As we prepare to turn the page on another month, Netflix is again purging content from its library. Starting July 1, a number of films and shows part ways with the streamer, including a 1989 classic dramedy that is a fan-favorite for many movie buffs. This particular project is incredibly special for several reasons, including the legend Sally Field. She is simply incredible to watch throughout the movie, as her performance is layered in various emotions and prompts viewers to develop some of their own.
In addition to Field, the film is rounded out by some very talented heavy-hitters in Hollywood, who also make it an enjoyable viewing experience several times over. And while their talent makes the storyline come to life, the storyline itself deserves a lot of accolades for just how captivating it is. So what’s the film you have only a short time left to view on Netflix?
‘Steel Magnolias’ Leaving Netflix on July 1
GettyOriginally released in theaters on November 15, 1989, Steel Magnolias is one of those films that draws you in almost from the very beginning. It tells the story of a group of Louisiana women who find themselves trying to deal with the ups and downs of life, while relying on the comfort and support from one another to get through it all. At the center of the group, you find Sally Field’s M’Lynn and Julia Roberts’ Shelby, the mother/daughter duo who battle Shelby’s diabetes and simultaneously each other. Here’s an official synopsis of Steel Magnolias:
“Six divas of the silver screen – Sally Field, Dolly Parton, Shirley MacLaine, Daryl Hannah, Olympia Dukakis and Julia Roberts – come together as bosom buddies in this hilarious and heartwarming story of life, love and loss in a small Louisiana parish. At the center of the group is Shelby Eatenton (Julia Roberts), newly married and joyfully pregnant, despite the fact that her diabetes could make childbirth life-threatening. Terrified and angry at the possibility of losing her only daughter, M’Lynn Eatenton (Sally Field) looks to her four closest friends for strength and laughter as she battles her deepest fear of death in order to join Shelby in celebrating the miracle of new life.”
Upon the movie’s release, it earned nearly $97 million at the box office worldwide, and it earned Roberts a Golden Globe Award and Field a Golden Globe nomination.
Is ‘Steel Magnolias’ Really Sally Field’s Best Role?
Of course, the answer to this will be a subjective one. Personally speaking, as someone who truly enjoys Field’s work, I would say Steel Magnolias is her best. She’s excellent playing M’Lynn, a loving mother who just wants the best for her sick child. Despite Field’s ability to add levity to certain scenes (i.e., when she’s gossiping with her friends in the beauty salon), it’s her way of capturing the somber moments that really stand out.
If forced to choose one breakout scene that really deserves a round of applause, it would be when M’Lynn finds herself trying to process grief in the infamous funeral scene. Field just makes the eyes start tearing up when, as M’Lynn, she emotionally states:
“I’m fine! I can jog all the way to Texas and back, but my daughter can’t! She never could! Oh God! I am so mad I don’t know what to do! I wanna know why! I wanna know why Shelby’s life is over! I wanna know how that baby will ever know how wonderful his mother was! Will he ever know what she went through for him!”
With all that being said, you can judge for yourself Field’s performance. Again, Steel Magnolias leaves Netflix on July 1.
