From left: Adepero Oduye, Jill Scott, Phylicia Rashad and Alfre Woodard

July 6, 2012

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The 1989 movie that helped make Julia Roberts a star is getting a makeover.

A new version of playwright Robert Harling's stage-to-screen dramedy Steel Magnolias is geared up as a Lifetime TV movie to air in the fall – but the cable network is already previewing the tear-jerker on its website.

This time, the women at the core of the Southern story, set in the fictional Louisiana town of Chinquapin, will be played by African Americans: Queen Latifah as M'Lynn, Alfre Woodard as Ouiser, Phylicia Rashad as Clairee, Adepero Oduye as Annelle, and Condola Rashad, the Tony-nominated, real-life daughter of Phylicia, as Shelby.

In the movie (based on the 1987 play), those roles were played, respectively, by Sally Field, Shirley MacLaine, Olympia Dukakis, Daryl Hannah and Roberts.

"It's a classic story with classic characters," Woodard told the New York Post this week. "It's not like we're turning it into Big Momma's House!."

Of playing Ouiser, the steeliest of the magnolias, the four-time Emmy winner, 59, said, "I really enjoy being bitchy! It's fun. You have to behave all your life. But it is always fun to get to act like a person who is not accommodating at all."

2 min preview

I love the original play and I love this cast so I'm hopeful.

Alfre is one of my favorite acresses on the planet.

johnart said:

I love the original play and I love this cast so I'm hopeful.

Alfre is one of my favorite acresses on the planet.

Well then you're more hopeful than I am, because as much as I love and adore all these ladies, I loved the film version so much that I don't want anyone messing with MaLynn's hospital and funeral scenes I'mma be grittin' & grindin' my teeth at every mention of this remake

No...just no. I heard there was going to be a remake but I didn't know the cast and had assumed it was going to be all white again. I'm happier that it's an all black cast but this movie does NOT need to be remade by white people, black people, martians, ANYBODY. The original film stands the test of time and the story, IMO, is not race specific.

I'm still going to watch it though.

And Jill Scott as Truvy? Come the fuck on!

Another remake?

Ottensen said:

johnart said:

I love the original play and I love this cast so I'm hopeful.

Alfre is one of my favorite acresses on the planet.

Well then you're more hopeful than I am, because as much as I love and adore all these ladies, I loved the film version so much that I don't want anyone messing with MaLynn's hospital and funeral scenes I'mma be grittin' & grindin' my teeth at every mention of this remake

I agree. I loved the film version, it's one of my childhood movies. Why this needed to be remade is beyond me.....

I swear if I hear that "Fried Green Tomatoes" gets remade...

[Edited 7/7/12 19:50pm]

JuliePurplehead said:

No...just no. I heard there was going to be a remake but I didn't know the cast and had assumed it was going to be all white again. I'm happier that it's an all black cast but this movie does NOT need to be remade by white people, black people, martians, ANYBODY. The original film stands the test of time and the story, IMO, is not race specific.

I'm still going to watch it though.

And Jill Scott as Truvy? Come the fuck on!

Jill Scott's acting range is a lot better than many people know. For 2 seasons she had a show playing a detective in Africa, not glamourous metropolis Africa like Nairobi, but 2 steps away from the bush fighting voodoo and ganglords Africa---she was damned good actually, and her accent was on point . Jill was the only one whose role in the remake I thought, okay---sassy quick talking Truvy with Jill Scott; this might work

Still doesn't mean I want one of my favorite movies to be made . First "FAME", now this. If those Hollywood bastards even think of touching "Grease", I'm tellin' ya, neighborhoods are going to burn and people are going down, man

Ottensen said:

JuliePurplehead said:

No...just no. I heard there was going to be a remake but I didn't know the cast and had assumed it was going to be all white again. I'm happier that it's an all black cast but this movie does NOT need to be remade by white people, black people, martians, ANYBODY. The original film stands the test of time and the story, IMO, is not race specific.

I'm still going to watch it though.

And Jill Scott as Truvy? Come the fuck on!

Jill Scott's acting range is a lot better than many people know. For 2 seasons she had a show playing a detective in Africa, not glamourous metropolis Africa like Nairobi, but 2 steps away from the bush fighting voodoo and ganglords Africa---she was damned good actually, and her accent was on point . Jill was the only one whose role in the remake I thought, okay---sassy quick talking Truvy with Jill Scott; this might work

Still doesn't mean I want one of my favorite movies to be made . First "FAME", now this. If those Hollywood bastards even think of touching "Grease", I'm tellin' ya, neighborhoods are going to burn and people are going down, man

I almost had a fit when they said they were gonna remake "Rocky Horror". They should leave the classics alone. Seriously.

Ottensen said:

johnart said:

I love the original play and I love this cast so I'm hopeful.

Alfre is one of my favorite acresses on the planet.

