HAPPY HOUR FLIX is a podcast all about the movies you love. A nostalgic look at what we grew up watching and how they still impact us today.
Hop aboard the steel train as hosts Steven Pierce and Matt Mundy journey back to the film set of the unforgettable "Steel Magnolias." With actor Tom Hodges as our guide, we peel back the curtain to reveal the camaraderie, challenges, and triumphs that made filming this dialogue-rich movie an unforgettable experience. We'll explore the intricacies of working with Robert Harling as well as the genius behind the script, and challenges of bringing this much-loved storyline from stage to screen.
But first, at the behest of the film's star-studded and influential (not mention beloved) actresses, Julia Roberts, Dolly Parton, Olympia Dukakis, Sally Field, Darryl Hannah, Shirley MacClaine, we take a happy hour break with our friends over at MISGUIDED SPIRITS, for a delightful concoction by Max Stampa-Brown, Food & Beverage Director for The Garret Group, which operates a number of awesome bars and restaurants in NYC. His out of this world "Planet Rogen" today was made over at Rocco's on 1 w. 3rd st, NYC
Follow along and be sure to make one yourself!
“The Easter egg hunt”
1oz lemon juice
.5oz ginger syrup
.5oz honey syrup
2oz MISGUIDED whiskey
1 egg white
Dry shake, then wet shake (first without ice then with ice to emulsify the egg white) double strain into a large coupe. Garnish with dill laying it over the egg white so it resembles a small tree.
IG handles:
@thegarretgroup
@stampabrown
With a dash of gentle southern charm, we steer the conversation to the technique of using a harmonica and children on bikes to create an authentic atmosphere. On this roller coaster ride, we invoke none other than Tom Skerritt, recounting some of his fond recollections of working with the legendary Dolly Parton and director Herbert Ross.
Finally, we dive headfirst into examining the importance of emotional depth in movie characters and the potential influence deleted scenes could have on the film's narrative. We also probe deep into the dialogue and production design, highlighting Louisiana's culture's essence. To add some excitement, may "spill the beans" on Hodge's iconic role in "Heavyweights." Whether you're a movie buff, a cocktail enthusiast, or just love a good yarn, this episode is your ticket to a world of wonder, wisdom, and wistful nostalgia.
A quick reminder, no matter where you are listening to us, if you could rate us and drop us a review on Apple Podcasts, we’d be so grateful - it really helps us spread the good vibes. Thank you!
HAPPY HOUR FLIX is produced by James Allerdyce and Lori Kay, and hosted by Steven Pierce and Matt Mundy
Main Title is by Johnny Mineo
Happy Hour Flix | Movies You Love
HAPPY HOUR FLIX is a podcast all about the movies you love. A nostalgic look at what we grew up watching and how they still impact us today.
Hop aboard the steel train as hosts Steven Pierce and Matt Mundy journey back to the film set of the unforgettable "Steel Magnolias." With actor Tom Hodges as our guide, we peel back the curtain to reveal the camaraderie, challenges, and triumphs that made filming this dialogue-rich movie an unforgettable experience. We'll explore the intricacies of working with Robert Harling as well as the genius behind the script, and challenges of bringing this much-loved storyline from stage to screen.
But first, at the behest of the film's star-studded and influential (not mention beloved) actresses, Julia Roberts, Dolly Parton, Olympia Dukakis, Sally Field, Darryl Hannah, Shirley MacClaine, we take a happy hour break with our friends over at MISGUIDED SPIRITS, for a delightful concoction by Max Stampa-Brown, Food & Beverage Director for The Garret Group, which operates a number of awesome bars and restaurants in NYC. His out of this world "Planet Rogen" today was made over at Rocco's on 1 w. 3rd st, NYC
Follow along and be sure to make one yourself!
“The Easter egg hunt”
1oz lemon juice
.5oz ginger syrup
.5oz honey syrup
2oz MISGUIDED whiskey
1 egg white
Dry shake, then wet shake (first without ice then with ice to emulsify the egg white) double strain into a large coupe. Garnish with dill laying it over the egg white so it resembles a small tree.
IG handles:
@thegarretgroup
@stampabrown
With a dash of gentle southern charm, we steer the conversation to the technique of using a harmonica and children on bikes to create an authentic atmosphere. On this roller coaster ride, we invoke none other than Tom Skerritt, recounting some of his fond recollections of working with the legendary Dolly Parton and director Herbert Ross.
Finally, we dive headfirst into examining the importance of emotional depth in movie characters and the potential influence deleted scenes could have on the film's narrative. We also probe deep into the dialogue and production design, highlighting Louisiana's culture's essence. To add some excitement, may "spill the beans" on Hodge's iconic role in "Heavyweights." Whether you're a movie buff, a cocktail enthusiast, or just love a good yarn, this episode is your ticket to a world of wonder, wisdom, and wistful nostalgia.
A quick reminder, no matter where you are listening to us, if you could rate us and drop us a review on Apple Podcasts, we’d be so grateful - it really helps us spread the good vibes. Thank you!
HAPPY HOUR FLIX is produced by James Allerdyce and Lori Kay, and hosted by Steven Pierce and Matt Mundy
Main Title is by Johnny Mineo
Happy Hour Flix | Movies You Love
It's a movie so sweet you might laugh, you might cry, you might get diabetes. It's still magnolias, the year is 1989, we've got incredible movies out this year and the only way I could actually put them all together was to confess, honey, I shrunk the pet cemetery where Harry met Sally, which was a major league field of dreams for tangos, cash and turners who were driving Miss Daisy with the with my left foot through Harlem nights. But look who's talking. I'm just a little mermaid in the abyss of my last crusade with Uncle Buck, while Bill and Ted do the right thing with Batman at the Roadhouse over the weekend at Bernie's, who was just starting the dead poet society. But enough of that heat. Today we can't melt because we got steel magnolias and an armadillo cake to get to. So, uh, first of all, uh, I just want to say this is Matt co-hosting today with Steven. As always, steve, how you doing, buddy?
Speaker 3:you know I was gonna give you a lot of shit about that intro, but it came around for me. It went long enough that it became fun again. I was like Jesus, how long is this gonna go on? And then it really I applaud you, matt. I feel very, I feel like you need to. You need a round of applause oh, thank you, thank you.
Speaker 1:I started at Easter and I got us all the way back around to Easter, yeah, and of course, to do that today we couldn't do it alone. We had to bring in the spirit child of Dolly Parton and Sam Shepard, the uh, louis Jones himself, tom Hodges.
Speaker 4:Sir, welcome to the show yes, I want to say that was impressive. I think you only took one breath, uh or so, and that was incredible oh, thank you stamina and very good breath control thank you very much.
Speaker 1:Yeah, the years of training have paid off.
Speaker 3:Todd, I mean like it's real. Our Tom is really great to have you on here. Thank you very much for jumping into the episode with us. Um, you know you, it's always awesome when you get to talk to somebody that is has been involved in a production and like has more to offer than just our sort of like you know, dumb assery, where we're like hey, we love this movie.
Speaker 1:Yeah, did you remember that moment where it was really good okay well where we're all, chris Farley and each other, because it's like remember that it was great and so, yeah, we just, we love having you on and with your experience of it and, of course, being such a beloved movie, um, and well and shoot, just being such a, uh, what are the most beloved movies starring six powerhouse female leads? So we thought what better way to talk about it than with three dudes? Uh, so right, but, uh, tom, yeah, so tell us real quick as far as uh, some of your overall impressions, your, your experience. Uh, you were like 26, 27 when you did the movie.
