Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		0.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.0

Steel Magnolias 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

"The only thing that separates us from the animals is our ability to accessorize."

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown May 10, 2024

"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.

Adapted from Harling's own 1987 stage play of the same name (which he based on the tragic death of his sister), Steel Magnolias follows a group of multigenerational women struggling with the highs and lows of life, health, love and relationships of all stripes. M'Lynn (Sally Field) is the mother of bride-to-be Shelby Eatenton (Julia Roberts). As M'Lynn's good friend Truvy Jones (Dolly Parton) fixes their hair for the ceremony and welcomes a helping hand from aspiring beautician Annelle Dupuy Desoto (Daryl Hannah), one of the women has a health scare. While the worst case scenario is quickly avoided, the resulting prognosis complicates the woman's future. As time passes after the wedding, the friends grapple with fortune, good and ill, growing stronger and closer in the process. Steel Magnolias features an impressive supporting cast as well, including Shirley MacLaine, Olympia Dukakis, Tom Skerritt, Dylan McDermott, Sam Shepard, Ann Wedgeworth, Kevin J. O'Connor, Bill McCutcheon, and Jonathan Ward.

The biggest knock against Steel Magnolias is that, at times, its unadulterated sweet streak is as saccharine as '80 and '90s dramedies come. But beneath the oversaturated sugar-slathered coating are genuine laughs, real pathos and a sense that the cast is as becoming as close to one another as their characters. There's palpable heart and humor here, not to mention chemistry aplenty, and I gotta admit the comedy is infectious (if a little broad on occasion). Yes, I cracked up. Audibly. Yes, I shed a tear or two. And yes, something eventually broke in me and I bawled... then belted out a big ol' belly laugh seconds later. I mean, come on... how often do you break down then bust up during a funeral scene? Each actress fully embodies and embraces her particular Magnolia with enormous tenderness and care, creating a true circle of allies, angels and sometimes-frenemies that render scene after scene far more heartfelt than they might otherwise. If not for Field's momma bear care for example, or Roberts's gentile grieving or Parton's tough-as-nails resolve, Harling's screenplay would be too manufactured for its own good. But in the capable hands of such talented actresses, the story springs to life, inhaling and exhaling each breath of joy, sorrow, enthusiasm, awkwardness, regret and affection that graces the screen and passes from one woman to the next.

The men the Magnolias bring 'round are fairly one-dimensional and Hannah is a tad desperate in several early scenes as an against-type wallflower, but by and large it all works, yep, even thirty-five years on. There are also some dated sensitivities and the prevailing sense that the story could only play out as is in its era. Never mind any of that. Friendship this believable and enviable, this special, is universal and timeless, no matter how much the comedy has edged into hit-or-miss territory. Field, Roberts, Parton and MacLaine are especially magnetic, holding the film in place when it threatens to wobble off balance and overly favor hijinks or tragic happenings. The ultimate mix of both is handled with deftness and ease, leaving little doubt as to why both the play and the film earned such praise and such dedicated, lifelong fans of all ages. There's a woman here for every woman at home to relate to, connect with, or befriend, and still more to be irritated by, roll your eyes at, or shake your head alongside. You know women exactly like these ladies, and you love 'em or love to hate 'em. Either way, there's a smalltown honesty here that isn't common by any measure, nor something to shrug off and leave in the classics pile simply because it's more than three decades old.

Steel Magnolias 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

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.

Steel Magnolias 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

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 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Director's Commentary - The same director's commentary included on previously released editions.

• In Full Bloom (SD, 23 minutes) - This "Remembering Steel Magnolias" retrospective breaks a recent Sony trend by actually throwing some meaningful minutes behind its look back. Unfortunately, it's not a newly produced extra by any means. Presented in standard definition, it offers plenty of filmmaker reflections but none from 2024.

• TV Pilot (SD, 23 minutes) - A failed TV pilot that picks up at the end of the film.

• Deleted Scenes (SD, 6 minutes) - A short collection of deleted scenes.

• Theatrical Trailer (SD, 2 minutes)

Steel Magnolias 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

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.)