Steel Magnolias | with guest Tom Hodges (Steel Magnolias, Heavyweights, Shoot the Moon)

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

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
It's a movie so sweet you might laugh, you might cry,
you might get diabetes.
It's still magnolias, the yearis 1989, we've got incredible

(00:32):
movies out this year and theonly 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 andturners who were driving Miss
Daisy with the with my left footthrough Harlem nights.
But look who's talking.
I'm just a little mermaid inthe abyss of my last crusade
with Uncle Buck, while Bill andTed do the right thing with

(00:54):
Batman at the Roadhouse over theweekend at Bernie's, who was
just starting the dead poetsociety.
But enough of that heat.
Today we can't melt because wegot steel magnolias and an
armadillo cake to get to.
So, uh, first of all, uh, Ijust want to say this is Matt
co-hosting today with Steven.
As always, steve, how you doing, buddy?

Speaker 3 (01:13):
you know I was gonna give you a lot of shit about
that intro, but it came aroundfor me.
It went long enough that itbecame fun again.
I was like Jesus, how long isthis gonna go on?
And then it really I applaudyou, matt.
I feel very, I feel like youneed to.
You need a round of applause oh, thank you, thank you.

Speaker 1 (01:31):
I started at Easter and I got us all the way back
around to Easter, yeah, and ofcourse, to do that today we
couldn't do it alone.
We had to bring in the spiritchild of Dolly Parton and Sam
Shepard, the uh, louis Joneshimself, tom Hodges.

Speaker 4 (01:48):
Sir, welcome to the show yes, I want to say that was
impressive.
I think you only took onebreath, uh or so, and that was
incredible oh, thank you staminaand very good breath control
thank you very much.

Speaker 1 (02:01):
Yeah, the years of training have paid off.

Speaker 3 (02:04):
Todd, I mean like it's real.
Our Tom is really great to haveyou on here.
Thank you very much for jumpinginto the episode with us.
Um, you know you, it's alwaysawesome when you get to talk to
somebody that is has beeninvolved in a production and
like has more to offer than justour sort of like you know, dumb
assery, where we're like hey,we love this movie.

Speaker 1 (02:21):
Yeah, did you remember that moment where it
was really good okay well wherewe're all, chris Farley and each
other, because it's likeremember that it was great and
so, yeah, we just, we lovehaving you on and with your
experience of it and, of course,being such a beloved movie, um,
and well and shoot, just beingsuch a, uh, what are the most
beloved movies starring sixpowerhouse female leads?

(02:44):
So we thought what better wayto 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 overallimpressions, your, your
experience.
Uh, you were like 26, 27 whenyou did the movie.

Speaker 4 (03:01):
I was 22 probably, I don't think I had my birthday
yet.
Uh, I was trying to rememberwhat time of year we filmed it.
I know it was warm because, uh,it was.
It was we were talking aboutgoing swimming and stuff when we
weren't filming, but uh, Ithink it it was during the
writer strike in 1988.

Speaker 3 (03:22):
Wow, um, yeah, strange that here we are, yeah,
these years later, back to that.

Speaker 4 (03:25):
Relevant is that mm-hmm, I remember just being
very thankful as a young actorthat I was working because a lot
of people were not working oror it was about to, you know,
start to be that way, and I wasalso trying to remember, I know
that Robert Harling was on theset but, uh, if there was a
strike going on, I guess hewasn't able to do rewrite, so I
don't know how that was handled.

(03:46):
But yeah, um, but of course hewas there.
I mean, we were filming the uh,the scenes that were filmed, uh
, to you know, to be uh, malin'shouse, those were all, I
believe at his family's actualhouse.
Um, oh, that was, that wasRobert's house.
I'm pretty sure that that's thecase.
Yeah, and I think it's nowpossibly a, b and E where people

(04:10):
can stay, but don't quote me onthat yeah, yeah, but so I know
he was around, I know we met hisfamily, and so I don't have a
recollection of of how that washandled.
You know, I don't think he wasable 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 makingthis film like it.

