STEEL MAGNOLIAS
Directed by Herbert Ross
Screenplay by Robert Harling
Men have hunting, ball games and bars -- plenty of opportunities to practice the hearty, necessary rituals of male bonding. Feminist theory and common sense tell us that women have a similar need to renew gender loyalties. Their problem, traditionally, has been finding suitable places and occasions to do so.
It was observant of playwright Robert Harling to see that a small-town beauty parlor can function as a little lodge hall for women, a place where they can let their hair down while it is being put up. It was clever...