SPOILER FREE

The movie Fried Green Tomatoes proved to be a surprisingly enjoyable watch for me. I started the movie without a clue what it was about, only that it was going to be leaving Netflix soon, but just 20 minutes in I was crying. This movie is centered on the female bond, among other things, and follows the story of two female relationships: Ruth and Idgie from the 1920s, and Ninny and Evelyn in the 1980s.

Evelyn, a modern housewife of the 80s, struggles with her self-esteem. She and her husband, Ed, move near a senior living facility on the account of Ed’s aunt, who can’t seem to tolerate Evelyn and kicks her out of her room. In dismay, Evelyn waits for Ed in the visitor space when she meets an old woman named Ninny. Ninny tells Evelyn a story of when she was younger about two women, Ruth and Idgie, who against all odds formed a beautiful relationship that got each other during the Great Depression.

My review: This is a film where the connection between two people is so strong that it does not need to be explicitly declared or necessarily lead to something more physical. I know that there are disputes that the original book was more heavily focused on the romance of the story and this movie had a great deal of lesbian erasure but I genuinely think that this movie on its own stands to be a great piece of work. It is not a story where the message is written out plainly for all to see, which is why I like it so much. It is also very easy to watch, you might think that it would be confusing since it’s an old movie but I found myself completely immersed. Overall, I would recommend it if you liked La La Land, The Florida Project, Call Me By Your Name, or anything by Greta Gerwig.

Fried Green Tomatoes is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library.