Speaker 3 (04:33):
That is so writing, dry, dialogue driven.
You know it's not like anaction film where half of it's
the director's mind.

Speaker 1 (04:39):
This is what you put on the page is what's right and
you're not able to kind of amendor write, or you know, write it
at all, that's, I mean, I guessin a way it's like fortunate,
except for the fact that, likethere were no men in the play,
like that, the women's dialogueis like well, that's been tested
out.
But then you, yeah, I was gonnasay you know you and scare it
and nobody else.

Speaker 4 (04:59):
It's like, uh, we weren't there yeah, no, I think
that he definitely had anadvantage in having tested it
many times on stage, but therewere definitely some characters
added.
I don't know.
I really don't have anyrecollection of how that went.
Maybe somebody else would haveyou ever talked to Robert Harley

(05:20):
?
That would be a great interview.
He's a great guy, so talented.

Speaker 1 (05:23):
I would not.
I I've seen interviews with himand he just seems so gracious
for sure.

Speaker 4 (05:28):
Yeah, yeah just down to earth, warm, funny, you know
funny guy.
Um, and I also have a feelingthat you guys remember the movie
much more than I do, because Ihaven't seen it in years and so
my memories of it are, uhsomeone vague, uh I.

Speaker 3 (05:45):
I have a hard time remembering who I went to high
school with, let alone you knowwhat I was doing then so, uh,
but I'll do my best to sharesome memories with you, and yeah
, absolutely, it's one of thosethings, people who shake loose
and you know we'll shake looseand 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 southernmovie our friends at misguided

(06:06):
spirits paired up with, uh, ourfriend max stamp of brown um at
bandits, which is a diner anddive 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 thevillage so you can go.
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 styledrink today.

(06:28):
Um, and this is called theeaster egg hunt, um and yeah,
exactly, he nailed and, I haveto say, completely nailed this
one.
It is one of the favoriteswe've ever had on the show as
far as like quality.
So, uh, tom, do you mind likewhat if someone wants to make
this at home?
Um, yeah, yeah, what what doyou know?

Speaker 4 (06:48):
I'm an expert on this drink.
I know exactly what goes inthis drink, so let me just tell
you about it.
Uh, what you do first is youput an ounce of lemon juice,
okay, half an ounce of gingersyrup and that's where it really
comes out.

Speaker 3 (07:00):
The ginger syrup, I have to say, is really what
makes this work.

Speaker 4 (07:04):
I'm sure, I'm sure um half an ounce of honey syrup is
there.
I didn't even know there wassuch a thing as honey syrup.

Speaker 1 (07:11):
So it's not honey.
I guess, yeah, it's.
What is honey syrup?
Is it's honey?
No joke like max.

Speaker 3 (07:17):
Max did a great job, but he gave it to this.
He gave us in these like littleto go containers that have all
the things in it and I was likeginger syrup, like why are we
not using this in more stuff?
Like, if you ever like cookwith ginger, it takes forever to
chop it up and like cut therinds off.

Speaker 4 (07:31):
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 spiritswhiskey and one egg white.
Um and uh, I want to point outfor those of your guests who are
your viewers that don't drink.
I'm a non-drinker, butapparently you can make this a

(07:52):
virgin by not putting thewhiskey in.
It still tastes great, but we,we want to include the misguided
spirits whiskey to make itfantastic.
And then you dry shake it andthen wet shake it without the
ice and then with ice toemulsify the egg white.
It's good and very important.
Double strain it into a largecoupe what's a coupe?

Speaker 3 (08:12):
I don't think it's a.
It's a coupe.
It's like a fancy it's a fancyglass.
You know half the half thedrinks we get on the show are in
a coupe and I don't know why.
I mean, I'm sure there's somekind of reason, but you know,
it's a little.
Honestly, it's more fancy thanI am oh yeah, I know it's super
fancy, give you a mug exactlyfor me.
You just want to give me, likea wooden mug.

