Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: The ways going to Hollywood welcome to Hollywood.
Show him the way. Moving to Hollywood is helping Mr. Hollywood.
Show him the way. Moving to Hollywood is helping Mr. Hollywood.
Hello and happy Saturday, everybody. This is Georgia from how Betty Davis saved my life. Life lessons from classic Hollywood. And I am joined by my Lovely podcast partner.
[00:00:36] Speaker B: Hi, I'm Moya, and you can see about the Avatar and how sound. This is what you're getting today. So Georgia is going to be doing most of the talking.
[00:00:47] Speaker A: Yeah, moy, we all wish that you feel a little bit better, but this is that time of the year and where we just get. It's a sneezing season. Everything's floating in the air, and we're going to do our best because the show must go on. And we're going to bring our best show for you today. Moya is a trooper, and I know she's going to do her best. So I'm going to carry the ball for a while. I wanted to say, first of all, that I am here in the heart of Texas, deep in the heart of Texas today. And I am celebrating Texas Independence Day. And just going to take a second to tell you, if you didn't know this already, that Texas is well, they declared their independence from Mexico 188 years ago today. It was the only state that had a revolution and the only state that was an independent country for ten years before it was annexed as a state onto the United States. So shout out to all my friends, my fellow Texans. Hooray.
God bless Texas. And just so that the Alamo, the fall of the Alamo, occurred four days afterwards, and two of my ancestors were two of the defenders who fell defending the Alamo. So, yes, shout out to all my fellow Texans today. So, Moya, what is the movie that we're going to be bringing everybody today?
We're going to be bringing fried green tomatoes.
Yes. Fried green tomatoes. Yes. Oh, Moya, look. This is wonderful. You have a graphic for Texas Independence Day. I love it. Love it.
Okay, so just to start right off, everybody, I wanted to tell you that this movie is such a beloved one with so many people. And however, Moya sees things a little differently. So we're going to have a make me like it kind of a.
You know, I look at this movie, I find that it's such a beloved one with so many people, there's such great affection for it. And a lot of people consider this movie to be like an old friend. And this movie really found its audience. In fact, when I did some research on it, I found out of all the Netflix movies in the top ten. This movie is right now ranked at number nine, even the most streamed or most watched movie. And it really floored me. I was shocked by that.
[00:03:19] Speaker B: Wow.
[00:03:21] Speaker A: Yeah. It was made back in 1991 and released in 1992. Well, most people saw it in 1992.
And I'm going to go ahead and set it up for you a little bit, just in case you might be one of the few people who haven't seen it.
First of all, the movie has a powerhouse of female acting in it. It stars the great Jessica Tandy, Kathy Bates. She had just played that psycho woman in misery, and so this was such a great role for her to follow up with. We also have Mary Stuart Masterson, and we also have Mary Louise Parker. And because their names sounded kind of similar, the director, John Avnett, would refer to Mary Stuart Masterson and Mary Louise Parker. He'd call him Stu. And so anyway, and then, yes, there's the wonderful, remarkable Cicely Tyson, too. And there, front and center, that's fanny flag. She is the author, and she wrote fried green tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe.
[00:04:33] Speaker B: Now, I remember her name because she used to be on a lot, like she was popular in the game show circuit and all that. That's all I know her from.
[00:04:47] Speaker A: You're right, Moya. You're exactly. I think she did the match game. I think she might have been or maybe Hollywood squares or something like. Yeah, yeah. She was a personality, she was a comedian in her own know, before she started doing tv gigs.
And she even has a part in this movie.
[00:05:06] Speaker B: Yes, she plays the marriage or relationship counselor, whatever she was.
[00:05:15] Speaker A: Yes, indeed. So, yeah, you're packed with all this star power here. And just in case you need a little refreshing on what this movie is about, I'm going to go into the plot a little bit. So you have two sets of friendships. And it starts out where Kathy Bates plays this doughty, bored, unhappy housewife named Evelyn. And on a visit to a retirement home, she meets this little old lady. And this little old lady begins to tell her these stories about life decades earlier in 1930s Alabama.
And the stories are centered around these two women, and their names are Igy and Ruth. And the relationship is they're both linked by Iggy's older brother was buddy, and Ruth was Buddy's girlfriend. And so that's how the two of them are linked and they are with each other and support each other and in a way, redeem each other.
