie which values the true meaning of friendship and loyalty.The actors were memorable in their roles.Sure to one day be a classic

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    One of my favorite movies !!!!

    This is a very charming movie about the lives of Idgie and Ruth, and how they impacted a small southern town. I recommend this movie to anyone. I loved it!!

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    Five stars and then some!

    I can't believe no one else has written a review for Fried Green Tomatoes. I saw it several times in theatrical release, years ago with my then 9-year-old granddaughter. We both loved it. The cast was excellent, especially the four primary female actresses. I thought Fried Green's message of love, friendship, and loyalty so profound I bought fourteen copies for friends and loved ones. If you've never seen it, rent it. You may like it enough to buy your own copies to give as gifts!

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted March 16, 2010

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted April 17, 2009

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted March 17, 2010

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted March 18, 2012

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted March 3, 2010

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted October 19, 2011

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted January 24, 2009

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted March 9, 2009

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted March 13, 2009

    No text was provided for this review.

See All Sort by: Showing 1 – 20 of 26 Customer Reviews