Fried Green Tomatoes#Cast

Evelyn Couch is a timid housewife in her 40s in 1980s Birmingham, Alabama. Her husband Ed has an aunt living at an Alabama nursing home, where Evelyn meets the elderly Ninny Threadgoode. Over several encounters, Ninny tells Evelyn about the long-abandoned town of Whistle Stop and its residents.{{efn|The film's subplot concerns Evelyn's dissatisfaction with her marriage, her life, her growing confidence, and the developing friendship between her and Ninny. The timeline switches between the present and a flashback story set between World War I and World War II.}}

Ninny's tale begins with tomboy Idgie, the youngest member of the Threadgoode family. She and Ruth Jamison are devastated when Idgie's beloved older brother and Ruth's boyfriend, Buddy, is killed by a train. Idgie remains socially withdrawn well into her adolescence. At the Threadgoode family's request, the straitlaced Ruth intervenes.

Idgie initially rebuffs Ruth's attempt at friendship, but over the summer they gradually develop a deep attachment. Ruth eventually moves to Valdosta, Georgia, to marry Frank Bennett. When Idgie visits, she discovers that Frank habitually abuses the pregnant Ruth.

Against Frank's violent attempts to stop her, Idgie, together with her brother Julian and Big George, rescue Ruth who returns to Whistle Stop with them, where her baby, Buddy Jr., is born. Papa Threadgoode gives Idgie money to start a business and help care for Ruth and Buddy Jr. She and Ruth open the Whistle Stop Cafe, employing the family cook, Sipsey, and her son, Big George, whose excellent barbecue becomes widely popular.

Frank comes to Whistle Stop to kidnap his infant son, but an unseen assailant thwarts his attempt, and he is soon reported missing. About five years later, Frank's truck surfaces in a nearby river. Idgie becomes a suspect, having publicly threatened Frank for beating Ruth. Sheriff Grady Kilgore detains both her and Big George. He offers to release Idgie and pin Frank's supposed murder solely on Big George, but she refuses.

During the subsequent trial, Reverend Scroggins provides false testimony that supports both Idgie's and Big George's alibis. Taking into account Frank's reputation for drunkenness and his body never being found, the judge rules his probable death as accidental and drops all charges against Idgie and Big George.

Shortly after the trial, Ruth is diagnosed with terminal cancer and soon dies. When trains stop running through Whistle Stop, the café closes, and the townsfolk drift away. Ninny's story concludes, but not before Frank's fate is revealed. When Frank attempted to kidnap Buddy Jr., Sipsey hit him over the head with a cast-iron skillet, killing him. Frank's truck was pushed into the river, and Idgie convinced Big George to butcher and barbecue Frank's body, which they later served to Sheriff Curtis Smoot, who relentlessly investigated Frank's disappearance for years. Smoot proclaimed the meal as the best barbecue he ever ate.

Evelyn discovers Ninny was discharged from the nursing home. During her stay there, Ninny's house was condemned and demolished unbeknownst to her. Evelyn finds Ninny where the house once stood. She invites her to live with her and Ed, to which Ninny agrees.

They pass by Ruth's grave which is freshly adorned with a jar containing honey and a honeycomb. A card reads, "I'll always love you, the Bee Charmer". The Bee Charmer was Ruth's nickname for Idgie, revealing that she is still alive. As they leave, Ninny recollects how, after Ruth died, the cafe closed and all the townspeople eventually left.

{{Cast listing|

• Kathy Bates as Evelyn Couch
• Mary Stuart Masterson as Idgie Threadgoode
• Mary-Louise Parker as Ruth Jamison
• Jessica Tandy as Ninny Threadgoode
• Chris O'Donnell as Buddy Threadgoode
• Stan Shaw as Big George Pullman
• Gailard Sartain as Ed Couch
• Tim Scott as Smokey Lonesome
• Gary Basaraba as Grady Kilgore
• Nick Searcy as Frank Bennett
• Lois Smith as Mama Threadgoode
• Cicely Tyson as Sipsey

