User reviews

It's OK. I wasn't sure if this would work out or not. Its OK. Not great but not bad either. I love the older version better.

OK, another reviewer said Shelby in the original was a b*t*h? Um...how? She was spoiled, yes but not a b*t*h. What an idiot! Also, apparently you have never seen anyone with diabetes reacting with too much insulin and not enough sugar in their bodies. They sweat, pass out, and freak out because they can't control themselves. Thats a bad episode but it happens. I have seen it a lot.

They would have been better off not making a remake of this movie. I really thought it might have been funny and great. Not so much. I am a huge fan of Queen Latifa. Thats why I watched it. Just didn't seem to work as well as they thought. Good try though.

The movie wasn't as bad as some other reviewers have said, some bad performances, but the funny lines from the original were there and not nearly as long as the original. the emotional impact is still there but not as strong.

I was excited when I saw that they were remaking this movie. I was disappointed 2 minutes into it when I realized that they actually REMADE the movie. It was disappointing, I was anticipating a remake with a twist to make it their own. But a line for line remake with a different cast was a total let down. I loved the original and this with the bad acting just didn't compare. I just don't understand the reason for a remake with an all black cast if they weren't going to make it their own, and thats not being racist. I'm an African American woman myself, it just all seemed so unnatural. They had great actors in the movie it just didn't live up to all of the hype that surrounded it.

With the exception of Queen Latifa, Alfre Woodward and Felicia Rashad, there was not a single actor in this movie who had any grasp on their character. The old familiar lines are delivered abrasively, almost sarcastically, like not a one of them understand the undertones. I cannot say how many times over the years I have watched the original and I still love it, crying and laughing along with those ladies. I still don't understand why they thought they needed to remake a classic, but to do it so badly is a crime. Most disturbing of all is Shelby is comes off not just abrasive, but ugly inside, not at all what the character of Shelby is and there is zero chemistry between her and her mother. All in all, this remake was a fail, a major disappointment. It lacks the chemistry between the group of women; instead of filling the soul, it just tears into it with desperation.

What was the point of this? Almost scene by scene, line by line identical with the original badly recreated.

Been awhile since there was a movie I couldn't wait to see and it was this one. First off let me say that the bulk of these reviews are comparing this to the original. I say if you write a review write it without comparing. True that these actresses had some pretty big shoes to fill and three were as big as the original actresses. Alfre Woodard is no Shirley McClain and didn't steal any scenes she was in. Queen Latifa was good but didn't have that punch that Sally Field had and Jill Scott was definitely no Dolly Parton. Condola Rashad did a descent job and acted like normal. Now I didn't expect these actresses to convey the story like the original but they more or less gave the movie a different vibe and that alone is a accomplishment.

The carnival scene and all those Easter eggs were omitted from this version and to be honest I thought that scene did nothing for the original as well but just to stretch the movie out more. The death scene in this movie had more of a punch I say but overall this movie was entertaining.

I gave it 7 out of 10 star's as the move as a whole lacked the certain punch and just doesn't hit the target.

This review came from a guy that has sat through some pretty bad movies I talking about the mockbusters that makes a cheaper version of a big budget with has been actor's that utterly miss the mark. Movies that had shoestring budget's and gone out of their way to prove it. I however will prefer the original as it has more heart than this.

What an absolute ATROCITY to the remake. I love lifetime movies but what the hell was that? Totally disgusting. Lifetime please stop making remakes of classic movies. I have to write 10 lines. So what else can I say. It sucked. Very poorly acted. Very, very disappointing when I found out they remade the movie. I was excited to watch it but 5 minutes into the movie I wanted to just poke my eyes out. Like I said what an atrocity to the remake. They should be ashamed. Worst acting I have ever seen. LEAVE REMAKES ALONE. LEAVE CLASSICS ALONE. And leave acting to people who can actually act. Very awful. Sucked. Worst I have seen.

