They’re doing a remake of Steel Magnolias y'all, and I’m pretty sure it’s going to be awesome... or suck... or does it even matter??? It’s Steel Magnolias y’all!!!!
By David Davila (playwright / song-writer)
So yeah, if you’ve ever met me you know my
favorite movie of all time is STEEL MAGNOLIAS!
The first time I watched it I cried like a little baby. In fact the second time I saw it, I cried like a baby. The third, and fourth time, fifth and sixth time…. Even last month when I watched it again, I cried like a mother-effing baby.
Needless to say that anytime any regional, community, or even high school did a production I was soooo there. No matter how bad the production was, I cried like a baby.
So when one of my friends heard about this upcoming remake on Lifetime, they felt the need to immediately tag me on Facebook and share their opinion.
What strikes me about this remake is how it is polarizing the gay community. Half of us are stoked about the amazing dream cast of women who get to give us their take on this story, while the other half are pissed that anyone would mess with Dolly Parton and Sally Field’s perfect interpretations.
I’m a bit torn about it. On one hand, I don’t want people to forget the original movie, on the other I am stoked that a whole new generation of people will be introduced to this heartbreaking-slash-heartwarming tale.
I’m really not worried that this dream cast of award winning actresses would do anything to harm the material. They’re gonna be fierce. So either way… I’m totes gonna watch it.... and I can't wait to hear the praise and back lash from all the b*tchy queens!!!!
Check out the trailer:
I have tell you that although she's the least famous person in the cast, Condolo Rashad is FIERCE THE HOUSE DOWN!!!! I saw her in Lynn Nottage's Pulitzer prize winning play, RUINED at MTC a couple years back and her's was one of the greatest performances I've ever witnessed in THE best play I have EVER seen! I'm still mad at Oprah for not bringing it to Broadway like the rumor mills buzzed. (I totes sat next to Alicia Silverstone at RUINED and she cried the entire time. We had a good talk about it during intermission. Praise Condola and the TV Gods for putting her on SMASH.) This one time when Sean and I sang one of our songs at Birdland she told us it was fierce and that she couldn't wait to see the entire musical. #F**KINGbeautiful
The trailer actually looks pretty darn good. That shot of Queen Latifah running down the hallway of the hospital almost had me pre-crying (is that a thing?) and it looks like it stays pretty close to the original screenplay with the exception of updating some of the jokes. So I think it's going to be a great film, especially if it sticks closely to the original content.
This brings up a question I've had about screenplays for years: does a screenplay have to die once it's been made into a movie?
There are some fiercely brilliant screenplays out there that so many young actors and film makers would love to take a stab at. I've thought for years that remakes of films would be MUCH better, if people just used the original screenplays. We don't rewrite DEATH OF A SALESMAN everytime we mount a revival on Broadway. It's perfect the way it is. We watch the revival to experience a new take on classic material. We hope that the new director, the fresh cast will bring something new to the table that we never noticed before, and that is what makes theatre beautiful.
Plays do not die, unless they are forgotten.
The same might be true about movies. One way to ensure a story lives on is to tell it again and again, in new ways. A remake can do that. So cheers to the creative team that decided that a new generation needed to experience Robert Harling's masterpiece and thought they could tell the story in an exciting new way.
Maybe once some classic screenplays become public domain we'll see a plethora of new takes on old classics. I for one can't wait to see Miley Cyrus in the remake of Casablanca. ;)
... and now for the 90's jam of the week... it's a fabulous song... the type of song that you know all the words to, but forget who sings it... you know the one...
DAVID DAVILA is half of the song-writing duo Havrilla & Davila, author of the Tex-Mex plays ADAN Y JULIO, MEN OF GOD, CREDO, REQUERDOS OF MY LIFE, and AZTEC PIRATES AND THE INSIGNIFICANCE OF LIFE ON MARS. He is a self proclaimed Voxist, a Diva enthusiast, and founder of Lone Star Theatre Co. Wanna talk about it? www.daviddavila.net
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