}}

Jon Avnet first read the novel in 1987.{{cite AV media|people=Avnet, Jon (director) |date=1998 |title=Director's Commentary (Fried Green Tomatoes) |medium=DVD |language=English |location=United States |publisher=Universal Studios Home Video |oclc=861743569}} He was introduced to it by producer Lisa Lindstrom, with whom he worked on television films Heat Wave and Breaking Point. Although he wanted her to give him a synopsis of the story, she insisted he read the book and like her, he loved it. He decided to turn the story into a film and pitched the idea to Norman Lear's company, Act III Communications, who were interested and gave him a small budget for a screenwriter.{{cite AV media|people=Kenny, J.M. (director)|date=1998 |title='Fried Green Tomatoes': The Moments of Discovery |medium=DVD |language=English |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0436599/ |location=United States |publisher=Universal Studios Home Video |access-date=April 4, 2010 |oclc=861743569}} He hired Carol Sobieski who had written the screenplay for 1982's Annie. She wrote a draft for it as a musical, which he was unhappy with. Sobieski left the project and he hired Flagg, who had been surprised that anyone would want to turn the novel into a film, to develop the script. Although she had some screenwriting experience, she found the process of turning her own novel into a script a strange one. The job was made somewhat easier by the work done by Sobieski and Avnet in choosing which characters from the book were going to be featured, but she found it difficult and also left the project, after writing 70 pages of the screenplay. With no money left to hire another writer, Avnet took the script over himself and spent the next 2–3 years developing it. Flagg gave her blessing to the final draft.

Avnet wrote the film with Jessica Tandy in mind; she expressed excitement about making the film. He had worked with Kathy Bates and Chris O'Donnell on the 1990 film Men Don't Leave before offering them the roles of Evelyn Couch and Buddy Threadgoode respectively. When Bates read the script she loved the characters and was particularly keen to work with Tandy. Mary-Louise Parker was casting director David Rubin's first choice for the role of Ruth Jamison. She read for the part several times, initially unhappy with her own tests. When she read along with Mary Stuart Masterson, they{{spnd}}and the producers{{spnd}}agreed that they had good chemistry.

footer = Kathy Bates (pictured in 2006), Mary Stuart Masterson (2007), and Mary-Louise Parker (1999)

File:Kathy Bates 2006.jpg|Kathy Bates (2006)

File:Mary Stuart Masterson at Tribeca 2007 cropped 2.jpg|Mary Stuart Masterson (2007)

File:Mary-Louise Parker 1999.jpg|Mary-Louise Parker (1999)

File:Jessica Tandy 1988 Emmy Awards.jpg|Jessica Tandy (1988)

Avnet hired Barbara Ling as production designer. Scouting for a location, she found Juliette, Georgia, a town that was, according to Avnet, nearly deserted.{{cite news|last1=Park |first1=Irby |title=Fannie Flagg Captivates Audience at City Book Event |url=http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_36159.asp |work=The Chattanoogan |date=May 7, 2003 |access-date=December 28, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030509181222/http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_36159.asp |archive-date=May 9, 2003 |url-status=dead}} The building chosen to be the Whistle Stop Café was formerly an antique and hardware store. It was redesigned as a cafe, with a horseshoe-shaped counter to allow for optimal camera angles.

The scene where Idgie goes to collect honey from a tree stump for Ruth was originally intended to be performed by a stunt double. However, after the latter backed out at the last minute, Masterson volunteered to do it herself. The footage of her covered in a swarm of live bees is seen in the final version of the film.

Flagg based the Whistle Stop restaurant on the real-life Irondale Café in Irondale, Alabama. She was a frequent visitor and it was formerly owned by her great-aunt.{{cite magazine|last1=Nolan |first1=Michael |title=Fried Green Tomatoes At The Irondale Cafe|url=http://www.americanprofile.com/spotlights/article/2680.html |magazine=American Profile |date=October 20, 2002 |access-date=December 28, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100612093813/http://www.americanprofile.com/spotlights/article/2680.html |archive-date=June 12, 2010 |url-status=dead}}

Unlike the novel, the film does not make the lesbian romance between the two central characters explicit, instead leaving the relationship between Idgie and Ruth ambiguous.{{cite journal|last1=Rockler |first1=Naomi R. |title=A Wall on the Lesbian Continuum: Polysemy and Fried Green Tomatoes |journal=Women's Studies in Communication |volume=24 |issue=1 |pages=90–106 |date=2001 | doi=10.1080/07491409.2001.10162428 |s2cid=143987600 |issn=0749-1409}}{{Cite journal|last=Vickers |first=Lu |title=Fried Green Tomatoes Excuse me, did we see the same movie? |journal=Jump Cut |date=June 1994 |volume=39 |pages=25–30 |url=http://www.ejumpcut.org/archive/onlinessays/JC39folder/FrGreenTomatoes.html |access-date=February 12, 2012}} The DVD contains an audio commentary by Avnet in which he points out that a scene between Idgie and Ruth engaging in a food fight was intended as a "love scene".{{cite web|last1=Colussi |first1=Mary |title=14 Queer Characters Who Got "Straightwashed" Into Heteronormativity By Hollywood: 3. Idgie and Ruth — Fried Green Tomatoes |url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/marycolussi/hollywood-straightwashed-queer-characters |website=BuzzFeed |date=May 8, 2021 |access-date=17 May 2023}}