(08:34):
You don't even have to reallycure it.

Speaker 1 (08:36):
Look, I'll keep it, I'll keep it.
Pure 80s.
I want mine out of a styrofoamcup.
There you go, so that would beperfect.
We did do that one we had it,we had the master.

Speaker 3 (08:43):
Oh yeah, yeah, for it's a mad, mad, mad, mad world,
who's like master shake fromaquatine hunger force, and he's
a in the character in theanimated series.
He is a a styrofoam cup or apaper cup, and so they made it
in a styrofoam cup.

Speaker 1 (08:55):
So it was pretty great, nice, so we so what?
So what do we?
We have to have a garnish withthis.
Do you have it?
Do we have a garnish?
Oh yeah, yeah, no.

Speaker 4 (09:03):
So you double strain it into a large coupe.
I mean, we were talking aboutwords that people get thrown by.
That was mine.
There you go, garnish with dilldill and you lay that over.
The egg white sort of resemblesa small tree.

Speaker 3 (09:16):
So I have to say, like I'd said it earlier, this
is one of the best ones we'veever had.
It really is good.
I really.
I mean it's cool.
I love it when people use eggwhite and it uses it really well
.
It's not overpowering, it'ssuper fun.
Take it virgin, make it withwhiskey.
Either way, make yourself oneright now.
And let's get into steelmagnolia.
Yes, so the first note I havefrom the film, when it kicks off

(09:38):
, I was like you know, you're inthe south because there's a
harmonica and I think that thatis just a dead on.
I mean I you know it sounds likea joke, but it is so perfect
for this like film.
It just sets the tone soelegantly and it and and the
score really awesome yeah thescore is great, it brings you in
and then you get the.

Speaker 1 (09:57):
I mean to make sure you know.
Okay, you're in the southharmonica.
You know it's the 80s becauseall the kids on the bikes yeah
there's always a group of kidson a bike and everyone's like.

Speaker 3 (10:07):
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 damnedelectric city bikes?
Is a thing and you're you'renot your time.
Do you guys have these in in LA?
Is this a problem for you guys?

Speaker 4 (10:23):
not a problem.
Yeah, I mean the, the scooterthings.
What do you call those, the youknow?
The lines or the lines orwhatever 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 comfortableanywhere letting my daughter
just go take a bike and ridearound the neighborhood.

Speaker 3 (10:43):
You know, right like you're not, so that's, that's a
sad thing yeah, where I live nowit's such a thing because
they're like, they're alwaysthese damn teenagers and see I'm
less than a while exactly here,we go like I just turned old.
Yeah, these damn teenagers andthey're fun, but no, they're
like little hoodlums.
It has gone too far.
Like seriously, I'm not evenjoking like they're.
The other day, somebody like alike a teen on an electric bike

(11:06):
hit somebody over the head thatwas running with a baseball bat,
like the yeah and the.
The other day I was walking andone of them shot me with an air
gun while they were running.
I was like this is out ofcontrol.
Guys like this is that?

Speaker 1 (11:18):
it is like little hoodlums see if this were
naked-ish Louisiana, it'd beokay.
That's, that's why it's that.
That's where the movie of shotnaked-ish yeah, that's where.

Speaker 4 (11:26):
That's where we shot, yeah well, look, I don't think
that has anything to do withelectric bikes.

Speaker 2 (11:30):
I think that's just the kids are rotten.

Speaker 4 (11:32):
I mean, who's shooting people over the head
with a baseball bat?

Speaker 3 (11:36):
yeah, it's unbelievable, like it's.
It's really.

Speaker 2 (11:39):
You know, I'm going to wait a minute.
Wait a minute.

Speaker 3 (11:40):
I told you I was going to go on a rant, you know
before we went on that Mondaysays I'm the one that's going to
get in trouble for going on arant.
And look, we're not talkingabout the movie.
We're talking about how I hateteenagers in New York yeah, this
is definitely.