They go through love and heartbreak and tragedy and have some really amazing experiences together.
Life in the deep south in that era. And this movie is so great with the cinematography and the ambiance. I mean, the atmosphere just draws you right in. It's real, but also very beautiful and lyrical. And they ran a diner together. And of course, the name of the diner was the whistle stop cafe. And what did they serve? Fried green tomatoes and among other, many other things. And so here you get a life, Moyer, you're doing such a great job with all these pictures here of life in taking us back to 1930s Alabama.
[00:07:13] Speaker B: Well, I got to do something.
I got to help some kind of way. I sound like a frog.
[00:07:19] Speaker A: No, you don't.
You sound great to me, Moya.
Anyway, so there's some things that a lot of people don't know about what went behind the making of this movie.
The Jessica Tandy character had just finished chemotherapy before shooting the movie, and so she had no hair and she wore a wig. And director John Avnett said about her, she had an appreciation of life that was enormous. And it comes out in her performance. It came out in being with her. And I think that is just so remarkable because a person who has had their life threatened fighting cancer for her to have such a movie that's do a movie that's filled with such life and such heart, and it just comes through so beautifully in this movie.
Now, I also have to tell you there's some funny things that happened.
There was a nearby river where they were rehearsing scenes, and it was full of water moccasins. And once when the director and two of the actors went into the river, he saw that one of the water moccasins was in attack position. And so he lunged out of the water, proving that white men can jump.
And he oh, they didn't have that in Brooklyn when I was growing up.
[00:08:52] Speaker B: You went?
[00:08:56] Speaker A: Did.
But anyway, there is another sequence in the movie where Mary Stewart Masterson has to fill in for the stunt double, who there's a scene very famous, and it has to do with bees. And I just want to say this.
On the day that that beehive scene was to be filmed, of course, the stunt person decided not to perform it. So Mary Stewart Masterson behaving very much like her character, Iggy, says, well, I'm going to do it myself. And so this is no CGI.
That's actually a couple of hundred thousand bees around a hive and a real honeycomb.
And one of the things that I learned, because I have a cousin who has a ranch, and she's getting ready to start raising bees and honey, and she tells me that if you move very slowly around the bees, they are relatively safe and they won't sting you unless they're very provoked. But still, I think that's an amazing thing for her to have done.
[00:10:10] Speaker B: And that's how she got the nickname Iggy the Bee Charmer.
[00:10:15] Speaker A: Exactly.
The bee charmer. And Igy itself is short for her name, Imogene. So that's how she got called Iggy.
[00:10:26] Speaker B: I love that name, by the way.
[00:10:28] Speaker A: I do, too. I think it's just adorable.
Now, okay, moving along a little bit more about this movie, this, I would say a lot of people would like to describe it as maybe one of the ultimate chickflicks. But to me, because I like this movie, I think that would be like comparing the Shawshank redemption and calling it like a male buddy movie. I think that if you call it a chick flick, I think it does it a real disservice because it's not really recognizing the power and depth of this movie because to me, it's more of a female bonding or more of a sisterhood kind of a movie. I think that's really a more accurate description of it because when you mention it to most men, they'll go, oh, man, I have to have maybe a couple of belts of brandy after seeing it. But no, I don't think so. I don't think it's really that female centric to where a man could not actually appreciate it, because I think they could.
[00:11:33] Speaker B: I think you're right, because they had a lot of tough dudes, tough guys. And I know you'll get into that. It has some action. So, yeah, it wasn't a total chick movie, but it was definitely female centered. Woman centered.
[00:11:51] Speaker A: It is. It totally is.
As I look at the movie, I think that one of the reasons that it resonates so much with women is because it's told from a female perspective that you very rarely hear in a movie. And I think that's one of the reasons why it resonated so much.
It's also one of these movies, I think, that overturns stereotypes of, like, the genteel southern woman. People see this movie and they, you know, there's some real toughness. And this movie came two years after still magnolias was made. And I think what they tried to do is maybe capitalize on the success of this other multi generational southern comedy drama.
[00:12:43] Speaker B: Definitely, we're going to be doing that one, too, guys.
