Despite having a name that sounds suspiciously like it's been ripped directly out of the Hunger Games books, and the hair of an early Lady Gaga appreciator, it is the humanity of Steel Magnolias that makes it such a profoundly affecting experience. In the context of more artfully crafted storylines, Steel Magnolias might feel somewhat needlessly manipulative - it heaps devastation on top of already raw emotional wounds, including having a child witness his mother's death, and basically having very good people pushed through a mangle of very bad things - BUT, the story actually rings true. Because the storyline is based on the real experiences of writer Robert Harling, and it doesn't actually aim for a cumulative impact, in favour of the purity and entertainment of single moments, the film feels less insistent, and very real (even if the small town setting is very, very Hollywood) and it's helped hugely by excellent performances by the majority of the female cast especially. Roberts is relatable without being insistent, and most important she brings a likability to the role that makes her ultimate tragedy, and her on-screen mother's reaction to it, all the more affecting. In a film that casually ignores all of its male characters, and occasionally plucks too hard on the comedy strings, Roberts' impact is the most important - it is her life (and naturally, her death) which is the keystone in the entire story, and without her successful, artfully understated performance, the film wouldn't work half as well.