Speaker 1 (11:50):
This is the emotion that's evoked from steel
magnolias and we forget thatwe're talking to the hoodlum
himself with Louis on hismotorcycle.
Yes, yes, okay.
Well, let me tell you aboutthat yeah.

Speaker 4 (12:00):
So uh, when I went to audition, um, it was the cast
and director and the directorand uh, and one of the questions
they asked after I I did myreading, uh was can you ride a
motorcycle?
And I've been taught, I don'tknow 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 toride a motorcycle.

Speaker 1 (12:21):
No, you didn't.
You didn't know, can you?

Speaker 4 (12:23):
ride a horse.
Sure can you do this.
Yeah, absolutely.
So I told him I could ride amotorcycle and then, uh, once I
got cast, I was like you know, Ihave 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 toWashington state where my dad
lives and, uh, some neighborshad some like uh, mini bikes and

(12:44):
stuff and and I was trying tolearn on that and there's you
know they always laugh at mebecause I fell off and I like
injured my arm.
You know it was.

Speaker 1 (12:53):
It was a disaster oh wait, I was gonna say did you.
How did you?
Did you feel confident by thetime you were uh doing principal
photography?

Speaker 4 (13:01):
I felt confident, you know.
I mean I felt like, okay, I canget on a motorcycle, I can ride
off, you know what I can do,you know all that stuff.
But the problem is they wantedme to have someone on the back.
So there was an actress who wasplaying my girlfriend and I
think that the scene was cut off, cut out oh right right, right,
yeah, because the only time Ithink you have on the back is uh
, when you get um nails and yeahyeah, get your tail hopping or

(13:24):
whatever right yeah, so, so, uh,originally it was a scene where
I've got, you know, mygirlfriend who had this like
Medusa, spiky, punk hairdo, uh,aja, san zones the actress's
name and so she's riding on thebike and and I'm supposed to go
down this like um hill that wasmade out of stone and into dirt

(13:47):
and it was, you know it was.
And then there was like kind ofa hair in turn.
I don't know how comfortable Ifeel with this, but I did it.
And then with the rabbit, theywanted me to zoom out of that
area, go up the same path andonto so dirt, onto rocks, onto

(14:07):
the pavement, and it was like azigzag, and so I did it.
But then they wanted me to doit faster.
I was like, look, I'm a stuntdriver.
I don't you know if you wantsomeone else on the back.
I don't feel safe doing that.
So we did it a few times andthey had to reshoot that with a,
with a stunt driver.

Speaker 3 (14:26):
I should have been a stunt person in the first place?
Yeah, exactly.

Speaker 1 (14:28):
I was going to say, yeah, go ahead, go ahead.

Speaker 4 (14:31):
Yeah, I was going to say there was no reason, it had
to be me.
But you know, I gave him mybest, 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 (14:43):
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 (14:56):
That's what Herbert was saying.
Herbert Ross was saying I wantTom on the bike.
I mean, what are you?
You got to see this facewriting.

Speaker 1 (15:02):
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 (15:08):
I mean, I remember there was one time it was a
scene where Dolly was maybesaying something to me as I left
on my motorcycle out the backof the door and he made her do
it like 20, 30 times.
It just was like really unkind.
But Dolly was the, the fan fromthem, Just the best.

(15:29):
Not only is she a kind, lovingperson, but she just she really
appreciates her fans and allthat.
You see, you know of her ininterviews and stuff.
That's exactly what Iexperienced Just a warm, loving
person.
I remember there would be peoplegathered around when we were

(15:51):
shooting and she just makes sureto go out and take photos with
them, sign an autograph, givethem a hug, and she talked about
how you know, as soon as shewoke up in the morning, she had
her face done.
Anytime she was going out tothe grocery store she was all
made up and ready to go becauseshe appreciated the fact that
they thought of her as Dolly andthey had an image of who she

(16:11):
was and and that was part of thedeal.
It's like, okay, I have to givethis up, but to her I don't
think it was giving up anything.
I think she just reallyappreciated the love that she'd
received and was willing to givethat back to her fans,
literally.

