RWC tutor Gricelda Sanchez shares the impact this film had on her.
A film I have watched that has impacted me is Steel Magnolias, a 1989 American comedy-drama directed by Herbert Ross. This wonderful, spunky film starred Sally Field, Dolly Parton, Shirley Maclaine, Daryl Hannah, and Julia Roberts. I’ve watched this film many times, but it still makes me cry, and laugh. The film is about a group of older women living in a small town where everyone knows everyone. The women go through many trials and tribulations throughout the movie, but they support each other through and through. The director does a wonderful job of showing each woman’s struggles with a sprinkle of comedy. Almost at the end of the movie, a tragedy happens and the most powerful performance by Sally Field takes place. In this scene, I felt the pain she felt. Sally’s friends are all around her watching her breakdown, when one of them uses satire to break the seriousness of the scene. Another scene in the movie is where Daryl Hannah goes through many changes after getting a divorce. She was a shy woman, an adventurous woman, a religious woman, and a married woman. Her friends around her rolled their eyes at her many life choices and weren’t afraid to let her know. Julia Roberts portrays someone wanting to live a normal life but also having to deal with a debilitating sickness. Dolly Parton plays a woman who exudes such warmth and comfort in her beauty salon.
How it impacted me...
This movie includes heartwarming scenes with all the women that really impacted me since I watched it when I was just a small child. I felt the pain of loss with the women in the movie, and I felt the warmth Sally Field portrayed in the movie to her child, Julia Roberts. I can relate to Sally Field’s character now as I am a mom. As a mom of four, I now understand that I will do anything for my children, and drop everything for them when they need me because if I don’t fight for them, who will? Sally Field fought for her daughter until the end, and took care of her daughter although her daughter was an adult, Field still took care of Roberts. This movie also taught me that friendships are very important to keep. Although sometimes we don’t agree with everything our friends might do we love them and will be there for them when they need us. As humans, we are social creatures and we need the companion of many, and support of many to feel less alone in the world. The world can be harsh, but with a great support system of family and friends, we can overcome hardships. I feel I am part of their world each time I watch it and each time I catch something different in the movie.