7.5 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Revolving around Truvy's Beauty Parlor in a small parish in modern-day Louisiana, Steel Magnolias is the story of a close-knit circle of friends whose lives come together there.
Starring: Sally Field, Dolly Parton, Shirley MacLaine, Daryl Hannah, Olympia DukakisRomance | 100% |
Comedy | 95% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: HEVC / H.265
Video resolution: 4K (2160p)
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: Dolby Atmos
English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 16-bit)
French: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
German: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
Italian: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
Korean: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
Spanish: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
Spanish: Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono (192 kbps)
Turkish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
English, English SDH, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Arabic, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Korean, Mandarin (Traditional), Norwegian, Swedish, Thai, Turkish
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Digital copy
4K Ultra HD
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 0.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
"Has it really been thirty-five years?"... is what I might ask if Steel Magnolias didn't hold a very specific, very traumatic, altogether mystifying place in my childhood. Convinced that tragedy befell one of the beloved film's leading ladies because of, ahem, orange juice, an eight-year-old in my home town (who shall go unnamed here) decided, upon watching the film with his mother, that OJ was off limits for the rest of his life. That dedication would last for another two years, until he finally accepted that diabetes, not vitamin C-rich goodness, was to blame. Don't ask. It makes no sense in retrospect, as the offending beverage comes so early in the movie and spares, rather than eliminates, said actress. What'd'ya gonna do? I was... I mean, he was just a kid! (Go easy.) But also in retrospect, having now watched Steel Magnolias with fresh eyes rather than thirty-five years of breakfast-born terror, I can say with some bit of shock and a whole lot of respect that the Herbert Ross-directed, Robert Harling-penned Steel Magnolias is a heart-warming, heart-breaking tale of love, loss and friendship worthy of an anniversary edition revisit.
Though contrast and saturation struggle a tiny bit now and again (the culprit clearly being the source elements), Sony's 1080p/AVC-encoded video presentation couldn't look much better than it does here. HDR10+ colors are lively, vivid and celebratory, with boisterous primaries, lovely skin tones, and deep, natural black levels. I forgot how colorful Steel Magnolias is, with so much pink and pastel-hued hustle that you'd think it alone had paved the way for Barbie this past year. Grain is present from the get-go, and often proves hard to miss, but it also lends the picture a welcome filmic quality that isn't distracting at any point. There certainly hasn't been any scrubbing, which is always a plus in my book. Detail is excellent too, with crisp, halo-free edge definition, refined textures, solid delineation, and the telltale signs of a native 4K image that bests previous releases through and through. There's no comparing Sony's 4K edition to the past; this is the definitive version of the film to own. All stop. Add to that a complete lack of banding, macroblocking and other issues and you have a catalog transfer as proficient as it is pleasing. The only real disappointment? The shots in the background of the opening credits are quite soft. No matter. It's an optical issue with the original print rather than anything that should be attributed to the studio's encoding efforts or restorative strides.
Did Steel Magnolias need a Dolby Atmos track? Shut up, Ken! We did! Okay, okay. Let me try again. Steel Magnolias boasts an absolutely, um, necessary Dolby Atmos track that grants the film's original sound design new life. Maybe not the kind of life you'd typically associate with an Atmos scene-stealer, but the sort that offers a slightly more immersive experience that enhances outdoor ambience, indoor acoustics, and the punch and playfulness of Georges Delerue's score. Dialogue is clean, nicely centered and intelligible at all times. Prioritization is almost flawless (minus some obviously ADR'd lines courtesy of the late '80s) and dynamics are notable, with a few standout moments that allow the at-times subdued LFE channel to flex its muscle. Surround channels offer the most notable upgrade, expanding a rather front-heavy dramedy mix into a more engaging and involving soundfield. No one will confuse Steel Magnolias for a modern film based on the slimmer sonics the movie sometimes employs, but those with an ear for reinvigorated catalog classics will be thankful for the modest improvements.
Steel Magnolias holds up quite well, heart, humor and all. Yeah, it's a bit too saccharine here and there, but the moments that kick you in the heartstrings? They still have all the power you remember. Bring a few tissues. Maybe a whole box. And get ready to laugh, cry... the whole shebang. Sony's 4K UltraHD Blu-ray release? Oh, you'll be a happy fan. With a striking video remaster, a lovely 4K video presentation and a noteworthy Atmos track, you'll be singing the disc's praises. If only the studio had seen fit to pony up for some new special features and retrospective extras. Now that would've been a thirty-five-year anniversary boon. Ah well. If you love Steel Magnolias, you won't get anything better than this. (Except, perhaps, when the inevitable fortieth anniversary release arrives five years from now.)
2013
2015
Extended Cut
2008
1988
25th Anniversary Edition
1997
Movie Only Edition
2011
2007
2008
2014
2008
1997
2009
2010
2012
2006
1994-2004
10th Anniversary Edition
2002
Sex and the City: The Movie / Sex and the City 2
1998-2010
10th Anniversary Special Edition
2002
1984-1989