Spotted on IMDb ..

[apocalypsos]

Mary-louise Parker begged the director of Fried Green Tomatoes not to censor the film's lesbian plotline, believing it to be a crucial part of the story.

Parker starred in the 1991 movie with Mary Stuart Masterson playing her best friend, but in the original story - from Fannie Flagg's 1987 novel - their characters were lovers.

Movie bosses were determined to downplay the relationship and portray the couple as just close pals - despite Parker's desperate pleas to filmmaker Jon Avnet.

She explains, "I tried to make it (the homosexual connection) more articulated at the time, but they didn't really want to go that way. And in some ways I wish that it was... Because I tried - I really tried to push it at the time, and they didn't want to go there with me. Mary Stuart did, Fannie Flagg did, but not the director, not the producer, nobody else."

*eye roll*

It's like a two-pronged attack -- one more reason why Mary-Louise Parker is awesome, and one more reason why Hollywood producers suck.

Comments

[callmesyd.livejournal.com]

Why in God's name would anyone NOT want to see Mary-Louise Parker and Mary Stuart Masterson making out?

[scary-being-me.livejournal.com]

In '91, it would have been a huge deal to have them be lovers. It probably would have hurt the movie's earning potential.

Making a statement in your art is fine; but it's not how Hollywood works. They're in the business of making money and that means appealing to the widest possible demographic.

With that movie, they were already losing most men as potential viewers because it's a major chick flick. They were probably afraid to alienate anyone else.

[hawklaw.livejournal.com]

Here's a link to an interview she did at After Ellen (http://www.afterellen.com/people/2008/7/marylouiseparker) where she talks about the same thing. Damn, she's cool.

[astaria51.livejournal.com]

I don't know though; as you pointed out, it already had lost many men as potential viewers so it's not like they were doing so great with the straight couple demographic.

The 80s and early 90s was a huge time for women and gay rights; it's possible that had they allowed just a little bit more of that storyline in, they would have gotten a different but equally money-spending demographic to come to theaters or at least buy the VHS.

After all, the already-published book DOES contain that storyline, and many people felt like it was a cop-out for the movie to erase it (...which it was! smart business decision or not).

While a lot of people liked the movie and read it as gay anyway, because after all there aren't a lot of gay characters in film (for example, when asked to list "lesbian cinema", some girls in my class unhesitatingly listed Fried Green Tomatoes) I'm sure others were disappointed or didn't come at all.

[scary-being-me.livejournal.com]

It was a total cop out.

As far as it being a smart business decision; we'll never know because we can never recreate the uncensored movie as it would have been made then; nor can we create the exact attitudes of people then.

[astaria51.livejournal.com]

Very good point, and pretty much what I was trying to get at.

[apiphile.livejournal.com]

My mother's Women's Group used to watch it at their annual dinner, and I always identified it as lesbian cinema from a very early age. In fact, this is the first I've heard about it NOT being.

[apocalypsos.livejournal.com]

It's almost amusing if you consider that even without it being a stated lesbian relationship the subtext is so damn strong it's practically text.

[wiliqueen.livejournal.com]

It really never occurred to me that it wasn't text. Not once. Trufax.

[apiphile.livejournal.com]

It's still such a shame that they've decided to squeeze that out - do you ever worry that someone will do the same to your writing if they get hold of the movie rights on a lie? Neuter it?

[gehayi.livejournal.com]

Actually, it never occurred to me that they WEREN'T lovers in the movie. No one came right out and said "lesbian," but it was absolutely clear that Idgie and Ruth loved each other, and in more than a "best friends" kind of way.

[angels3.livejournal.com]

You know what they may not have meant for it to be that way and I never read the book but I certainly got that feel from the movie.

I always wondered if that was how they felt about each other. It's nice to know I was right, and she apparently as well as the other Mary getting their point across anyway

[apocalypsos.livejournal.com]

It just goes to show the caliber of their acting ability when the PTB said, "We're taking out the lesbian storyline," and they managed to sneak it in there so well everybody can see it anyway.

[tully-argyle.livejournal.com]

MLP is one of my favorites, for years, not just b/c of her acting but b/c of stories like this.

I only rented 'Spiderwick Chronicles' b/c she was the mom. I hate the fact that sans cable, I've missed 'Weeds' all these years. I loved her on 'West Wing' but think she was actually wasted.

She is indeed awesome.

And Hollywood producers do suck. I love movies, hate the business, and ths stupid suit decisions like this one.

[tully-argyle.livejournal.com]

With as many lesbian friends as I've had, and the years that I've had them, hearing stories like this really steams me. I think Hollywood's attitudes have changed a bit since '91, but not as much as they should.

But for '91, it was probably considered hurtful to the BO to leave it in.

[wordsindreams.livejournal.com]

I have such a crush on her, which has now doubled in intensity thanks to this bit of info.

[squee1123.livejournal.com]

This movie was still pretty fantastic. And I still totally got the lesbian undertones in the movie. I don't even think I was the only one.

[hiddenw.livejournal.com]

I had no idea that the original story had that storyline. Despite that I definitely saw the lesbian subtext at the time, but I figured I was seeing things due to fandom's influence. I figured if it was really there my sister who was also watching the movie would have commented on it. Huh.