Fried Green Tomatoes At The Whistle Stop Cafe

Jon Avnet, USA 1991, 130 mins

Apart from having one of the longest titles in modern-day cinema, Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe can also claim to be one of the select group of cooking/murder films. The film, based on the popular novel by Fannie Flagg, shuttles back and forth between two sets of characters and locations. In the present we have the serene, inscrutable Ninny (played by the late Jessica Tandy) and the self-conscious middle-aged Evelyn (Kathy Bates).

After a chance meeting in a residential home, the two strike up a friendship and Ninny begins to relate the experiences of her youth. Thus we get to meet the tomboyish Idgie (Mary Stuart Masterton) and the calmer, tragic Ruth (Mary Louise Parker) and follow them on their many escapades as they become friends, are split apart, become reunited after escaping from Ruth's brutal husband and decide to set up a little cafe (the Whistle Stop of the title).

As Evelyn becomes more immersed in these stories she grows in confidence and we, the audience, are also drawn into the intriguing relationships which develop. Along with Thelma and Louise, Fried Green Tomatoes changed the perceptions of female-driven cinema. Although the implied relationship between the two younger women has been toned down from the book the suggestion always remains, and so the film can be enjoyed on different levels either as an enjoyable murder whodunit or as an emotional tale of self-discovery.

In a film reliant on its four leads, each actress acquits herself well. In particular, Mary Louise Parker (who seems to specialise in these sort of roles: Boys on the Side being another example) and Mary Stuart Masterton spark well together and give the older, more mature Bates and Tandy a run for their money.

Scriptwriter Fannie Flagg has done an admirable job of distilling a complex and in parts non-linear book into a funny, watchable film without losing the emotional resonance. Although an unabashed heart-tugger at times Fried Green Tomatoes retains the sparky humour that sets it apart.

Neil Chue Hong
EUFS Programme 1998-99