At the time of the film's debut, it was criticized by reviewers and activists for what was seen as "glossing over" the lesbian relationship.{{cite web|last1=Levy |first1=Emanuel |author-link=Emanuel Levy |title=Fried Green Tomatoes |url=http://www.emanuellevy.com/search/details.cfm?id=2628 |website=emanuellevy.com |date=January 6, 2006 |access-date=April 20, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120307184808/http://www.emanuellevy.com/review/fried-green-tomatoes-6/ |archive-date=March 7, 2012 |url-status=dead}} But it won an award in 1992 from the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation for best feature film with lesbian content.

Although in the book Idgie and Ninny are two distinctly separate characters, at the end of the film it is largely hinted that they are one and the same. This runs counter to two comments Ninny makes when she first meets Evelyn: "I was practically adopted by the Threadgoodes; I married her {{bracket|Idgie's}} brother, Cleo"; and "I had the biggest crush on him. {{bracket|Buddy Threadgoode, Idgie's older brother}}"{{cite book|last1=Hollinger |first1=Karen |title=In The Company Of Women: Contemporary Female Friendship Films |date=1998 |edition=1st |chapter=5: The Erotic Female Friendship Film: Lesbianism in the Mainstream |pages=158–168, 177 |publisher=University of Minnesota Press |location=Minneapolis, Minnesota |isbn=978-0816631773}}

Fried Green Tomatoes was given a limited release in the United States on December 27, 1991, opening in five theaters.{{cite web|title=Fried Green Tomatoes |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0101921/ |website=Box Office Mojo |date=1991 |access-date =April 5, 2008}} It went into wide release four weeks later, on January 24, 1992, in 673 theaters. It ran for 19 weeks in total, with its widest release having been 1,331 theaters.

{{RT prose|{{RT data|score}}|{{RT data|average}}|{{RT data|count}}|Fried Green Tomatoes{{'}} tearjerking drama is undeniably manipulative, but in the hands of a skilled cast that includes Jessica Tandy and Kathy Bates, it's also powerfully effective.|ref=yes|access-date={{RT data|access date}}}} {{MC film|64|21|ref=yes|access-date=2024-06-16}} Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale.{{cite web|title=Find CinemaScore|url=https://www.cinemascore.com|format=Type "Fried Green Tomatoes" in the search box|publisher=CinemaScore|access-date=February 18, 2019}}

Critics enjoyed the narrative, but found it conventional and predictable.{{cite web|last1=Ebert |first1=Roger |author-link=Roger Ebert |title=Fried Green Tomatoes |url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19920110/REVIEWS/201100301/1023 |website=rogerebert.com |date=January 10, 1992 |access-date=December 28, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050913210534/http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19920110/REVIEWS/201100301/1023 |archive-date=September 13, 2005 |url-status=dead}} The adaptation of the separate narrative of book to the screen was criticized by Time Out as "clumsy", Roger Ebert praised the performances, Janet Maslin praised the costume and production design and Emanuel Levy praised the cinematography and score.{{cite news|last1=Maslin |first1=Janet |author-link=Janet Maslin |title=Review/Film; Women Finding Strength In Women |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/12/27/movies/review-film-women-finding-strength-in-women.html |page=C, 3 |work=The New York Times |date=December 27, 1991 |access-date=December 28, 2009}} The cast drew praise for their performances, particularly Masterson and Tandy.

In 2005, Fried Green Tomatoes was nominated by the American Film Institute for its "AFI's 100 Years...100 Cheers" list of most inspiring movies.{{cite web|title=AFI's 100 Years...100 Cheers: America's Most Inspiring Movies (Official Ballot) |url=http://www.afi.com/Docs/100Years/cheers300.pdf |website=American Film Institute |date=2005 |access-date=23 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110313150517/http://www.afi.com/Docs/100Years/cheers300.pdf |archive-date=March 13, 2011 |url-status=dead}}

