Amy Pacheco

WMST 410, Women, Health and Aging

Movie Review

In her book turned movie, FriedGreen Tomatoes, Fannie Flagg lends comedy and drama to her tale of a woman experiencing a mid-life crisis in search of her autonomy. In the movie, directed by Jon Avnet, Evelyn Couch (Kathy Bates) is a housewife in the early 1990’s questioning her position in the world now that her son has left the nest. Evelyn’s current identity as wife and mother are thrown into upheaval as her role as wife and mother are redefined. Evelyn tries to find her autonomy by attempting to strengthen her role as “the good wife.” She takes classes on everything from husband pleasing, to the exploration of her vagina. However, Evelyn’s view of her world is about to change with the help of an unlikely companion.

On a trip to a convalescent home Evelyn happens upon Ninny Threadgoode (Jessica Tandy). Ninny, a resident of the convalescent home, has a zeal for life that Evelyn at first mistakes as aged eccentricities. On their first meeting Ninny starts unfolding her family story to Evelyn that centers on her sister-in-law Idgie Threadgoode (Mary Stuart Masterson) and her friend Ruth Jamison (Mary-Louise Parker).

It seems Ninny has become the unofficial historian of her small town and family and brings them both back to life as she narrates her stories to Evelyn. Evelyn hears about how Idgie and Ruth go against the status quo of the 1920’s in rural Alabama. Ruth (with Idgie’s help) decides to leave her husband after years of abuse despite her being pregnant. Ruth and Idgie defy the norms of the family unit at the time by creating a partnership and matriarchy to raise Ruth’s son.

After a couple of visits to Ninny, Evelyn begins to see this older woman as not the eccentric lady that she perceived her as, but as an intelligent woman with a wealth of knowledge and a love for life. Evelyn starts visiting Ninny more frequently and divulges her own problems of her mid-life changes to Ninny. Ninny gives her advice since she can empathize. Ninny’s sharing of her experiences assuages some of Evelyn’s feelings of aloneness.

Evelyn, with her newly given knowledge, begins to embrace her new life transition. She empowers herself and begins putting her life into perspective on her own terms. She even embraces her aging by crushing a younger woman’s car who insulted her age. When confronted by the woman why she did it, she smiles and responds, “I’m older and have more insurance than you.” Evelyn also gives up her classes on how to be a better wife and starts taking classes that help redefine her and reach her autonomy.

We learn from Ninny’s tales of Idgie and Ruth that through their power of friendship they are able to forge a life and business together creating their own autonomy as well. They take care of one another, and also the occasional friend who faces oppression or are otherwise discarded by mainstream society. It is apparent how deeply meaningful Ruth and Idgie’s relationship is with the eventual death of Ruth.

The end of the movie brings us to a whole new Evelyn, a woman who no longer holds onto whom she once was, but embraces the new aging woman she has become. The movie closes with Ninny going to live with Evelyn. Their deeply meaningful friendship exemplifies the beauty and empowerment of age and womanhood.