[00:12:48] Speaker A: I'm sorry, moya, say that again.
[00:12:49] Speaker B: I said we're going to be doing still magnolias as well, down a pipeline.
[00:12:55] Speaker A: Oh, I can't wait to do that one. That's going to be a lot of fun.
So I think this movie is not your average, formulaic Hollywood movie. It's just not. I think it's a good old southern yarn, and I think it speaks to our value as women, and I think it tells us that humanity is worth caring about.
There's a lot of passion for living in this movie, and a lot of people think of it as a comfort movie. It's like an old friend. They see it that way.
Yes. The film connected to so many in a big way. The characters you care about.
There's some very sassy humor in it.
And I think that we like to think that there are women out there who are strong and generous and funny, who can stand up for themselves.
They live life on their own terms.
And you see this one woman, the Kathy Bates character, you see a transformation take place in her. She starts to gain self esteem and more control over her life. So, yeah, it is a female empowerment movie. It certainly is. And one of the things that I like about this movie is there's also respect for the elderly, their lives, their stories, their wisdom, and finding yourself as a woman as we get older and as we age. And I think that is a really positive message that this movie has.
In many ways. It's just so wise and funny and moving, and there is a lot of dramatic power to it, and it does have us lighthearted moments.
And so I look at this movie Moya, and I wrote down as I was watching, I thought, you know, there's some big lessons in this movie.
The first, of course, and most obvious is the power of friendship, the support, the love and belonging that we as women need, I think, to give each other.
And another thing I think is about overcoming adversity because you see resilience, determination, and supporting people that you love.
I also saw the way that women's roles were depicted so differently, you know, in the time period.
And so you see them still having their dreams, their goals, and then their fight for independence.
And, of course, as I mentioned earlier, tapping into the wisdom of the elderly. But one of the things that hits me, especially this week, is about the power of storytelling. And I don't know about you, but I would suspect in your own family, Moya, and in many others of our listeners out there, do you have stories in your family that you hand down and you talk about somebody that went through something very difficult and challenging and how that person came through? And I have heard my aunt mention many times about an ancestor of mine and how she overcame. Her father, of course, was killed at the Alamo. And they were left all alone, all these women, the whole town, the whole settlement, they were left all alone. And then Santa Ana's army was coming to destroy, and they said they wouldn't let anybody else carry on. So these women had to flee for their lives. And it's depicted in the story called the Runaway scrape. It's a part of true Texas history. And there's a movie that was made about it called True Women. Angelina Jolie is in it, and Dana Delaney. But anyway, so these women had to run for the Sabine river, which at that time was the border between Texas and Louisiana, which was United States. And then after the defeat at San Jacinto and driving Santa Ana out of Texas and the mexican army, they had to go back and start their lives all over again and rebuild their lives. And they had to fight. They had Indians to fight. They had to grow their own food, all those things that they had to do to be really tough and survive as women. So that's one of my favorite stories in my family. But I'm sure that there's a lot of you out there that have stories about your own families. This movie taps into that.
Well, thank you, Moya, for showing a picture of the depicting the Texas runaway scrape. Yes, it was women and children, and it was old men and little boys, because the men had gone off to fight and to protect themselves, they had to deal with not only Indians, but they had all kinds of outlaws to contend with. That's a lovely picture, Moya. You're doing a great job with that. So, yes, that's Dana Delaney in the front. And there's Angelina Jolie. And I don't remember the name of the other lady in the movie, but I highly recommend that movie. If you want to see something about women who have to become strong and independent and it's based historical fact. It's a great movie.
[00:18:40] Speaker B: I remember this movie. I don't think I saw it. I did not know the historical context of it. And that's cool to have somebody who's connected to it.
But, yeah, let's put this on the list. True women. I think that's a good idea.
And go ahead and finish your thought, and I'll chime just for a hot minute.
[00:19:06] Speaker A: Yeah.
So I would like to invite all of you to comment and let us know what your thoughts are about this movie or if there's special meaning for you. I hear about people who watch this together with their mothers or grandmothers or their sisters and friends and your true thoughts or feelings or memories that you have about it.
And also, moya, this is going to be a make me like it movie for you. And so let me know about what your thoughts and your impressions are about watching fried green tomatoes.