Fried Green Tomatoes grossed $82.4{{nbsp}}million domestically (United States and Canada), and $37{{nbsp}}million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $119.4{{nbsp}}million,{{Cite Box Office Mojo |access-date=2024-06-16}} against a budget of $11{{nbsp}}million.{{cite news |title='Green Tomatoes': Why a Little Film Bloomed: Movies: Film starts slowly at the box office but word of mouth, themes, strong cast ignite interest in the $11-million work. |first=David J. |last=Fox |date=February 10, 1992 |work=Los Angeles Times |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-02-10-ca-1330-story.html |access-date=November 16, 2015 |url-access=subscription |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151017183849/http://articles.latimes.com/1992-02-10/entertainment/ca-1330_1_fried-green-tomatoes |archive-date=October 17, 2015 |url-status=live}} During its initial four weeks, the film appeared in no more than 35 theatres, but spent the following 10 weeks, in wide release, in the Top{{nbsp}}10 (peaking at No.{{nbsp}}2) at the domestic box office.{{cite web |title=Fried Green Tomatoes {{!}} Domestic Weekly |website=Box Office Mojo |publisher=IMDb |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl1045792257/weekly/?ref_=bo_rl_tab#tabs |access-date=2024-06-16}} According to Box Office Mojo, it ranked at No.{{nbsp}}11 for all films released in the US in 1991.{{cite web|title=Domestic Box Office For 1991 |website=Box Office Mojo |publisher=IMDb |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/year/1991/?grossesOption=totalGrosses |access-date=2018-08-22}}

{{Infobox album

| name = Fried Green Tomatoes

| type = Album

| artist = Various Artists

| cover =

| alt =

| released = December 31, 1991

| recorded =

| venue =

| studio =

| genre = Soundtrack

| length = 39:24

| label = MCA

| producer =

| prev_title =

| prev_year =

| next_title =

| next_year =

}}

The Fried Green Tomatoes: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack was supervised by Arthur Baker,{{cite magazine|last1=Buskin |first1=Richard |title=Arthur Baker: From Planet Rock To Star Maker |url=https://www.soundonsound.com/people/arthur-baker-planet-rock-star-maker |magazine=Sound on Sound |date=June 1997 |access-date=21 October 2022}} who also produced several of the songs. Baker and American singer-songwriter Grayson Hugh co-arranged and recorded Bob Dylan's song "I'll Remember You" for the end-title song. British singer-songwriter Paul Young appears with the song "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted," which peaked at No. 22 on the Billboard Hot 100 in March 1992.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/1992-03-21|title=Top 100 Songs - Billboard Hot 100 Chart|magazine=Billboard|date=January 2, 2013|access-date=14 September 2018}} The soundtrack featured Patti LaBelle performing Bessie Jackson's 1933 blues song, "Barbecue Bess".{{cite news|last1=Griffin |first1=Gil |title=Crop of Soundtracks With Plenty of Picks |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1992/04/03/crop-of-soundtracks-with-plenty-of-picks/5c7ad76c-8dd4-4e04-aff1-1115fb8ca175/ |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=April 3, 1992 |access-date=21 October 2022}}{{cite web|title=Fried Green Tomatoes |url=https://www.soundtrack.net/album/fried-green-tomatoes/ |website=Soundtrack.Net |access-date=21 October 2022}}

The original score, composed by Thomas Newman, was released as Fried Green Tomatoes in June 1992.{{cite web|title=Fried Green Tomatoes – Original Score |url=https://www.soundtrack.net/album/fried-green-tomatoes-thomas-newman/ |website=Soundtrack.Net |date=2007 |access-date=28 August 2023}}

The VHS was released by MCA/Universal Home Video in North America on August 20, 1992.{{cite news|last1=Nichols|first1=Peter M.|title=Home Video|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/07/16/movies/home-video-607492.html|work=The New York Times|date=July 16, 1992|page=Section C, 24|access-date=20 September 2020}}{{cite magazine|last1=McCullaugh|first1=Jim|title=MCA To Duplicate Long-Running 'Far & Away' On Thicker Tape|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EBIEAAAAMBAJ&q=fried+green+tomatoes%2BVHS+release&pg=RA1-PA83|magazine=Billboard |date=October 17, 1992 |page=83 |access-date=20 September 2020}}