Speaker 4:I was 22 probably, I don't think I had my birthday yet. Uh, I was trying to remember what time of year we filmed it. I know it was warm because, uh, it was. It was we were talking about going swimming and stuff when we weren't filming, but uh, I think it it was during the writer strike in 1988.
Speaker 3:Wow, um, yeah, strange that here we are, yeah, these years later, back to that.
Speaker 4:Relevant is that mm-hmm, I remember just being very thankful as a young actor that I was working because a lot of people were not working or or it was about to, you know, start to be that way, and I was also trying to remember, I know that Robert Harling was on the set but, uh, if there was a strike going on, I guess he wasn't able to do rewrite, so I don't know how that was handled. But yeah, um, but of course he was there. I mean, we were filming the uh, the scenes that were filmed, uh, to you know, to be uh, malin's house, those were all, I believe at his family's actual house. Um, oh, that was, that was Robert's house. I'm pretty sure that that's the case.
Speaker 4:Yeah, and I think it's now possibly a, b and E where people can stay, but don't quote me on that yeah, yeah, but so I know he was around, I know we met his family, and so I don't have a recollection of of how that was handled. You know, I don't think he was able to speak in the process as far as a writer, but um, anyway, I was gonna say what a weird experience if you're like making this film like it.
Speaker 3:That is so writing, dry, dialogue driven. You know it's not like an action film where half of it's the director's mind.
Speaker 1:This is what you put on the page is what's right and you're not able to kind of amend or write, or you know, write it at all, that's, I mean, I guess in a way it's like fortunate, except for the fact that, like there were no men in the play, like that, the women's dialogue is like well, that's been tested out. But then you, yeah, I was gonna say you know you and scare it and nobody else.
Speaker 4:It's like, uh, we weren't there yeah, no, I think that he definitely had an advantage in having tested it many times on stage, but there were definitely some characters added. I don't know. I really don't have any recollection of how that went. Maybe somebody else would have you ever talked to Robert Harley? That would be a great interview. He's a great guy, so talented.
Speaker 1:I would not. I I've seen interviews with him and he just seems so gracious for sure.
Speaker 4:Yeah, yeah just down to earth, warm, funny, you know funny guy. Um, and I also have a feeling that you guys remember the movie much more than I do, because I haven't seen it in years and so my memories of it are, uh someone vague, uh I.
Speaker 3:I have a hard time remembering who I went to high school with, let alone you know what I was doing then so, uh, but I'll do my best to share some memories with you, and yeah, absolutely, it's one of those things, people who shake loose and you know we'll shake loose and stuff as we kind of go down through it before we get into it, we always have to uh this you know, this being a southern movie our friends at misguided spirits paired up with, uh, our friend max stamp of brown um at bandits, which is a diner and dive in on bedford street in new york uh place, so good yeah, it's very cool, um, so that it's a like a very hip bar in the village so you can go.
Speaker 3:That's. That is a village, right, that's technically, yeah, yeah go check it out. Say hi to max. He's a super cool guy. He made us a southern style drink today. Um, and this is called the easter egg hunt, um and yeah, exactly, he nailed and, I have to say, completely nailed this one. It is one of the favorites we've ever had on the show as far as like quality. So, uh, tom, do you mind like what if someone wants to make this at home? Um, yeah, yeah, what what do you know?
Speaker 4:I'm an expert on this drink. I know exactly what goes in this drink, so let me just tell you about it. Uh, what you do first is you put an ounce of lemon juice, okay, half an ounce of ginger syrup and that's where it really comes out.
Speaker 3:The ginger syrup, I have to say, is really what makes this work.
Speaker 4:I'm sure, I'm sure um half an ounce of honey syrup is there. I didn't even know there was such a thing as honey syrup.
Speaker 1:So it's not honey. I guess, yeah, it's. What is honey syrup? Is it's honey? No joke like max.
Speaker 3:Max did a great job, but he gave it to this. He gave us in these like little to go containers that have all the things in it and I was like ginger syrup, like why are we not using this in more stuff? Like, if you ever like cook with ginger, it takes forever to chop it up and like cut the rinds off.
Speaker 4:This syrup is amazing yeah, let me start it. Okay, we got the honey syrup. We don't even know what that is, but it sounds great. Two ounces of misguided spirits whiskey and one egg white. Um and uh, I want to point out for those of your guests who are your viewers that don't drink. I'm a non-drinker, but apparently you can make this a virgin by not putting the whiskey in. It still tastes great, but we, we want to include the misguided spirits whiskey to make it fantastic. And then you dry shake it and then wet shake it without the ice and then with ice to emulsify the egg white. It's good and very important. Double strain it into a large coupe what's a coupe?
Speaker 3:I don't think it's a. It's a coupe. It's like a fancy it's a fancy glass. You know half the half the drinks we get on the show are in a coupe and I don't know why. I mean, I'm sure there's some kind of reason, but you know, it's a little. Honestly, it's more fancy than I am oh yeah, I know it's super fancy, give you a mug exactly for me. You just want to give me, like a wooden mug. You don't even have to really cure it.
Speaker 1:Look, I'll keep it, I'll keep it. Pure 80s. I want mine out of a styrofoam cup. There you go, so that would be perfect. We did do that one we had it, we had the master.
Speaker 3:Oh yeah, yeah, for it's a mad, mad, mad, mad world, who's like master shake from aquatine hunger force, and he's a in the character in the animated series. He is a a styrofoam cup or a paper cup, and so they made it in a styrofoam cup.
Speaker 1:So it was pretty great, nice, so we so what? So what do we? We have to have a garnish with this. Do you have it? Do we have a garnish? Oh yeah, yeah, no.
Speaker 4:So you double strain it into a large coupe. I mean, we were talking about words that people get thrown by. That was mine. There you go, garnish with dill dill and you lay that over. The egg white sort of resembles a small tree.
Speaker 3:So I have to say, like I'd said it earlier, this is one of the best ones we've ever had. It really is good. I really. I mean it's cool. I love it when people use egg white and it uses it really well. It's not overpowering, it's super fun. Take it virgin, make it with whiskey. Either way, make yourself one right now. And let's get into steel magnolia. Yes, so the first note I have from the film, when it kicks off, I was like you know, you're in the south because there's a harmonica and I think that that is just a dead on.
Speaker 3:I mean I you know it sounds like a joke, but it is so perfect for this like film. It just sets the tone so elegantly and it and and the score really awesome yeah the score is great, it brings you in and then you get the.
Speaker 1:I mean to make sure you know. Okay, you're in the south harmonica. You know it's the 80s because all the kids on the bikes yeah there's always a group of kids on a bike and everyone's like.
Speaker 3:No, there's no like, it's not like dangerous, because now where I live in Astoria, teens on bikes are something you have to be afraid of. Is there all on those damned electric city bikes? Is a thing and you're you're not your time. Do you guys have these in in LA? Is this a problem for you guys?
Speaker 4:not a problem. Yeah, I mean the, the scooter things. What do you call those, the you know? The lines or the lines or whatever those are more of an annoyance and than the bikes, but but yeah, you know, I mean it's, it's more that. I just don't feel comfortable anywhere letting my daughter just go take a bike and ride around the neighborhood.
Speaker 3:You know, right like you're not, so that's, that's a sad thing yeah, where I live now it's such a thing because they're like, they're always these damn teenagers and see I'm less than a while exactly here, we go like I just turned old.
Speaker 3:Yeah, these damn teenagers and they're fun, but no, they're like little hoodlums. It has gone too far. Like seriously, I'm not even joking like they're. The other day, somebody like a like a teen on an electric bike hit somebody over the head that was running with a baseball bat, like the yeah and the. The other day I was walking and one of them shot me with an air gun while they were running. I was like this is out of control. Guys like this is that?
