When I heard that Lifetime was remaking Steel Magnolias, I have to admit that wasn’t pleased about it. I was like why mess with a good thing. Well when I watched Lifetime’s revival of the Oscar nominated movie, I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised that tonight’s version that debuts at 9p is better than the original one. While the 1989 decided to add more comedy to the Dramedy, the new one focuses more on the heart. Because of that I really believe this version is even better and more emotional than the original.
The Lifetime movie has a cast that is just as stellar as the original. Queen Latifah plays M’Lynn and Condola Rashad plays her daughter Shelby. Even though Queen is playing her TV mom her real mom Phylicia Rashad is starring as Clairee. Clairee’s best friend Ouiser is played by the perfectly cast Alfre Woodward. Jill Scott stars as the heart of the movie Truvy and Adepero Oduye is her assistant Annelle. Together these women, who shot the movie in just 18 days, make it seem like they have been lifelong friends and because of that you want to be in on their circle of friendship.
Recently I was on a conference call with the telemovie’s producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron and they told why the adapted this play for the small screen. Here is what Zadan said about it:
We approached it as though it was a new piece of writing and we’re not doing anything to copy the original production because the original play was amazing and the original movie was amazing.
And we wanted to do something that was brand new and we wanted to do something that would be done our way with our cast and our production. And it’s using the material as the basis of that. And the same way as if you work in the theater, you do what they call revivals.
And, you know, it may have been done originally the play earlier, you know, on and then it’s done later on with other casts. And each production is relevant because they’re done with different directors, different producers, different actors.
So we feel like what we’ve done is fresh and different from the original and yet as relevant as the original.
When you watch the movie on Lifetime tonight at 9p, you will see it is as relevant as the first one if not more so!