Well then you're more hopeful than I am, because as much as I love and adore all these ladies, I loved the film version so much that I don't want anyone messing with MaLynn's hospital and funeral scenes I'mma be grittin' & grindin' my teeth at every mention of this remake

I'm somewhere in between you two.

I love the original. I love the new cast and I can sort of understand the idea.

But I'm also incredibly skeptical.

Steel Magnolias is one of my all time favorite movies so this is one i'd definitely be interested in watching ~ the cast is an interesting mix and i would be interest in how the different personalities come across!!!

Can't wait!!!

wonder when it will be shown in Aust!!!

okay.

I saw the original once with the ex.

It annoyed the shit out of me.

Especially the fact that Julia Roberts was sick or whatever and needlessly risking her life (since they had money) by working...AS IF she didn't have a young child at home that needed her.

First, I'll reiterate that I love Steel Magnolias and the cast of the original film.

a)"Steel Magnolias" and "Fried Green Tomatoes" film versions are fine films but, as is often the case, 1 step down from original incarnation.

b)Their original incarnations are good strong works but far from literary/theatre classics.

Neither would be what I would consider "too good" to ever be remade.
Especially "Steel" which is a play, which is supposed to be made over and over again.

[Edited 7/9/12 21:52pm]

johnart said:

First, I'll reiterate that I love Steel Magnolias and the cast of the original film.

a)"Steel Magnolias" and "Fried Green Tomatoes" film versions are fine films but, as is often the case, 1 step down from original incarnation.

b)Their original incarnations are good strong works but far from literary/theatre classics.

Neither would be what I would consider "too good" to ever be remade.
Especially "Steel" which is a play, which is supposed to be made over and over again.

[Edited 7/9/12 21:52pm]

Ok-Not really into Steel Magnolias. But the original film was good. I have friends who have done the play and they were just as good as the film. So, the new cast has talent-if directed well it should be good. I have no plans on seeing it though.

Now fried green tomatoes remake without Kathy Bates may be hard to do.

kewlschool said:

johnart said:

First, I'll reiterate that I love Steel Magnolias and the cast of the original film.

a)"Steel Magnolias" and "Fried Green Tomatoes" film versions are fine films but, as is often the case, 1 step down from original incarnation.

b)Their original incarnations are good strong works but far from literary/theatre classics.

Neither would be what I would consider "too good" to ever be remade.
Especially "Steel" which is a play, which is supposed to be made over and over again.

[Edited 7/9/12 21:52pm]

Ok-Not really into Steel Magnolias. But the original film was good. I have friends who have done the play and they were just as good as the film. So, the new cast has talent-if directed well it should be good. I have no plans on seeing it though.

Now fried green tomatoes remake without Kathy Bates may be hard to do.

Why? Fried Green is a better-than-average with a story diluted from its original source film at best.

A nice fun role to see Kathy Bates in, but nothing spectacular, really. She'd just come off her brilliant performance in "Misery" and was a semi-hot commodity but Hollywood being what it is, the roles for a big gurl are few and far between.

If I was gonna pick a movie (of that time) beside Misery that might not be the same without her I'd go with "Dolores Clairborne" but that wasn't much of a hit.

Ms. Bates is a kickass under-used actress. She didn't even get to play the role in "Night Mother" (Sissy Spacek did) or "Frankie and Johnny" (Michelle Pfeiffer), both roles she originated (one she won a Tony for).

Wait, this isn't a Kathy Bates thread.

[Edited 7/9/12 22:51pm]

^ No it's not.

johnart said:

kewlschool said:

Ok-Not really into Steel Magnolias. But the original film was good. I have friends who have done the play and they were just as good as the film. So, the new cast has talent-if directed well it should be good. I have no plans on seeing it though.

Now fried green tomatoes remake without Kathy Bates may be hard to do.

Why? Fried Green is a better-than-average with a story diluted from its original source film at best.

A nice fun role to see Kathy Bates in, but nothing spectacular, really. She'd just come off her brilliant performance in "Misery" and was a semi-hot commodity but Hollywood being what it is, the roles for a big gurl are few and far between.

If I was gonna pick a movie (of that time) beside Misery that might not be the same without her I'd go with "Dolores Clairborne" but that wasn't much of a hit.

Ms. Bates is a kickass under-used actress. She didn't even get to play the role in "Night Mother" (Sissy Spacek did) or "Frankie and Johnny" (Michelle Pfeiffer), both roles she originated (one she won a Tony for).

Wait, this isn't a Kathy Bates thread.

[Edited 7/9/12 22:51pm]

Just because it's an understated role doesn't make it a good or hard role to replace. Understated roles and romantic lead roles can be the hardest to do-since there are normally not any oscar award worthy winning scenes involved.

But I get your opinnion.

And I love Dolores Clairborne and Misery.

Now back to steel Magnolias...

burn hollywood burn