Speaker 1:it is like little hoodlums see if this were naked-ish Louisiana, it'd be okay. That's, that's why it's that. That's where the movie of shot naked-ish yeah, that's where.
Speaker 4:That's where we shot, yeah well, look, I don't think that has anything to do with electric bikes.
Speaker 2:I think that's just the kids are rotten.
Speaker 4:I mean, who's shooting people over the head with a baseball bat?
Speaker 3:yeah, it's unbelievable, like it's. It's really.
Speaker 2:You know, I'm going to wait a minute. Wait a minute.
Speaker 3:I told you I was going to go on a rant, you know before we went on that Monday says I'm the one that's going to get in trouble for going on a rant. And look, we're not talking about the movie. We're talking about how I hate teenagers in New York yeah, this is definitely.
Speaker 1:This is the emotion that's evoked from steel magnolias and we forget that we're talking to the hoodlum himself with Louis on his motorcycle. Yes, yes, okay. Well, let me tell you about that yeah.
Speaker 4:So uh, when I went to audition, um, it was the cast and director and the director and uh, and one of the questions they asked after I I did my reading, uh was can you ride a motorcycle? And I've been taught, I don't know by whom, but, uh, if they ask you if you can do something, you just say yes it's the classic I didn't know how to ride a motorcycle.
Speaker 1:No, you didn't. You didn't know, can you?
Speaker 4:ride a horse. Sure can you do this. Yeah, absolutely. So I told him I could ride a motorcycle and then, uh, once I got cast, I was like you know, I have to figure out how to ride a motorcycle. And my roommate at the time, uh, had a motorcycle, so he tried his best to teach me. And then I also went up to Washington state where my dad lives and, uh, some neighbors had some like uh, mini bikes and stuff and and I was trying to learn on that and there's you know they always laugh at me because I fell off and I like injured my arm. You know it was.
Speaker 1:It was a disaster oh wait, I was gonna say did you. How did you? Did you feel confident by the time you were uh doing principal photography?
Speaker 4:I felt confident, you know. I mean I felt like, okay, I can get on a motorcycle, I can ride off, you know what I can do, you know all that stuff. But the problem is they wanted me to have someone on the back. So there was an actress who was playing my girlfriend and I think that the scene was cut off, cut out oh right right, right, yeah, because the only time I think you have on the back is uh, when you get um nails and yeah
Speaker 4:yeah, get your tail hopping or whatever right yeah, so, so, uh, originally it was a scene where I've got, you know, my girlfriend who had this like Medusa, spiky, punk hairdo, uh, aja, san zones the actress's name and so she's riding on the bike and and I'm supposed to go down this like um hill that was made out of stone and into dirt and it was, you know it was. And then there was like kind of a hair in turn. I don't know how comfortable I feel with this, but I did it. And then with the rabbit, they wanted me to zoom out of that area, go up the same path and onto so dirt, onto rocks, onto the pavement, and it was like a zigzag, and so I did it. But then they wanted me to do it faster. I was like, look, I'm a stunt driver. I don't you know if you want someone else on the back. I don't feel safe doing that. So we did it a few times and they had to reshoot that with a, with a stunt driver.
Speaker 3:I should have been a stunt person in the first place? Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 1:I was going to say, yeah, go ahead, go ahead.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I was going to say there was no reason, it had to be me. But you know, I gave him my best, but you know. So I felt like I did a fine job, but just you know I wasn't fast enough for what they wanted.
Speaker 1:I thought you were pretty fast. It felt dangerous. Well, you had a stunt guy. You were the stunt guy. No, I wanted you. I want it now. Now I'm missing. Now I'm missing the fact that, yeah, you know telling, telling all the secrets here.
Speaker 3:That's what Herbert was saying. Herbert Ross was saying I want Tom on the bike. I mean, what are you? You got to see this face writing.
Speaker 1:I'm tired of yelling at Dolly. I'm going to yell at his son. And he did yell. He yelled a lot.
Speaker 4:I mean, I remember there was one time it was a scene where Dolly was maybe saying something to me as I left on my motorcycle out the back of the door and he made her do it like 20, 30 times. It just was like really unkind. But Dolly was the, the fan from them, Just the best. Not only is she a kind, loving person, but she just she really appreciates her fans and all that. You see, you know of her in interviews and stuff. That's exactly what I experienced Just a warm, loving person.
Speaker 4:I remember there would be people gathered around when we were shooting and she just makes sure to go out and take photos with them, sign an autograph, give them a hug, and she talked about how you know, as soon as she woke up in the morning, she had her face done. Anytime she was going out to the grocery store she was all made up and ready to go because she appreciated the fact that they thought of her as Dolly and they had an image of who she was and and that was part of the deal. It's like, okay, I have to give this up, but to her I don't think it was giving up anything. I think she just really appreciated the love that she'd received and was willing to give that back to her fans, literally.
Speaker 3:My next note on here was God, I love Dolly. I mean, what a multi generational star you know like she's been. She's been around and continues to like leave just only a good taste in everyone's mouth.
Speaker 1:Yeah, she knocks it out of the generational park every time. And she what?
Speaker 3:a perfect role for her is this. Maybe I think this might be the most quintessential Dolly part in role, because the character is just, she runs a hair salon, I mean, come on, and she is like the most like you know in the community of everything, that is, everybody's friends. But it somehow feels like a little bit like she just, she just is perfect for this.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I can't imagine anyone else in that role. She was fantastic and I was so blessed to get to work with the whole cast. But you know, and have her as my movie mom. It was great. I remember we were sitting in the in the church during the wedding scene and she turned to me at one point. She's like you know well, maybe one day when you get married, your mama, your movie mom, will come and sing at your wedding. I was like, oh wow, that's stuck with me for a long time. I was tempted to call her when I finally got married, but I chickened out.
Speaker 4:Oh, no, I would probably would remember that problem. But it wasn't a promise, it was just like a off cuff remark.
Speaker 1:But well, Dolly, we're calling you out here an unofficial invite for renewing the vowels with a, and you were invited to sing and be movie mama choir.
Speaker 4:So please come on, that's fine. Zoom is you know. I mean, hey, just type her in.
Speaker 3:Take what we got, one of the things I was really early on the movie. The first time you see Darrell Hannah I was like is she supposed to be ugly? Is that like the things that fit? It has a thing where they put her in the glasses and the kind of the frizzy hair. But I was like she's obviously such a gorgeous human, like that it feels so I mean she'd already done splash at this point.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I was.
Speaker 3:I literally wrote down. I was like is that? I think they're trying to tell us that she's like not an attractive person. When you first meet her which is when movies do this which, like it always, it always makes me feel super. They either get like, you know, like a league of their own is a film like reason, where they do like a whole thing, where they're like this is an ugly person and look how ugly they are and I'm always like God. That's got to be the most uncomfortable thing.
Speaker 2:Yes, no.
Speaker 4:I think that you're an instinct star, correct? They were trying to make her look awkward and trying to figure out a way to make her, like, look less beautiful. But she's stunning, she. She's stunning Now. She was stunning then and so they did their best. But it's just like the classic the librarian who's wearing the glasses and then she takes them off and you're like right, yeah, exactly.
Speaker 3:Oh, my God, you know this was Superman the whole time, yeah.
Speaker 4:Yeah, yeah, like that, you know. Except it was good beauty, yeah, I don't know. I mean, she was, she was, she was stunning, yeah. But but I have to say that the person I had to crush on was Julie Roberts. Oh man, she was. She would just knock my socks off. I think she was probably like 19 at that point and I was 22. And I remember seeing her. She kind of had this tomboy look when she wasn't in makeup and hair, and then she'd go into the trailer and she's like, you know, vava, boom and yeah, I really had a crush on her and I didn't know that she and Dylan McDermott were dating. So I would go work out with Dylan and I'd be like, yeah, I really have a crush on her.