With just a touch of soul and southern heart Same script, characters and where there were changes, it took nothing away from the beautiful story told in both movies. Laughed equally as hard at all the same funny moments and I cried equally as hard at the same heartbreaking scenes. I loved these characters after watching the original and love these just as much, given they look like my family. It was beautifully done, & exceptional performances so I don't know why I'm shocked by the low rating or reviews when the only thing that changed was the music and color of the actors and actresses, but this is the America we live in, some things sadly never change, and neither did this wonderful story.

While this was a solid performance by Queen Latifah, Phylicia Rashad, Alfre Woodard, and Adepero Oduye, it was too close to the original (down to the dialog) to not compare and too far away from the energy and chemistry between the characters in the original.

Queen Latifah brought a very different (I suspect intentional) energy to M'Lynn's character that just didn't work for me.

Although the original makes me cringe these days for its problematic undertones and the southern US antebellum feel, the performances by Sally Fields, Julia Roberts, Shirley McClain, Olympia Dukakis, Dolly Parton, Daryl Hannah, and Tom Skerritt are "unremakeable".

I have never heard such fake southern accents! As a GRITS, and a Black female, let me just say culturally speaking ,especially for women of a certain generation, the names Shelby and Jackson would have NEVER been used! This entire remake was like making Gone With The Wind with an ASIAN cast, just UNBELIEVABLE! and totally RIDICULOUS!!

I loved it wished it could of been longer though and had more ending like original. Queen Latiffa and cast did amazing so much like original cast loved loved loved. I loved they added parts too amazing remake. I was not sure if I would like it because its hard to top original movies but this did. I highly recommend this movie to everyone who loves the original. The acting was superb and so on. I accents were not so strong like in the original. It was easier to understand some parts. Great movie great actors great job lifetime. I hope to see more movies like this with good plots and good acting I love lifetime and will be a avid watcher of this channel Jill

This is one remake that should have never been considered, let alone done.

First, the casting was all wrong. Why in the world would anyone, including Latifah, think she was the perfect choice to play the role Sallie Field's originated? Of those actresses, Phylicia Rashad would've played it best. Alfre Woodard would have been better playing Clarice and Jenifer Lewis would have been good as Ouiser. I like Jill Scott, I think she is a good actress, and she was good in her role. My issue was with her accent. She should not have attempted a southern accent. The other two actresses weren't bad in their parts. Their accents sucked too, but overall they were not that bad.

The original is a classic. The remake is a travesty.

I don't mind remakes, and most of the actors were good, especially Queen Latifah. But the actress they cast to play Shelby was absolutely awful. I don't understand why they cast her and why they didn't recast her after filming a few scenes. She is one of the worst actresses I've ever seen. Maybe if she was playing a lesser role I could've let it slide, but she's playing the main character!! She ruins the entire movie.

I tried, really I tried, to enjoy this version. I didn't. About half way through it I was checking the time to see how much more there was to it. I kept hoping it would get better. In the original, The characters had a chemistry that enhanced their performances. You believed they liked each other, and were longtime friends. There was something missing, the attachment the characters were supposed to have for each other seemed forced. The actress playing Shelby missed the character's sense of humor and play, as well as her determination to live a normal life, despite having a devastating chronic illness. The scene in the cemetery in the original where there was laughter through tears is classic. You can't duplicate that.

"Steel Magnolias" was a popular Southern film released in 1989, featuring only two black actors who spoke in a nearly two-hour film set in a Louisiana town. The new Lifetime remake of the film, which is now available on Sunday night, features white actors in the background and few of them speak. The film is surprisingly faithful to the original story, which revolves around six women who gather at Truvy's Beauty Spot to gossip, joke, and shed a tear. Director Kenny Leon and his all-star cast, including Alfre Woodard, Jill Scott, Queen Latifah, and Phylicia Rashad, have worked hard to tone down the material and smooth it out.