The 137-minute "extended" collector's edition DVD for Region 1 was released by Universal Studios on April 18, 2000. The DVD features a documentary about the making of the film, commentary by Jon Avnet, original theatrical trailer, and the film poster campaign.{{cite web|title=Fried Green Tomatoes DVD |url=https://www.blu-ray.com/dvd/Fried-Green-Tomatoes-DVD/22057/ |website=Blu-ray.com |date=2000 |access-date=20 September 2020}}{{cite web|last1=Koemmlich |first1=Herr |title=Fried Green Tomatoes |url=https://www.movie-censorship.com/report.php?ID=3455 |website=Movie-Censorship.com |date=March 10, 2010 |access-date=20 September 2020}}{{cite web|last1=Levy |first1=Emanuel |author-link=Emanuel Levy |title=Fried Green Tomatoes: Anniversary Edition of Cult Movie |url=https://emanuellevy.com/review/fried-green-tomatoes-anniversary-edition-of-cult-movie/ |website=EmanuelLevy.com |date=June 26, 2020 |access-date=17 May 2023}} The region free Blu-ray was released March 4, 2014.{{cite web|title=Fried Green Tomatoes Blu-ray|url=https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Fried-Green-Tomatoes-Blu-ray/92835/|website=Blu-ray.com|date=2014|access-date=20 September 2020}}

In the United Kingdom, the VHS was released as Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Columbia Tristar Home Video on October 2, 1992.{{cite web|title=Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe|url=https://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/fried-green-tomatoes-whistle-stop-cafe-1991|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150328044555/http://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/fried-green-tomatoes-whistle-stop-cafe-1991|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 28, 2015|website=BBFC|date=2002|access-date=20 September 2020}} The DVD for Region 2 was released by Carlton Visual Entertainment on September 9, 2002.{{cite web|last1=Foster |first1=Dave |title=Carlton DVD Announcements |url=https://www.thedigitalfix.com/film/news/carlton-dvd-announcements/ |website=The Digital Fix |date=2 August 2002 |access-date=20 September 2020}}

File:Window at the Whistlestop.760.jpg.]]

After the release of Fried Green Tomatoes, the town of Juliette saw an influx of tourists and, with Jon Avnet's encouragement, locals opened the Whistle Stop Café, recreated to mirror the film set.{{cite news|title=Little Town Where Movie Was Made Finally Gets Café, Fried Tomatoes|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=CHw1AAAAIBAJ&pg=5616,4004503|page=5|work=Rome News-Tribune |date=April 13, 1992|access-date=December 28, 2009}} Although "Whistle Stop Café" is a registered trademark, other establishments have appeared using that name.{{cite news|last1=Zganjar |first1=Leslie |title=The Whistle Stop name is just too popular |url=http://birmingham.bizjournals.com/birmingham/stories/2002/11/04/story5.html |work=Birmingham Business Journal |date=November 3, 2002 |access-date=December 28, 2009}}

The film caused the fried green tomatoes food dish to be known as a delicacy of the Southern United States, when it previously did not have such a status.{{cite news|last1=Gunter |first1=Kara |title=A New Southern 'Classic': Fried Green Tomatoes |url=https://www.postandcourier.com/free-times/archives/a-new-southern-classic-fried-green-tomatoes/article_a1b7b53c-6e95-5bb9-9654-2977437cf789.html |access-date=August 19, 2023 |work=The Post and Courier |date=January 16, 2013 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20230819194845/https://www.postandcourier.com/free-times/archives/a-new-southern-classic-fried-green-tomatoes/article_a1b7b53c-6e95-5bb9-9654-2977437cf789.html |archive-date=19 August 2023 |url-status=live}}

{{Notelist}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Wikiquote|Fried Green Tomatoes}}

• {{IMDb title|0101921|Fried Green Tomatoes}}
• [https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/58891 Fried Green Tomatoes] at AFI Catalog of Feature Films, American Film Institute

{{Jon Avnet}}

{{GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Film – Wide Release}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fried Green Tomatoes}}

Category:1991 films

Category:1991 comedy-drama films

Category:1991 directorial debut films

Category:1991 LGBTQ-related films

Category:1990s American films

Category:1990s English-language films

Category:1990s female buddy films

Category:1990s feminist films

Category:1990s mystery comedy-drama films

Category:American female buddy films

Category:American LGBTQ-related films

Category:American mystery comedy-drama films

Category:English-language buddy comedy-drama films

Category:English-language mystery comedy-drama films

Category:English-language romantic comedy-drama films

Category:Films about domestic violence

Category:Films about families

Category:Films based on American novels

Category:Films set in the 1920s

Category:Films set in the 1930s

Category:Films set in the 1980s

Category:Films set in Alabama

Category:Films set in Georgia (U.S. state)

Category:Films shot in Georgia (U.S. state)

Category:Films directed by Jon Avnet

Category:Films scored by Thomas Newman

Category:Films with screenplays by Carol Sobieski

Category:Lesbian-related films

Category:LGBTQ-related romantic comedy-drama films

Category:Universal Pictures films