Speaker 4:She's so cute, I really you know, I think I'm going to try to ask her. I was like, oh yeah, she just wanted Dylan say that.
Speaker 3:He just said you have me, like you know, I think you should. Yeah, you should ask her.
Speaker 4:I don't know if you encourage it. But he certainly didn't say, buddy, you know that she's taken nothing like that. So I remember she came over and had breakfast one time at the hotel where I was staying and and all the six main actresses were staying in beautiful houses surrounding this lake and different fancy people had given up their homes, you know, while we were there and and let the actresses stay there. So they all had like like a dock that you can jump into the lake and go swimming and stuff. And I was like, hey, you know, it's fun to go swimming at your place. One time she's like hey, yeah, you can come over anytime. I'm usually working, but you know, you're welcome to go swimming. And I was like, oh man, this is just not working, Obviously yeah not take a hit.
Speaker 4:So she was very friendly, very kind, and we had a little bit of a friendship on on set, but found out that her heart was already taken.
Speaker 3:So that is such a man, that's such a bummer to learn the hard way. I mean she is, I mean she's so young in this film and her career, just I mean she explodes.
Speaker 1:She did Mystic Pizza.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I mean yes, I think she's on Mystic Pizza and maybe one other film, I don't remember, but yeah, yeah it was. It was crazy.
Speaker 3:She was, I mean, I think what, and what an understated sort of role, I will say, because obviously of the roles in here they're all pretty big as far as like emotional impact. I'd say the smallest sort of ones are like Dolly and Julia, Like they have. Like you know, my God, Sally Field has so much to do in here.
Speaker 1:Oh my God.
Speaker 3:Yeah, you know, and the other two are kind of the comic relief, but they really have a lot to chew on, like a lot to do, you know, like yeah, and whereas Julia is just always, from the time, sort of the more frail character which can be the hardest thing I think to perform, and she does it with such finesse that it truly is just unbelievable to watch and it's really engaging, which is why she gets so much, you know, recognition for this.
Speaker 1:Yeah, she was trying to hold back Tom's advances there. So it's just exactly.
Speaker 3:So, tom, we're not saying that you're responsible for this, but you are.
Speaker 1:I might be exactly. We can't do that.
Speaker 4:I'm going to claim that I am responsible for her amazing performance, yeah, and allowing her to have that fragility and, you know, also, that effervescence in her character.
Speaker 3:That's a great way to describe her. Yes, like I feel like her hair would be what you got. If you like, manifested champagne into like human hair.
Speaker 1:You know what I mean. Well, until until the end, when she here's my theory, by the way, all right. When she cuts her hair right and she obviously did not have the conversation with Dolly that she should have had, and we're going short and she turns around and her heart's broken and I immediately like wait, shelby didn't die, she becomes Tinkerbell. She is because she's in hook with that same haircut. I'm like all right, fan tearing in this world.
Speaker 3:Yes, these are the same characters.
Speaker 1:Yes, Right Helping us tinkerbell. She's moving from one universe to another.
Speaker 3:Uh huh, got it, ok. Yeah, that is a really strong feeling.
Speaker 1:This tracks for you guys. Right this track, I think I mean.
Speaker 3:I can't. I can't see how it couldn't be right.
Speaker 4:Let's say that not for me, but you know, I mean obviously Stephen is drinking the kool-aid.
Speaker 3:You know, I love that. They even like, at the end of the film they put Julia in those mom jeans and she walks out and I was like they did it, man, they did it and she still makes them look good. But I like it is just so funny with the like, the aging of a young character. It's like when you make somebody look ugly it's like, oh, and here come the mom jeans and the different hairstyle and what can we do here?
Speaker 4:Oh my gosh, it's not true. It's not true.
Speaker 1:Dude, and I loved how you were outfitted.
Speaker 4:I have to say yeah, like I really wanted me to have a Mohawk and I declined to actually shape my head. I wish I'd gone for it, but the the, the office they put me in where lots of fun and I don't. I can't even remember exactly what they look like, but I definitely felt the character in those.
Speaker 1:And I know a lot of people usually take that. It's like you know you have a little memento that you take from set, did you? Is there something you took from set? Maybe your jacket?
Speaker 4:I know I wish I had. No, you know, I was a goody two shoes, and so I don't think I ever took anything from any set. There was some wardrobe I have from Lucas, which was the very first movie I made, but I think that that was stuff that they gave us. Yeah, you know, I have my Letterman's jacket, I have like a sweater, like a sweater thing, but I don't think I've ever taken anything without permission. Um, yeah, so I don't have anything from Steel Magnolia's.
Speaker 3:No, Tom, I get that impression of you that you are just this sort of like for a sweet. You know, normal, human.
Speaker 1:That's why he's in Steel Magnolia's.
Speaker 3:But then you always are sort of it feels like you're playing a lot of these, like you know, in 1980s, I don't know, not rough and tumble, but, like you know, little abrasive, outside of the norm, scarier kind of like characters you know like. So how did? That happen for you.
Speaker 4:I made my money making playing bullies for the most part, you know and or some version of a bully. Well, I definitely have that side to me, you know. I think in general I'm a pretty nice guy, but when I was growing up I was picked on a lot, you know, and bullied a lot. And then I think when I started to grow and get bigger, I kind of turned around and became the bully, oftentimes towards the people that had picked on me. But I think that there were probably some instances when it was that I was doing the bullying against a kid but he really didn't deserve it and I really regret that.
Speaker 4:But I think I, because I was picked on, because I was bullied, I had the capacity to understand what it felt like and kind of channel that feeling the opposite way and kind of become the person who was terrorizing you know, and tap into those feelings pretty easily and switch it the other way. I don't know. And then they also, I think they really like the fact there were a couple of us like Lucas. There's a scene in Lucas and not to change movies, I apologize.
Speaker 1:I love Lucas.
Speaker 4:There's a scene in Lucas where Lucas is in the hospital after he's been crushed by football players and I go over to Kerry Green's character and you know I'm like I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to hurt him and I break down crying and they cut that from the for the movie, I think probably because they didn't want to see the tough guy crying in the end.
Speaker 4:But that was one of the things that they went that directors liked about me was that I could play a tough guy, but I also had this emotional side that I could cry if I needed to, which was handy in certain characters.
Speaker 1:Oh my gosh, I want that deleted scene of Bruno crying. Oh man.
Speaker 4:Hey, if you can get 20th century box, to release it.
Speaker 1:You know that'd be great, I'm on it, I'm on it.
Speaker 4:I think it should have been a scene on the, on the on the Blu-ray, but you know who does those anymore.
Speaker 1:That's gosh. I know I love them. I literally just got a. I did get a Blu-ray of a movie we're going to be talking about that. I was like, oh my gosh, this on Blu-ray it's from 86, I believe. And just I was like I want to get back into buying Blu-rays. This felt fun and all the commentaries I love those, and the bonus material I do.
Speaker 4:I think there's a generation that misses that you know, yeah, well, now I mean, they're doing streaming, they don't get all that stuff. The directors cut and the conversation that what do you? What do you call it? I can't remember. You know when you, when you're talking about it.
Speaker 1:Oh, commentary yeah.
Speaker 4:Thank you, yes. Commentary yeah, they miss out on that stuff, unfortunately. Oh man, what can you do? Yeah, exactly, I think that it'll probably come back around in some point.