[00:19:48] Speaker B: Well, just real quick, I agree with you that this movie was trying to capitalize off of steel magnolias.
I saw this movie probably around not too long after it had come out.
And I was so, lord, that was a million years ago. So 32, is that right?
33 years ago. And so, yeah, I was a teenager and I saw it and I enjoyed it.
Because you're right, there were not a lot of movies told from a female's perspective like this that I can think of.
And if there was a movie or movies, if there were movies, audience, please let us know in the comments. Don't forget to, for our YouTube followers, don't forget to share and subscribe and hit the notification bell. And like our video, shout out to all our new subscribers and those of you who've been faithfully following us from day one and subscribe. We really appreciate you. And also shout out to all our audio listeners, you're the ogs. You were with us, really with us from day one because we were only doing audio. So thank you guys for listening and watching. And of course, you can always catch us here live on every other Saturday at 01:00 p.m. Central Standard. But anyway, I just wanted to say, yeah, so I don't recall Georgia. So I think, let's just say that you're right. But now fast forward. Now, I think why I said it was kind of so what movies to me, because I've seen this story and this story is maybe an OG and a predecessor. I've seen this story. So women are so empowered now, even though this movie was in the women, I don't read the reviews. I try not to. But a lot of people say there was a lot of lesbian overtones. Well, let me ask you this. Do you think iggy was in love?
Spoiler alert. If you don't want to know about this, well, just mute it. Don't stop watching or listening. But, Georgia, do you think iggy was in love with Ruth?
[00:22:10] Speaker A: I think that love does not have to always involve sex. And so when I looked at it with a very open mind, I was like looking for things and I thought, no, I don't think that it involved that kind of a relationship. I felt that these were just honestly and truly close friends, I didn't see that it was like outside of that. But also I thought that during the time that was filmed in 1991, it was probably more palatable to everybody to film it with them as friends and not necessarily something beyond that.
And so to me, I didn't really see anything obvious or overt. No, I did not. However, I think in Fanny Flag's book, I think it's more pronounced, I guess. Oh, really? But in the movie, I didn't see it. And I thought that the way he filmed it, the relationship, I thought he did a really good job of it.
[00:23:14] Speaker B: Well, that's because it was 1991. But you dog on know for sure if they try to do this over now. Oh, my gosh, you already know what's up. They would take us now. By the way, I think she was a lesbian.
It wasn't sexual, obviously.
But I do think because back then, we would call those girls only 32 years ago tomboys. You didn't ever say they were a lesbian.
But I think the way he shot, and like you saying with the book, that iggy certainly had romantic feelings for Ruth.
And then I don't want to give away too much, but then something Ruth said at the trial, and I don't want to give it away, that. I don't think Ruth felt that way about Iggy. I don't think she was a lesbian or like that. But she did love her.
And maybe the part of that love was because of the loss of Iggy's brother, who we definitely know Ruth had feelings for. So, you know, there's a lot going on now. They were totally perverted. This, and don't get mad with me. You said perverted because I'm saying that because this movie is shot so innocently. So that's why I said, don't pervert something that was innocent. Had this movie never been made and you all want to do that now, then we could talk about that then and there from this standpoint. But I hate when people remake these movies and interject things in there that they don't need to be there. And the movie is fine as it is because, you know, if somebody, a christian or conservative, went and took one of the movies that Alphabet mafia likes, then, oh, where's the pitchforks and torches?
Anyway, so, hey, let's all be fair and equal here. But anyway, that's that.
But my point also, like I said, georgia, it kind of gave me lifetime movie.
And I used to look at lifetime movies a while back, and then I kept saying, it's the same dog on movie, all movie or bad, the husband, the killer. Okay. I'm like, okay, now, how long is it going to take for the husband to kill somebody or try to kill her? It's like the same damn movie. And so I'm not taking on the gate. The performances were beautiful, and I know he won some awards and such, so I'm not against it. But I guess now is kind of boring to me because we have so many of these type of movies. Georgia. But I will go back and say at the time that I did like this movie. I really appreciated it. And all the great acting. Stan Shaw, who played Big George, I just want to shout him out.
He's been in everything.