However, the remake misses the point of the original film. The film essentially consists of a wedding and a death, with everything else being banter and tears. Herbert Ross, a shamelessly effective director of big Hollywood entertainments, wisely pumped up the volume and action in the original film to distract from the script's thinness. He also benefited from the shrewd casting of Sally Field, Olympia Dukakis, and Shirley MacLaine, three expert purveyors of ersatz emotion and hollow laughs.

The talented cast in the remake doesn't specialize in that kind of hucksterism or exaggerated vividness that Julia Roberts and Dolly Parton brought to the original. The actresses in the remake, even the normally fierce Ms. Woodard, give quiet, skillful performances in roles that barely exist, except as vehicles for wisecracks and outrageousness. They come across as prosperous New Jersey suburbanites rather than stereotypes of Southern eccentricity, which may sound like an improvement but just makes the whole project feel insubstantial. Condola Rashad plays Shelby in the remake of Phylicia Rashad's original film, while Adepero Oduye plays Annelle. Male roles are less significant in the remake, with basketball superstar Julius Erving appearing as a minister. Details have been altered to reflect the new racial makeup and period, such as referencing Michelle Obama and a more organized wedding scene. However, the original quote "Life goes on" remains intact, recited by both white and black actresses, highlighting the resilience of life.

The original Steel Magnolias cannot be improved upon. It is classic and close to the heart of the Southern Lady. Funny, tragic and the line that says Laughter through tears is the best emotion is the most descriptive of this classic.

This remake would be the equivalent of trying make Madea into an old white lady. Simply loses all credibility, humor, and insults the wisdom of the viewer. All copies of this movie should be burned and never shown again. I love the actresses in the movie. I really can't believe they even did this or bought into the idea of this remake. They are good actresses and likable women. In this movie....it's just wrong, bad, and hard to watch.

Of course the original can't be improved upon and many ask why did they decide to touch a classic film...and why just do a "black version"? That aside, I decided to look at the film as its own instead of comparing it to the original while keeping tabs about it more as a companion film So, most of us know the characters from the original we loved so much. Six wonderful women and their lives.

Casting here is amazing and Queen Latifah is an amazing M'Lynn. She plays the strong woman who has that moment of realness later in the movie and this one for me is great. I think she pulls it off well

Phylicia Rashad's Clairee is just stellar, and Alfre Woodard's Ouisie is very funny...the two together are just great

Rounding out the cast with Jill Scott, Adepero Oduye and Condola Rashad the latter 2 being young ladies they really did a great job as their respective characters. I liked Jill Scott as the very sweet woman who just wants her man's attention

All in all, while it's nearly a spot for spot of the original I enjoyed it because they had women that I related to that could have been my sister, Mom or Grandma

8 out of 10 stars all its own

Just because you can make a movie doesn't mean you should. This was awful.

Sorry, but this movie was bad. I mean really bad. The first movie was lighthearted and uplifting for the most part, making you feel proud of being a Southerner. This one was dark and depressing, and felt more like it was filmed in New York instead of Louisiana. All of the idiosyncrasies and accents that made the original truly Southern were barely existent here.

Alfre Woodard's portrayal of Weezer was more angry than eccentric. Felicia Rashaad's "Clerice" was too reserved. The girl who played the beauty shop assistant was not naive and unrefined enough.

In closing, I love the over the top nature of black comedies in general, and considering the cast that was present, I really expected better. They really did this movie a huge disservice.

People relate to others by sharing similar experiences and shared emotions.That's what I THOUGHT! But apparently in the US there is such a big racial difference that the actors have to be Af.American in the SAME story to entice the market of af.am audience. Hopelessly condescending and bias. Women all over the world just loved the original regardless of the mid-west whiteness of the cast at the time. My European, Turkish, African friends loved it as much as my Asian coworkers and my Moroccan neighbour. This is just plain stupid since the whole movie doesn't contribute anything, it's not creatively adjusted to this age, no special differences in character. It's a money grab with ridiculous racial bias.