Speaker 1:I think so. I think it's, I think there's a, there's a movement in that direction right now. So I'm kind of like owning it and buying as many. If I see a special edition Blu-ray that's been released, I'm I'm jumping back on it because it's just awesome and I and it is another way of engaging in the, in something that means something to you, like you know, like Steel, magnolias, speed.
Speaker 3:And let's talk about that title for a second Sure. So I think there is a line in the film that is even like fragile as Magnolias but tough as steel, right Like that. Yeah, I think that's what I wrote down here, so forgive me if I didn't get it exactly right, but it's like that's.
Speaker 1:It is such an interesting contradiction and that, I think, is very, very smart, that it because it sticks in your head, and I love it, that you're not expecting Well yeah, and and Malin has that moment at the end in the cemetery when she says you know that, you know her husband left and the kids didn't stay, and it's like they're supposed to be tough as steel Right and like she's just kind of weeping that out and it's, and that's like when. That's when it hit me between that and the wonderful moment when Weezer looks at Scarrett and says are those my Magnolias? That hasn't been established yet, you know.
Speaker 3:I also like one of the details I thought was like the most fun in the film is they have the father character that's running around and like shooting at the, the, the pigeons or whatever.
Speaker 2:The birds and the trees and the nuisances, and then the dogs getting angry about it.
Speaker 3:She was so much I found I love that little shenanigans like a little backbeat happening there and I feel that that wasn't in the play right, the play was just the women, have you?
Speaker 1:seen the play. Tom, have you ever seen the play? So I don't know.
Speaker 4:I mean, I'm sure that they talked about things that had gone on with the men. So did they get that stuff from the play? It was already in there, but the men weren't present. I don't know. That's the question. Yeah, that's the fascinating thing, because it's a one set play.
Speaker 1:It's actually my. This was one of the first plays I ever worked on, an undergrad actually, buddy of mine was directing and he was in the theater group and I wanted to get involved and he's like, well, come help me. And I was like sure, what's the play? And he told me and I knew the movie, but I didn't. I was like, oh, and that kind of like began my relationship with it and it was. It was amazing just to see the, those women and it's a one set the entire time and just the stillness. And, like Steve you talked about this earlier just being so dialogue driven, you could tell where its roots were and it just breaks your heart, did you, tom? We were just talking about the title, did you? Did you have a relationship with the title when you were filming? Did it mean anything to you At the time, or was that?
Speaker 4:Yeah, I mean, I think it just meant you know what Robert was describing, which is, you know, a strong Southern woman who's also very ladylike, and so it's that great combination of hard and soft, you know, and I think we all have that image of Southern woman as being very beautiful and light, and you know, what happens is definitely a stereotype but also that they can lay down the law and they're probably wearing the pants in the family. So, you know, I think it was a great combination of two words that gave you an exact picture of what he was going for.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's a great point. They do a lot of. You know and I know Shirley McClain talked about this that you know these are these women start off, everybody's trying to fix something or they're preparing something, they're just, they're busy, they're doing, doing, doing, doing. And you know there doesn't necessarily seem to be anything that stands out. You know to be special about them, but then you begin, as these things unfold, you understand the profound relationships that they have with each other and just that's what becomes so relatable. And at the end I mean and that's what I love about with just the relationships, of how they can be so brutal and brutally honest. And as a fellow Southerner, I never, I rarely, got to see a lot of that brutal brutality. But when you did, you knew it was coming from like just a. It was coming from the relationship you know and you're, you're from Chicago, is that right?
Speaker 4:I grew up in the suburbs of Chicago. Yeah, Illinois, Illinois, yeah, where did you grow up?
Speaker 1:Where in the South did you grow up? Atlanta, Okay, yeah, so not, not. Not as not as French, if you will, as Louisiana.
Speaker 3:That's a good way to put it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, not as French, but my. But I mean like, oh, there was a moment in I don't know if you remember this scene we're in the backyard of Truvie's house, of your house, and they we meet the just terribly ugly Darrell Hanna, and she's asked what her name is and what you know, what's your, what's your given name, what's your surname? And she says, well, my married name is Dupree and you know, and doesn't really go into her real name, and it reminded me this is just a total side note my mother, who has a double Southern name, alice Ann, and it's not Alice it's not Ann, it's Alessanne.
Speaker 1:And she was when she had moved. My dad was in the service and my mother got a job in Georgia which is how they ended up over there and so she was trying to figure out where she was going to live. And it's had an interview with an older Southern woman who sat her down and they had like some peppermints and whatever, and then asked her her name and she said it's Alice Ann. And she said Alison, no, no, no, alice Ann, that's my daughter's name. And she and immediately they bonded over that and said are you of the Edwards of this family and this family? And so immediately, like my mom was not hitting it off, but as soon as she said her name and the old woman was like well, you're staying with me.
Speaker 3:And that is such a Southern one. Such a Southern. I mean that it does really track in this movie. I mean there's some of the dialogue in here. I wrote down some of the lines and was like, because I'm from like sort of that, I call it like the Appalachian South. It's like Southern Missouri and a lot of the things in my culture were very Southern, like my aunt's names are like Ruth Ann, mary Evelyn, you know, like you know they have.
Speaker 1:Mary.
Speaker 3:Lou, they all have the same kind of two name thing. But the but phrases like this just rings so true to me. It's like we're going to be busier than a one armed paper hanger. Like that is just such it. Just if I can hear my family saying that if you can achieve puberty, you can achieve a past. Like that is like that. I think someone told me that yeah. You know what I mean, like that is a true wisdom.
Speaker 3:It's a true wisdom and it really is so sharp in the dialogue and I think maybe because it started as a play and many films, in my opinion, do not transfer well from the stage to film, like it feels like it would cause. They're sort of similar mediums but they're very different in how the audience digests them. This one they were very smart.
Speaker 3:It's interesting that you say that this was like a unit set right yeah, as a unit set, because I'm immediately thinking, more than the act break has to be, there has to be some how the scene changed. Getting into all this is like. I mean it totally. You can see how it can work. But I can also see how the set of the city in this plays a huge, huge role in the texture and in the feeling and the vibe of the film that the play wouldn't necessarily get.
Speaker 1:That's correct. Yeah, I think well into that. When we get to the sets in the film, nothing is half done.
Speaker 3:Right, no, they're lavish.
Speaker 1:Everything is like pink and blush, and then, of course, when they're decorating for Christmas, everything and that's kind of how the stage is meant to be as well it's just like full on, just gorgeous salon. I don't want to put you on the spot here, tom, because we're talking about the dialogue. Is there any dialogue that stands out to you, that just kind of sits or is like bubbling back up as we talk about it, that either came out of you know Malin's mouth or your mom's mouth, that?
Speaker 4:just nothing. Nothing in particular, really. I just I don't really remember the dialogue or anything. You know, I have so many friends that can quote lines from every favorite movie and I'm just not that person. I memorize the stuff and it just disappears from my head. So pretty much the only thing I can remember is one of my lines, which was why did you hire her for?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think it's probably pretty much my only line.
Speaker 1:But you got to get your tail hopping. You said that it didn't get your tail hopping.
Speaker 4:Okay, all right, all right, so I do like. But as far as the production design goes, you know, I really think that they hadn't advantage in that they use a lot of actual locations. You know, we weren't shooting on a set, so I think that that really added a lot of character. But also the production design. You know the designers were awesome. But I'll give you one little trivia bit, which is in Malin's home. If you look closely at the family pictures, the photos and stuff that they use, they had collected photos of all the cast and you know to just pepper around the houses and my photos were used. My childhood photos were used instead of Jonathan and Knowles. So, yeah, so they just the art department made a mistake and so if you look in their house you'll see pictures of me as a kid. So that's one funny thing.