I don't know if Stan Shaw is with us, but this guy, let me pull up his picture, let me see if we can find it. Just want to shout him out real quick. But anyway, that's why I said, make me like it. Because 30 something years later and I look like it just didn't have the same feel for me. So that's all I have. And I'm going to try to find a picture of big George. Because those of you who've seen it, you all know I'm talking about football. Those of you haven't. And you know movies. Stan Shaw has been in everything.
Go ahead, George. I think I'm finished.
[00:26:57] Speaker A: Yeah. I just love his performance in this movie. Oh, my gosh. You just can't help but love know, and just this dignity that he just. Just beautiful. It's just so sweet. And the way he cares for Igy, I loved.
You know, there's something in this movie, a couple of scenes. Like, there's one where I'm not going to give too much away. And there's Kathy Bates, and she's in the parking lot. And these people take her parking space and how she reacts to.
And you will learn the meaning of the word tawanda in this.
I thought, you know, there has been so many times where I have wanted to react in just the exact same way that Kathy Bates character did. Moya, I don't know about you, but I don't know if it's just because of, like, you get older and sometimes your patience wears thin or something. But I thought to myself, how many times have I want to do that exact same thing?
[00:28:05] Speaker B: You better be strapped nowadays, because I know if you'd have ran my call, you better have your insurance, or your family better have your insurance paid up. I don't care if I'm right or wrong. Yeah, you may want to do it. I'm supporting you. I'm supporting you. But they're only 30 something years ago. How times have changed.
And I'm not saying you deserve it or not deserve. God, I wish you would try to. You wouldn't even get the t out. Somebody been. Fred Sanford said they take your hat to the cemetery. But this is Stan Shaw, who played big George. He's been in everything. So I would just want to shout him out real quick. Because he's an unsung black actor in Hollywood. Kept a low profile, but been in everything. Could do comedy, could do drama. Shout out to the Carl Weathers. Kind of another famous, unfamous Apollo Creed, of course. And then in the Mandalorian nowadays. But he don't get a lot of play. Because he don't really put himself out there like that. But, yeah, these cats have been doing it a while. So I just want to shout them out. But, yeah, Georgia, that's about it.
I am so happy we had a chance to do this. So it's kind of a sort of. I don't know. It's not really a. Make me like it or make me like it again.
Maybe that. Georgia, you can take us out. Tell us, what is our next movie?
[00:29:30] Speaker A: By the way, our next movie is Scarface, but the one that was made in 1932. And I think this is the Paul Muni.
[00:29:38] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:29:39] Speaker A: One. Oh, wow. What a powerhouse of an actor that guy is. What a treat you guys were in for. I've only seen the Scarface that was done.
The more recent one. I haven't seen the 1932 version. I'm really looking forward to it.
[00:29:53] Speaker B: I've never seen that one. And I'm black. I'm probably one of the last black people who has not. I've seen bits and pieces of it. And when it came out, I was a little girl. And I remember cousin brought it over. And I don't know. I think my family, the adults were looking at. Know it was over my head. So it wasn't anything for me to look at. So I've kind of seen bits and pieces. But that's like the number one black people movie in America, child.
Yes, my black card's been turned in and revoked. Burned in the ashes. Scattered to the wind for several years now.
But I want to see the.
You know, because we look at everything happy. But I did see Paul Mooney Muni. And Paul Mooney is a deceased comedian. Richard Pryor's friend. That's two different people. But, yeah. So I can't wait to see to look at Paul Munig and you are right. He's an unsung, that man.
I think he was a method actor before that even was a.
Oh yeah, yeah.
[00:31:02] Speaker A: I've seen him in a couple other movies and I am just astounded by the brilliant acting that he does. Wow.
His performance just jumps off the screen.
[00:31:13] Speaker B: Absolutely. Well, Georgia, you take us out. Guys, I know I'll be on 100%.
I'll be on the man and give you everything I got. Next time, guys. Thank you so much for tuning in. And Georgia, you take us out.
[00:31:27] Speaker A: Well, yes. This has been how Betty Davis saved my life. Life lessons from classic Hollywood. Thank you, listeners. Tell everybody about our podcast. And moya says remember to hit the like when you watch us on YouTube. Support us and let everybody know how much you enjoy the podcast and make sure you tune in the next time. A couple of weeks from now, everybody. Thank you for listening.
Bye.
