Based on the true story of Susan Harling Robinson, written by her brother Robert Harling. When Susan’s husband remarried just five months after her death, and he later heard his nephew calling the new wife mommy, he wondered if he would ever know what Susan had gone through to have him. He did say the stepmom was good to him. In the movie Robert plays the minister at the wedding and graveside. Susan’s actual nurses play their parts in the film also. Susan’s mother insisted being on set when Julia filmed the death scene. She said it was very important to her to see Julia get up off that table💔

I will never forget Shelby's line "I'd rather have 30 minutes of wonderful than a lifetime of nothing special"...chills.

37:58  this funeral scene from Sally Field was all one, first take. The director just said follow her, don't stop, didn't interrupt.

This is definitely an ugly cry movie🥺Sally Field is great in this!

FYI- This movie is based on a true story

When my husband died, I was married one day and a widower the next day. I was mad that the world didn’t stop.

Southern ladies always have the best descriptives and insults.

The funny mean lady is Shirley McClain a famous actress from the 60s and 70s.

Dolly Parton in the comedy movie 9 to 5 is worth checking out.

A Steel Magnolia is a southern woman.  Stong as steel, beautiful,  graceful,  but can take care of anything.

Steel Magnolias and Fried Green Tomatoes are my favorite southern movies. I’m glad you two reacted to both of them

The reason why we didn't see Julia Roberts in Jack Jr's birthday party scene, is because the little girl who was playing Jack Jr. got scared sitting on Julia Robert's lap, so the director had the little girl's real mom sit in Julia's place.

One of Julia's best roles!  Sally Field, as her mom is heartbreaking...😢❤

I still say, everyday, “ I smiled at the son of a bitch before I could help myself”.

This movie is based on real life.  One of Shelby's brothers became an actor and he wrote the play.  I don't know whether real life was as sweet and funny as this movie.  I read that Jackson, being a young single dad, eventually remarried.  Their son., just a toddler when Shelby died, started calling step-mom "Mama". Shelby's family thought, "Will this boy ever know who his (real) Mama was and what she went through for him?" So, the brother wrote this play.

Based on a true story. One of her brothers wrote the play.

Shelby is about to be reborn at the end of the movie. It's very bittersweet.

That funeral scene makes me cry everytime I see it. As I've gotten older and have kids of my own,  it hurts even more, knowing that rare emotion could happen and how badly it would hurt.

I saw this movie in the theater in 1989 (yes, I’m old) and I cried my eyes out! Sally Field’s performance is so incredible, she is truly one of the BEST actresses of all time. I had to sit in the theater with my sister for a while because we were both crying so hard we needed to try and gather ourselves before we left. 😂

I really enjoyed your reaction! ❤

Did you know Sally Fields did the famous cemetery scene in one take?  It was so raw they didn't stop rolling.  They whole scene feom saddnes to anger to laughter was done in one take.

Also, Robert Harling had the actual medical staff(nurses and doctors) who cared for his sister be in the movie.  The nurse in the movie who pulls the plug on Shelby is the actual nurse in real life who pulled the plug on his sister.