Speaker 1:I like the storyline here that there's something else about these two households that's not being talked about with Louis.
Speaker 4:Right, right, who's he, who's his real father? Yeah, I don't know. Maybe he was adopted by Truvie Right.
Speaker 3:We've stumbled on a conspiracy theory here.
Speaker 1:It only took 30 some years, but we got there. Yes.
Speaker 4:They were switched at birth. Maybe, I don't know.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, well, she did, shelby worked in the hospital, she would have you know, wait a minute. How much older would she have been than you, though?
Speaker 4:No, not that much older. In fact I might have been older than her.
Speaker 1:So yeah, I think that's probably did work, so we folded that like a paper sack.
Speaker 4:Yes, Another interesting little tidbit. I'm sure this is out there, but I believe that the person that played Jack, like the little boy Shelby's son, was a girl. Oh, I'm pretty sure that you'll have to verify that, but I'm pretty sure that the little boy running around with that white, blonde hair is actually a little girl.
Speaker 4:At least at one stage. There might have been a couple of ages that we saw. I don't remember anymore, but I'm pretty sure. And then the mom's like well, please don't say anything, because we don't want them to not cast our kid.
Speaker 3:So can I ask you guys what the hell is happening with the Easter eggs? The Easter egg hunt is just all over the place right hey talking about at the top. Yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, like what's going on. Why so many Easter eggs? Yes, they're everywhere. What the hell is going on with these.
Speaker 3:Easter eggs. Where are they going with these?
Speaker 4:And also I think the money was drunk. I think I'm sorry.
Speaker 3:Every chicken in this county just has to be terrified, wherever these people come around.
Speaker 1:Oh no, it's Easter. Oh no, it's Easter.
Speaker 4:Well, if I remember correctly, it was a long painting shot, wasn't it? So they have to. You know, they have to hide the eggs all over so they can get that shot in there.
Speaker 3:Yeah, exactly, I would just like the amount of eggs and I could just see team of people dying eggs.
Speaker 2:Oh, that's our team. God, tomorrow's the egg day Egg day I'm like I've got a baby. What was it movie?
Speaker 4:magic. Were they really eggs? I can't, I really can't verify you know, with a siren phone.
Speaker 2:What was it? I don't remember.
Speaker 4:Exactly.
Speaker 1:But if you look close, if you break them open, there's pictures of Tom when he was younger, in the eggs. Yes, yeah.
Speaker 3:And also like the neighbor is a god. Shirley McClain is getting so angry at the father character for, like, shooting the gun. I was like in the south, like if they're shooting the gun all the time, that's just breakfast.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:And the rest is like. There's. No, you know, like your dog, every neighbor you have is like shooting something.
Speaker 1:Yeah, the critique is not to stop shooting the gun. It's your form is bad, exactly.
Speaker 4:Yes.
Speaker 1:Yes, you got it.
Speaker 4:Really I mean. I'm not from the south, so I mean really, though I mean in the middle of a residential neighborhood you're hearing, probably not.
Speaker 3:Probably not. But I mean where I grew up, I grew up in the country and it was like everything was ever either, like they say it here, shoot it, stuff it or marry it, I mean, and that's pretty much, that's pretty much it, shoot it, stuff it or marry it. That's right, yeah, I mean there are areas of the south. You do all three in sequence. That is true. You know what?
Speaker 1:I mean I didn't say it.
Speaker 4:I didn't say that, so that's why I'm here, the but that, okay, hold on.
Speaker 1:So that actually makes me think too, though, with the way. So how long were you on set?
Speaker 3:I mean, that was a long production, like how long it feels like it was a big movie, like from just watching what.
Speaker 4:Yeah, it was a big movie. You know, I'm trying to think it was definitely my first big movie because I had done Lucas, I'd done Revenge of the Nerds 2, which was it was a bigger movie, you know, certainly bigger than Lucas Was Critters 2 before this too. And I'm trying to remember that, whether Critters 2 was before this or not, I want to say it was afterwards, I want to say it was more like the full time, but I can't remember for sure.
Speaker 1:Definitely you have to do Steel Magnolias 2, just saying because, but yeah, sorry, so it's like you're saying it's like one of the first massive movies, I mean you know it was like I mean, those movie stars come in.
Speaker 4:I was so just like overwhelmed with the fact that I was with all of these amazing actresses. You know Julie Roberts wasn't to name at that time, but the other five Well, I didn't really know Olympia Dacoccus at that point, but you know certainly Darrell Hanna, sally Fields, and you know I remember Sally Fields had a reasonably new kid I don't know if it was a baby or or you know, but reasonably new. And so she was pretty much usually off with the kid when she wasn't filming. But there was one time we were walking to set and Corey Hame from Lucas had played her son in a movie, and so I was like, oh hey, you know we both worked with Corey and she was friendly, like, but me kind of just like doing her thing. And then there was another time I had an interaction with Shirley McClain and she was going into the makeup and hair trailer and she's like hey, I saw, you know, what you did the other day. I really liked that. That was really believable. I was like oh, thank you.
Speaker 4:And I think it was just like me getting on my motorcycle and she couldn't have been gaslighting me, she could have been, just like you know, been sarcastic, but I think she was serious and I was like, oh, my God, it was awesome to meet you and I was like, oh, I'm going to be, like, oh, I'm going to be, like, oh, I'm going to be. And now Hannah was, you know, just very sweet and a little bit just kind of is spacey and airheaded and but but just very sweet and down earth, and we both had grown up in Chicago and so we had that in common and we, sir, I mean, I love you to caucus, though she was probably my favorite you know, she was just like like that favorite aunt that you have, you know, just like Didn't watch her mouth around the kids and just was funny and a little crass and Just sings off the, off the screen
Speaker 3:you know I mean like the best line in there is like if you can't say anything, nice, come sit by me. I'm like.
Speaker 1:It just sums her up so perfectly, she yeah and she had just won the Oscar for Moonstruck, right? Yeah, I don't remember. Yeah, I think she just got your word on that, the, and she's just. Yeah, I've had a quote of hers in, like framed I don't know, ever since I moved to New York and it's, you know, people become. Hold on, now that I have it, I can't even remember it.
Speaker 1:The reasons people start out to be actors are not the same reasons people continue to be actors. We must investigate and rediscover those reasons. And I don't remember why, the context of her saying that, but it was just something that you know, an interview years ago, and I was like write that down. I just, it's just, I love the idea of constantly Reinvestigating and rediscovering why we do anything and especially something we love. And that was just, you know, it was early in my career, early in my life, and and so just you talking about her spirit on set, I do wonder, was she kind of was there a quote leader, if you will, someone that like kind of deferred to everyone? I kind of I feel like.
Speaker 1:Olympia would be that way, you know. I want to.
Speaker 4:I want to say it might have been surely, but you know I Didn't. The women, I think, got together a lot when we weren't filming and we weren't part of that. It was kind of like their special circle. So I really didn't have an inside view of that.
Speaker 1:I my own.
Speaker 4:You know I should go with, surely, shirts, probably would have invited me over for a little, you know, swim, I might don't know, but yeah, so my, my instinct would be surely, just because that's kind of. You know, she had a very strong personality as well, in a different way from Olympia, but I can't really give you any insight on that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no, I just, I just it just feels like I mean, you have these, just like you said, these massive personalities as well, and they, we, we got.
Speaker 3:We talked to Paul actually we have a really, so we got a really interesting that you know Paul Hirsch edited the film and Paul Hirsch is like this, iconic I think, at least for me, an iconic editor. He's done like you know, he did like.