Speaker 3 (16:28):
My next note on here was God, I love Dolly.
I mean, what a multigenerational star you know like
she's been.
She's been around and continuesto like leave just only a good
taste in everyone's mouth.

Speaker 1 (16:40):
Yeah, she knocks it out of the generational park
every time.
And she what?

Speaker 3 (16:45):
a perfect role for her is this.
Maybe I think this might be themost quintessential Dolly part
in role, because the characteris just, she runs a hair salon,
I mean, come on, and she is likethe most like you know in the
community of everything, that is, everybody's friends.
But it somehow feels like alittle bit like she just, she
just is perfect for this.

Speaker 4 (17:06):
Yeah, I can't imagine anyone else in that role.
She was fantastic and I was soblessed to get to work with the
whole cast.
But you know, and have her asmy movie mom.
It was great.
I remember we were sitting inthe in the church during the
wedding scene and she turned tome at one point.
She's like you know well, maybeone day when you get married,

(17:26):
your mama, your movie mom, willcome and sing at your wedding.
I was like, oh wow, that'sstuck with me for a long time.
I was tempted to call her whenI finally got married, but I
chickened out.
Oh, no, I would probably wouldremember that problem.
But it wasn't a promise, it wasjust like a off cuff remark.

Speaker 1 (17:44):
But well, Dolly, we're calling you out here an
unofficial invite for renewingthe vowels with a, and you were
invited to sing and be moviemama choir.

Speaker 4 (17:55):
So please come on, that's fine.
Zoom is you know.
I mean, hey, just type her in.

Speaker 3 (18:01):
Take what we got, one of the things I was really
early on the movie.
The first time you see DarrellHannah I was like is she
supposed to be ugly?
Is that like the things thatfit?
It has a thing where they puther in the glasses and the kind
of the frizzy hair.
But I was like she's obviouslysuch a gorgeous human, like that
it feels so I mean she'dalready done splash at this
point.

Speaker 1 (18:20):
Yeah, I was.

Speaker 3 (18:21):
I literally wrote down.
I was like is that?
I think they're trying to tellus that she's like not an
attractive person.
When you first meet her whichis when movies do this which,
like it always, it always makesme feel super.
They either get like, you know,like a league of their own is a
film like reason, where they dolike a whole thing, where
they're like this is an uglyperson and look how ugly they

(18:43):
are and I'm always like God.
That's got to be the mostuncomfortable thing.

Speaker 2 (18:48):
Yes, no.

Speaker 4 (18:49):
I think that you're an instinct star, correct?
They were trying to make herlook 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 sothey did their best.
But it's just like the classicthe librarian who's wearing the
glasses and then she takes themoff and you're like right, yeah,
exactly.

Speaker 3 (19:07):
Oh, my God, you know this was Superman the whole time
, yeah.

Speaker 4 (19:11):
Yeah, yeah, like that , you know.
Except it was good beauty, yeah, I don't know.
I mean, she was, she was, shewas stunning, yeah.
But but I have to say that theperson I had to crush on was
Julie Roberts.
Oh man, she was.
She would just knock my socksoff.
I think she was probably like19 at that point and I was 22.
And I remember seeing her.

(19:32):
She kind of had this tomboylook when she wasn't in makeup
and hair, and then she'd go intothe trailer and she's like, you
know, vava, boom and yeah, Ireally had a crush on her and I
didn't know that she and DylanMcDermott were dating.
So I would go work out withDylan and I'd be like, yeah, I

(19:54):
really have a crush on her.
She's so cute, I really you know, I think I'm going to try to
ask her.
I was like, oh yeah, she justwanted Dylan say that.

Speaker 3 (20:01):
He just said you have me, like you know, I think you
should.
Yeah, you should ask her.

