4K Ultra HD Review: STEEL MAGNOLIAS

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Apr 28, 2024 Posted by Kyle Nolan in DVD/Blu-ray, Reviews | Comments

For its 35th anniversary, the 1989 film Steel Magnolias arrives on 4K UHD disc for the first time thanks to Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. It’s Easter weekend, and Shelby Eatenton’s (Julia Roberts) wedding day. Everyone in the small community of Chinquapin Parish, Louisiana is frantically getting ready. Mother of the Bride M’Lynn (Sally Field) is trying to calm her daughter’s nerves, while her husband Drum (Tom Skerritt) loudly shoots into the trees to clear out the birds for the backyard reception. Shelby recently had some doubts about marrying Jackson (Dylan McDermott) and the two had an argument, but the ceremony is still set to move ahead. Shelby works as a nurse, but she is diabetic and has some other medical issues, and so her parents want her to stop working once she’s married. The doctors also cautioned Shelby against trying to have a baby as it could be too much stress on her already compromised system. But she’s always wanted a child, even if her husband-to-be says he doesn’t mind.

Across the street from the Eatenton house is Trudy’s Beauty Spot, where the women of the neighborhood often gather to gossip and talk about life. Today, proprietor Truvy Jones (Dolly Parton) welcomes new “glamour technician” Annelle (Daryl Hannah), who arrives fresh out of beauty school, and who has a bit of a mysterious past. As Shelby and M’Lynn head to the salon to get their hair done for the big day, they join regulars Clairee Belcher (Olympia Dukakis)—the wife of the town’s former mayor—and curmudgeon Ouiser Boudreaux (Shirley MacLaine), who is always complaining about something, and often getting into arguments with M’Lynn’s husband, Drum.

Steel Magnolias, which is based off of screenwriter Robert Harling’s play of the same name, is very dialogue heavy, and you can see the influence of the play (which solely takes place at the beauty shop). The film follows the ups and downs in the lives of these women, and the friendship and support they have for one another. I had somehow never seen this film before now, and was in awe of the amazing cast—many of whom look so young! Julia Roberts is a standout in one of her first major roles. But she is joined by a stellar cast of women, all of whom are able to deliver on both the humor and the drama. Sally Field always brings it when it comes to eye-watering drama, and Dolly Parton is a hoot, especially as Truvy teaches her new recruit that “there is no such thing as natural beauty”.

The first half of the film all takes place on the same day. Whether it’s all the wild chaos at the house as the family prepares for the wedding, or the rapid dialogue and discussions between these close-knit friends at the beauty parlor, you are constantly laughing out loud. You really get a sense of this small community and how neighbors all know each other, and are not only there for one another, but also can drive each other a little nuts. These actresses have such amazing chemistry that they could pretty much be talking about anything and it would be entertaining. While this first half of the film is primarily a comedy, we get a glimpse early on of Shelby’s medical condition as she deals with a plummeting blood sugar. It’s evident that this is something the group often deals with, as they have a whole routine worked out to get a stubborn Shelby to drink some juice.

In the second half of the film, the tone of the film shifts. While there are still many fun, laugh-out-loud moments—particularly with the banter in the beauty shop—the film becomes much more of a drama (for which you may need some tissues on hand). We first jump ahead six months, and several of the characters have changed. For example, Annelle has gone from being this meek, scared, new arrival in town, to having already gone through her wild phase, and now has reformed and found an all-consuming devotion to God—her constant praying has started to annoy Truvy. Another big change is that Shelby announces that she is pregnant—something that angers and terrifies her mother. But Shelby begs her mother for her blessing, insisting, “I’d rather have 3 minutes of wonderful than a lifetime of nothing special.” While the first half of the film all took place within a few hours, this second half constantly leaps forward, from one holiday gathering to the next as the characters come together to both celebrate but also deal with personal, relationship and health issues that arise—and Ouiser always has something new to complain about.

Sony had previously released Steel Magnolias on Blu-ray back in 2019, but this 4K release is newly remastered in 4K resolution from the original camera negative, with Dolby Vision, along with an all-new Dolby Atmos audio track. The 4K picture generally looks phenomenal, with a natural level of film grain, and an excellent level of detail in faces and textures. Colors are also bright and beautiful. It was only during the opening and closing credits that the picture was slightly excessively grainy, but otherwise this is easily the best the film has ever looked. The Atmos track is also very impressive. This is especially noticeable near the beginning of the movie, with Drum loudly firing his gun into the trees, and the flapping of the birds and the barking of Ouiser’s dog can be heard in the distance. In general, the track does a nice job of providing an immersive ambiance throughout.