Speaker 3:Star Wars strikes back Ferris Bueller's day off foot loose also with her. And yeah, he was just. He actually talked to us a little about steel magnolias in an episode that we're actually gonna release. It's longer. We talked for about 20 30 minutes about his work in this film specifically, and actually we have a little clip of him talking about Julia Roberts and Julia coming in to be on this show. If we want to actually just just take a look real quick.
Speaker 2:Justine Bateman came in, did a reading I thought was fantastic. Laura Dern was really great, but Sally feel that already been cast and there's no way you could believe that Sally was the mother of Laura Dern. But she was. She really was given fantastic performance. Julia was believable. You know, brunette, can you get accepted? Sally was her mom and Herbert saw it right away and but he has, you know, he had a great Feel for acting. I think of all the directors I work with he had more actors nominated for Oscars than any other director I work with. So he had a real sense of and you know, actually that was the first time I was ever in a casting session, so I Was a novice and he was an old ex, not only an old pro but but really gifted, had smelling out a great acting talent.
Speaker 3:Yeah. So I mean, and Paul, when we did that interview he I just started his new book and thanks, and it's a long screwed this up in the other episode to it and a long, long wait oh gosh, a long time ago in a cutting room far, far away. Yes, it's a good Star Wars, like that's it. But and I'm an enormous fan of him and I don't know like I think he did a fantastic job in this, but his book is. I cannot recommend it highly enough, like you. It is if you work, even if you don't work in the industry, but especially if you do. It is such a great glimpse at how so many of these great films were made and the struggles they took and really the human factor of creatives which so often they live. You know, george Lucas lives in sort of this iconic place with Star Wars, but it was not. That's not how it went day to day. They were trying to figure it out.
Speaker 3:Yeah, they didn't exactly know if it was gonna work or not, and that is really anyway. So the long tangent over here we're gonna be releasing this episode of with Paul. But definitely go check out the book. I mean I cannot remember recommended highly enough. But again, you know, saying, with Julia coming into the film it was, I think really you know, a unique casting. I don't know that you have anyone that really pulls this character off the page.
Speaker 4:The same way, you know, what's interesting to hear about that is that Paul was included in the casting sessions. I've never heard of an editor being included in the cast sessions. That's I'm curious how that came to be, and I certainly don't remember him being part of the casting session. I was that, but I might not have known he was there. I mean, he, he did talk about that.
Speaker 3:Yeah, he talks about that.
Speaker 3:He and Herbert have been working together for quite a lot, quite a bit and you know he kind of you know an editor is sort of in my mind You're like the post-production director, you know what I mean like you're the one that is sort of you know, you take a big mantle of storytelling and the honest evaluation.
Speaker 3:One of the things I love that he says, because it echoes my experience, is yeah, I don't really read the script a whole lot when you're editing. You read it a couple times to understand where it is. You read it so you understand the form of what they shot, but ultimately you're looking at what they give you because you have to make a decision With what you have in front of you that you're gonna work with and starting to in. So the idea of what it was supposed to be is sort Of irrelevant to a certain degree, and he talks about that quite a bit and you know that that, I think, was so. He developed a rapport with all these great directors like Brian DePaul, and they really trusted his opinion. So they would all kind of.
Speaker 1:So yeah, I think he was specifically brought in for the. What do you think of this? You?
Speaker 3:know like as a character and it just really yeah, cuz, cuz, I'm with you.
Speaker 1:I hadn't heard of it myself.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so I think it's an uncommon thing, for sure. Now.
Speaker 1:Yeah, go ahead.
Speaker 4:I was also gonna say one other thing about her Ross, which is I think that his talent was more in casting, you know, and finding the right actor or actress, then in directing. That was that's my opinion. Yeah, I did not like his style of directing, which Definitely included a lot of belittling people, and I thought he was a prima donna and not a kind person. That's certainly when I've directed things. That is just not there, or produced them. It's just not the way I work. I think you can get a great performance out of someone with kindness and Support and you don't have to treat a person like that.
Speaker 3:So I think that was also the time. You know that this time is the time of that sort of auteur director, where it is Fashionable to be an asshole.
Speaker 4:You know what I mean. Maybe so, yeah, maybe so. You know, but I worked with a lot of directors that were not like that, you know.
Speaker 3:Right of course, yeah.
Speaker 4:I give you yeah surely bad it was.
Speaker 1:It also said what you said you know about working with and she had just done another movie with him before and I probably Felt like she could come out and say stuff, but was basically like will you stop bullying Dolly, you know?
Speaker 4:Yeah, she was. You know he was awful to her. Yeah, which?
Speaker 3:is incredible because she don't. She's Playing herself and doing it in a way that no one could ever, you know, coach that real humanity with so much. You know, like she's sort of like a pithy, yeah, like he's a hit the I don't know. She's like a like, looks like she'd be a meringue but is secretly a pastry. You know what I?
Speaker 2:mean, I don't know, that's the worst analogy.
Speaker 3:I stand by it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I know, I get what.
Speaker 3:I mean there.
Speaker 4:I think there were times when he was, you know, he was wanting something different and she was giving him something else, and you know, and so he just had her do it over and over. But you know, I think that Dolly is just such a terrific spirit and a great sport and you know, I mean, she wants to please you as well, and so I think it was just a matter of him not being able to communicate.
Speaker 3:Yeah so her what he was looking for, that's yeah, I had to keep on doing it when I was directing when I was first starting out, I directed a assistant directed Frost Nixon right after Broadway at the St Louis Repertory Theater and a assistant directed Steve Wolf, who was the artistic director there for a million years and people always really loved him and I always thought similar things of his directed. Now, he was not an asshole, he was a very sweet human, very good. He just didn't really know how to direct. In my opinion, he was always giving like he was always objective words or like hit this line a little different or something about the rhythm of this line Doesn't work. But the thing he was brilliant at was casting like and I think there is a whole generation or Subset of directors that that's what they do. They just have such a good eye For that individual who can work with this individual and plug this thing together that it, you know, and it can work for people.
Speaker 4:Yeah it's a director if you cast it well and you know credit has to go to the casting director as well. But if you choose the right people, a majority of your work is done. You know, I really think it's it's difficult to teach a person how to act on set.
Speaker 2:So, if you, if you cast someone.
Speaker 4:This is something I learned a long time ago. I've got a buddy of mine. His name is Adam Rifkin and he's directed a number of films, and one of his very I think it was his very first film was called never on Tuesday it's. It's a, actually based on the road trip that we took together going from Chicago to California, but it's Peter Berg, who's now a big director, claudia Christian, who's been in tons of movies, and Andy Connick. I remember his name now, but when, when they were doing casting at the time I was gonna play the Pete Berg role and so I sat in on the casting they had all these gorgeous women coming in because, about two guys, they, their car breaks down in the middle of the desert and this beautiful woman, her car happens to break down as well. And so you know, she's supposed to be this, just this vision of beauty and this sexy woman, and so they had the Tony contains and you know all the Miss Universe is coming in, and the actress that they cast, claudia Christian, is very attractive, but what made her perfect the role for the role was not her physical beauty, it was that she could act. She could act sexy, you know. And so I realized early on that it's much more important to cast someone who can act than who looks the role. I also had that happen.
Speaker 4:I directed a short film called shoot the moon and it was about a girl in Atlanta who, in the 70s, who who shoots a moon out the back of a bus and she gets suspended from school. Then she goes to visit her grandmother and we're trying to find this beautiful southern bell type of woman. And we have a few actresses come in I'm just for a short film that weren't. They weren't getting paid, and June Lockhart was one of them and she was so sweet, she looked apart, she's just gorgeous and just exactly what I was imagining. But she couldn't do a southern accent and she just, you know, she wasn't right for the role.