Speaker 4 (20:04):
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 andhad breakfast one time at the
hotel where I was staying andand all the six main actresses
were staying in beautiful housessurrounding this lake and
different fancy people had givenup their homes, you know, while

(20:25):
we were there and and let theactresses stay there.
So they all had like like adock 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 youknow, you're welcome to go
swimming.
And I was like, oh man, this isjust not working, Obviously

(20:45):
yeah not take a hit.
So she was very friendly, verykind, and we had a little bit of
a friendship on on set, butfound out that her heart was
already taken.

Speaker 3 (20:55):
So that is such a man , that's such a bummer to learn
the hard way.
I mean she is, I mean she's soyoung in this film and her
career, just I mean she explodes.

Speaker 1 (21:09):
She did Mystic Pizza.

Speaker 4 (21:10):
Yeah, I mean yes, I think she's on Mystic Pizza and
maybe one other film, I don'tremember, but yeah, yeah it was.
It was crazy.

Speaker 3 (21:17):
She was, I mean, I think what, and what an
understated sort of role, I willsay, because obviously of the
roles in here they're all prettybig as far as like emotional
impact.
I'd say the smallest sort ofones are like Dolly and Julia,
Like they have.
Like you know, my God, SallyField has so much to do in here.

Speaker 1 (21:36):
Oh my God.

Speaker 3 (21:36):
Yeah, you know, and the other two are kind of the
comic relief, but they reallyhave 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 themore frail character which can
be the hardest thing I think toperform, and she does it with
such finesse that it truly isjust unbelievable to watch and

(21:59):
it's really engaging, which iswhy she gets so much, you know,
recognition for this.

Speaker 1 (22:03):
Yeah, she was trying to hold back Tom's advances
there.
So it's just exactly.

Speaker 3 (22:08):
So, tom, we're not saying that you're responsible
for this, but you are.

Speaker 1 (22:14):
I might be exactly.
We can't do that.

Speaker 4 (22:18):
I'm going to claim that I am responsible for her
amazing performance, yeah, andallowing her to have that
fragility and, you know, also,that effervescence in her
character.

Speaker 3 (22:31):
That's a great way to describe her.
Yes, like I feel like her hairwould be what you got.
If you like, manifestedchampagne into like human hair.

Speaker 1 (22:40):
You know what I mean.
Well, until until the end, whenshe here's my theory, by the
way, all right.
When she cuts her hair rightand she obviously did not have
the conversation with Dolly thatshe should have had, and we're
going short and she turns aroundand her heart's broken and I
immediately like wait, shelbydidn't die, she becomes

(23:02):
Tinkerbell.
She is because she's in hookwith that same haircut.
I'm like all right, fan tearingin this world.

Speaker 3 (23:10):
Yes, these are the same characters.

Speaker 1 (23:13):
Yes, Right Helping us tinkerbell.
She's moving from one universeto another.

Speaker 3 (23:18):
Uh huh, got it, ok.
Yeah, that is a really strongfeeling.

Speaker 1 (23:23):
This tracks for you guys.
Right this track, I think Imean.

Speaker 3 (23:25):
I can't.
I can't see how it couldn't beright.

Speaker 4 (23:27):
Let's say that not for me, but you know, I mean
obviously Stephen is drinkingthe kool-aid.

Speaker 3 (23:34):
You know, I love that .
They even like, at the end ofthe film they put Julia in those
mom jeans and she walks out andI was like they did it, man,
they did it and she still makesthem look good.
But I like it is just so funnywith the like, the aging of a
young character.
It's like when you makesomebody look ugly it's like, oh
, and here come the mom jeansand the different hairstyle and
what can we do here?

Speaker 4 (23:55):
Oh my gosh, it's not true.
It's not true.

Speaker 1 (23:57):
Dude, and I loved how you were outfitted.

Speaker 4 (23:59):
I have to say yeah, like I really wanted me to have
a Mohawk and I declined toactually shape my head.
I wish I'd gone for it, but thethe, the office they put me in
where lots of fun and I don't.
I can't even remember exactlywhat they look like, but I
definitely felt the character inthose.