Sony’s 4K release only includes a single 4K disc, which is packed in a standard UHD keepcase, placed inside a glossy cardboard slipcover. An insert provides instructions on how to redeem a 4K Movies Anywhere digital copy of the film. All of the bonus material from the 2000 Special Edition DVD release has been ported over—a 23-minute look back at the film, 10 short deleted scenes, a director commentary, and the film’s trailer. The only new item included on this release is the pilot episode for the 1990 Steel Magnolias follow-up TV show that ultimately didn’t get picked up.

What’s Included:

Film: (1:58:15)

2160p / Widescreen 1.85:1
Dolby Vision / HDR10
Audio: English Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 compatible), English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio, French 2.0, German 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio, Italian 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio, Korean 5.1, Spanish (Castilian) 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio, Spanish (Latin American) Mono, Turkish 5.1
Subtitles: English, English SDH, Arabic, Chinese Traditional, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish (Castilian), Spanish (Latin American), Swedish, Thai, Turkish

Digital (Limited time offer):

4K Digital Copy, redeemable via Movies Anywhere or Vudu

Extras:
The majority of the bonus material was originally created for the 2000 Columbia/Tri-Star Special Edition DVD release. New to this release in the 1990 TV pilot episode.

In Full Bloom: Remembering Steel Magnolias (23:20)
Writer Robert Harling talks about basing the original play on his own sister’s story. He and director Herbert Ross discuss translating the play into a film, opening up the world of these characters, casting the movie, filming the insulin shock and final hospital scenes, and more. Star Shirley MacLaine (“Ouiser Boudreaux”) also discusses working on the movie and working with the other actresses. Presented in 4:3 full frame format.
TV Pilot (22:48)
The pilot episode for the 1990 Steel Magnolias follow-up TV show. The episode picks up a year after the death of Shelby Eatenton Latcherie, and follows the further lives of these characters. While the episode features some recognizable stars, it’s missing a lot of the magic and chemistry from the film and original cast. It’s not a surprise that this ultimately wasn’t picked up to series. The cast includes Cindy Williams (“M’Lynn Eatenton”), Sally Kirkland (“Truvy Jones”), Elaine Stritch (“Ouiser Boudreaux”), Polly Bergen (“Clairee Belcher”), Tim Grimm (“Jackson Latcherie”), Sheila McCarthy (“Annelle Dupuy-Desoto”), Ernie Lively (“Drum Eatenton”), Carl Franklin (“Nick Fontenot”), Mary Pat Gleason (“Janice Van Meter”), Patrick Van Horn (“Jonathan Eatenton”) and Richard Zulnick (“Tommy Eatenton”). Presented in 4:3 full frame format.
10 Deleted Scenes (6:03)
Collection of ten deleted scenes. Play All, or select from:
- At the Window (:31)
- Wedding Dance (:29)
- I’m Always Right (:19)
- Armadillos & Hell (:09)
- In the Buffet (:41)
- Frat Boy Tradition (:50)
- Clean-Up Blues (:53)
- Honeymoon Chat (:23)
- Wedding Wind-Down (:58)
- Christmas Carnival Parts 1&2 (:44)
Director’s Commentary (1:58:15)
Director Herbert Ross provides an interesting and informative commentary throughout the film, discussing the cast, the characters, the sets and the story. He shares lots of behind-the-scenes stories about the production, and talks about how it differs from the play.
Theatrical Trailer (1:28)

Final Thoughts:

My Rating

Film:

Video:

Audio:

Extras:

Recommended

Sony’s new 4K release of Steel Magnolias looks and sound excellent—fans of the film will definitely be pleased. I had never seen this movie before, but I really enjoyed the cast and their amazing chemistry. The first half of the film sucks you in with a fun comedy, before shifting gears to a tear-jerking drama. The film does an excellent job of making you care about these characters and enjoy spending time with them. Sony’s 4K release ports over the existing bonus material included on the previous Blu-ray release and also adds the 1990 pilot episode for a potential a follow-up TV series. This release is an easy recommendation for anyone looking for a solid dramedy.