The title improves on the Fannie Flagg novel and stage adaptation by lopping off the last five words, at the Whistle Stop Cafe -- a portent of good taste. But it's hard to believe that the movie has cut down on the frequency with which the name Idgie Threadgoode is uttered. She, a tomboyish free spirit in Depression-period Alabama, is a strong and engaging but underdeveloped character -- or maybe it's just the actress Mary Stuart Masterson who's strong and engaging. The women's-solidarity theme is a little rah-rah. And while the flashback structure gives it scope, it also gives it strain. And sag. With Kathy Bates, Jessica Tandy, Mary-Louise Parker, and Cicely Tyson; directed by Jon Avnet. (1991) — Duncan Shepherd
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