Steel Magnolias is a 1989 American comedy drama film directed by Herbert Ross and starring Sally Field, Dolly Parton, Shirley MacLaine, Daryl Hannah, Olympia Dukakis, and Julia Roberts.

The screenplay by Robert Harling is based on his 1987 play of the same name about the bond a group of women share in a small-town Southern community, and how they cope with the death of one of their own.

M'Lynn's insufferable husband, Drum Eatenton, uses a gun to drive birds out of the trees so they do not interfere with Shelby's reception.

Grouchy and sarcastic Louisa "Ouiser" Boudreaux arrives at the salon and immediately begins interrogating Annelle about her background.

At the Christmas festival later that year, Annelle, following a short-lived wild streak, has become a devout Christian, much to Sammy's annoyance, while Clairee has bought local radio station KPPD.

Shelby is comatose, having contracted an infection in her central nervous system due to the suppressive therapy that keeps her body from rejecting the kidney.

After doctors determine Shelby's condition is irreversible, the family jointly decide to remove her from life support, with Jackson signing the papers to consent.

M'Lynn gradually accepts her daughter's decision to have risked her life in return for a few special years of motherhood and decides to focus her energy on helping Jackson with raising her grandson.

The website's consensus reads: "Steel Magnolias has jokes and characters to spare, which makes it more dangerous (and effective) when it goes for the full melodrama by the end.

A remake of Steel Magnolias premiered on Lifetime on October 7, 2012, directed by Kenny Leon and featuring an all-black cast that includes Queen Latifah (M'Lynn), Jill Scott (Truvy), Alfre Woodard (Ouiser), Phylicia Rashād (Clairee), Adepero Oduye (Annelle), and Condola Rashād (Shelby).

The cast included Cindy Williams as M'Lynn, Sally Kirkland as Truvy, Elaine Stritch as Ouiser, Polly Bergen as Clairee and Sheila McCarthy as Annelle.