Speaker 4:And then Audrey Lendley, who had played Mrs Dropre, came in and I don't know if you guys Remember three's company, but she you know I'm not gonna not look at all the roles and she didn't come in when she had no makeup on, you know, but she nailed the character and once she was on set and they did her hair and makeup and everything, it's like, okay, that's exactly what I wanted. I didn't see it in the audition process, but once we were on set she was there. So, yeah, I kind of went on a tangent, but I really feel that Casting an actress who knows how to do the role, as opposed to someone who looks the role, you're always gonna win.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely well said yeah there.
Speaker 3:Can we clarify one thing back in steel magnolias for a second. So Darrell Darrell is wearing a white dress to a wedding that was given to her by the bride, so does that make it okay to wear a white dress to a wedding?
Speaker 4:Did you notice this? Not yeah, this is the first thing that I noticed.
Speaker 3:The whole time I was like, why is she? She's giving her a white dress and then she wore it to the wedding. I was like, oh man in the south, this is a no. It's a big no-no so that.
Speaker 4:I didn't pick up on that.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that, and my other note here from the wedding is Jesus H Christ. It's like a pink bomb went off, you know, like there was like a plane that was like filled with White and red and it, just like you know, two of them collided and it turned into like that's why everything is pink.
Speaker 1:That's what I love. You know? That's part one of those lines that she has. It's like my colors are blush and bashful. Yeah, she's in this, my cut and cuz. Her mom's like it's so pink, it's just pink. And she's like no, my, it's blush, oh my god, what a great my colors are blush and bashful, I feel seen in this movie. I just want to say that the I mean overall.
Speaker 3:I mean this is, I think you know, wrapping it up here, you know, kind of to the end here, what do you do? What is this film to you guys? Like what, what does it mean? Like, what do you think it's about? And like, I mean, we kind of touched on all of it. But for me it feels like this is really an expo. The men, I think, are not to diminish your role at all time, but this is not a film about men. This is a film about women, their interaction, their struggles and about how, you know, the, the deep south, they still have their own individual identities and their own power. I think, for me, the men are sort of, like, you know, useless from the film's perspective. They are just part of the set and setting.
Speaker 1:I mean, that's the beautiful thing about scare. Its character is like you know that drama, like he's yes, he's so ineffective with With the gun. It's just perfect to that whole thing and it's just yeah. I think that gets across, tom. What about yourself, especially with your obviously your intimate Experience with it? What is? How would you say it's?
Speaker 4:about that sisterhood, that bond that only women can have with each other. And you know and and kind of getting as men, getting to peek behind the curtain and and experience that. You know, and it did it so well, robert, even though he's a guy, he just nailed it, I think I mean Probably because it's based a lot on his, his own life, and so he had those, he was witness to these conversations and and these characters. But yeah, I think it's about the bond and the strength of women and and how they can really rally behind each other and just be there to support one another in the worst and the best of times.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean, I'll echo both of what you guys are saying and, like I know, I see this through the eyes with my, my mother and her best friend.
Speaker 3:Same. Yeah, that's the way I see it. I'm like I see a lot of my family.
Speaker 1:I really do. You know, and just the, the bond that these you know, this small group of women that have been friends for years and have had to bury a few of their friends. You know, and it's just the and and how you process that.
Speaker 1:So to me, this is a movie about processing what it is to be alive and and I love that you know that we hadn't even talked about it the fact that this is almost a one-to-one retelling of Robert's own life with you know, touched on that at all and that, that that I think to your point, tom, that there's so much of that Authenticity and realism and the true peak behind the curtain does come out, and he gives it in such an honest way, because I think he started it as a short story for his like niece and nephew to like help them process, but then ended up writing it in less than two weeks. He wrote this in ten days. It's insane.
Speaker 3:That is insane. Yeah, and it just should the play version, you mean the play, the play.
Speaker 1:Yeah, he wrote the play in ten days. It was supposed to be like a short story and then I think his therapist just said, well, just write it. And so he just just kept writing, kept writing and then, sure enough, less than two weeks, and imagine going back to my therapist after a third session. Okay, here's my complete script. It's gonna be amazing.
Speaker 3:We're going to.
Speaker 1:Broadway. We're waiting for government. The that's my life, so, um, yeah, I that. That to me is kind of where I land on that with the the beauty about yeah, and the beauty of it and why I Simultaneously had to make the joke I had to make at the top and also feel terrible about it, because I do love it and I think it is. It's one of the most quotable movies and and of all time, not just because it's delivered well, but from where it's delivered and on that note.
Speaker 3:So this being a style to be, so we always kind of touch base and be like does this movie still hold up? Because some movies can be great Movies, it'd be terrible. But does it hold up in a modern territory under a rewatch? So you would say for you it does, yes. I would say for me, absolutely. I think it's just as relevant as the day it was made. Tom, what do you think I?
Speaker 4:think the story a A lot of. It does the hair and and.
Speaker 3:That might be the only thing that really dates.
Speaker 2:Absolutely, I think the heart of it.
Speaker 4:It's still, you know, so powerful and effective. And, you know, every time I see that cemetery scene it makes me cry.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I mean that they said I think the I asked Paul about this and he says in the episode they saw it in the play and then the play you could laugh and cry at the same scene and he was like that was yeah, and once they he was like when they did a test of it and they saw that that worked, he's like that's what I knew, the film would work and it would be okay. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:I mean, it's like it's in so many of those moments that you have the permission to laugh and cry and that beautiful quote laughter through tears is my favorite emotion, that that your mom delivers, you know like how I keep going back to that. Yeah, we're getting her. We're getting her.
Speaker 3:She's gonna be singing so, tom, if people want to Follow you and find out what's going on for you you know, post strike, whatever. Where should people come follow you?
Speaker 4:I'm on Instagram. I don't know what my handle is. I guess I should. But it's mainly it's mainly posts of cakes that I make for my daughter or dresses that I make for her.
Speaker 1:Nothing too exciting. Do you're not making any armadillo cakes, are you?
Speaker 4:I've not tried that yet. No, I made her a Pikachu cake for her most recent birthday. I made her an incanto castle, you know Casa cake for her previous birthday. You know I've been having a lot of fun with that and then I didn't have no idea I could, so until she was born and then I've been making her some creations, so it's been fun too.
Speaker 3:Wow, that's amazing, awesome.
Speaker 1:Amazing and follow and follow Tom.
Speaker 2:As far as acting.
Speaker 4:I'm not really doing anything. People call me, I'm on available, but I've been a producer for the past, you know, 23 years with my college buddy, david Schwimmer from friends, and so we make things every now and then. There's a show called Intelligence that we did for sky, which is on peacock check it out and just always developing stuff and that's amazing for the next one you know I've got it.
Speaker 3:I would have. I would be remiss if I don't touch on your favorite role for me, which I don't know if you see, but it's from heavyweights and I guess that movie forever is it is it ran rings of my childhood and we are definitely gonna do it on this podcast at some point. But I think you're just fabulous in that film and I really appreciate it. Why were time watching you when they spread honey on you? It makes me laugh every single time.
Speaker 4:It is About heavyweights when we talk about that. Yes, great, awesome we have an alienated Tom.
Speaker 3:It is a successful episode.
Speaker 2:The guest does not hate us.
Speaker 4:It is a happy hour, alright.
Speaker 1:Thank you so much for joining us today and talking all things steel magnolias.
Speaker 4:Absolutely always fun to talk to people about. You know movies that mean a lot to me, so but sure, thanks so much, tom.