Speaker 1 (24:19):
And I know a lot of people usually take that.
It's like you know you have alittle memento that you take
from set, did you?
Is there something you tookfrom set?
Maybe your jacket?

Speaker 4 (24:29):
I know I wish I had.
No, you know, I was a goody twoshoes, and so I don't think I
ever took anything from any set.
There was some wardrobe I havefrom Lucas, which was the very
first movie I made, but I thinkthat that was stuff that they
gave us.
Yeah, you know, I have myLetterman's jacket, I have like
a sweater, like a sweater thing,but I don't think I've ever

(24:52):
taken anything withoutpermission.
Um, yeah, so I don't haveanything from Steel Magnolia's.

Speaker 3 (24:58):
No, Tom, I get that impression of you that you are
just this sort of like for asweet.
You know, normal, human.

Speaker 1 (25:06):
That's why he's in Steel Magnolia's.

Speaker 3 (25:08):
But then you always are sort of it feels like you're
playing a lot of these, likeyou know, in 1980s, I don't know
, not rough and tumble, but,like you know, little abrasive,
outside of the norm, scarierkind of like characters you know
like.
So how did?
That happen for you.

Speaker 4 (25:24):
I made my money making playing bullies for the
most part, you know and or someversion of a bully.
Well, I definitely have thatside to me, you know.
I think in general I'm a prettynice 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 startedto grow and get bigger, I kind

(25:45):
of turned around and became thebully, oftentimes towards the
people that had picked on me.
But I think that there wereprobably some instances when it
was that I was doing thebullying against a kid but he
really didn't deserve it and Ireally regret that.
But I think I, because I waspicked on, because I was bullied
, I had the capacity tounderstand what it felt like and

(26:07):
kind of channel that feelingthe opposite way and kind of
become the person who wasterrorizing you know, and tap
into those feelings prettyeasily and switch it the other
way.
I don't know.
And then they also, I thinkthey really like the fact there
were a couple of us like Lucas.
There's a scene in Lucas andnot to change movies, I
apologize.

Speaker 1 (26:27):
I love Lucas.

Speaker 4 (26:30):
There's a scene in Lucas where Lucas is in the
hospital after he's been crushedby football players and I go
over to Kerry Green's characterand you know I'm like I'm so
sorry, I didn't mean to hurt himand I break down crying and
they cut that from the for themovie, I think probably because
they didn't want to see thetough guy crying in the end.

(26:51):
But that was one of the thingsthat they went that directors
liked about me was that I couldplay a tough guy, but I also had
this emotional side that Icould cry if I needed to, which
was handy in certain characters.

Speaker 1 (27:02):
Oh my gosh, I want that deleted scene of Bruno
crying.
Oh man.

Speaker 4 (27:08):
Hey, if you can get 20th century box, to release it.

Speaker 1 (27:11):
You know that'd be great, I'm on it, I'm on it.

Speaker 4 (27:13):
I think it should have been a scene on the, on the
on the Blu-ray, but you knowwho does those anymore.

Speaker 1 (27:17):
That's gosh.
I know I love them.
I literally just got a.
I did get a Blu-ray of a moviewe're going to be talking about
that.
I was like, oh my gosh, this onBlu-ray it's from 86, I believe
.
And just I was like I want toget back into buying Blu-rays.
This felt fun and all thecommentaries I love those, and

(27:37):
the bonus material I do.

Speaker 4 (27:39):
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 theconversation that what do you?
What do you call it?
I can't remember.
You know when you, when you'retalking about it.

Speaker 1 (27:54):
Oh, commentary yeah.

Speaker 4 (27:55):
Thank you, yes.
Commentary yeah, they miss outon that stuff, unfortunately.
Oh man, what can you do?
Yeah, exactly, I think thatit'll probably come back around
in some point.

Speaker 1 (28:06):
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 itand buying as many.
If I see a special editionBlu-ray that's been released,
I'm I'm jumping back on itbecause it's just awesome and I
and it is another way ofengaging in the, in something
that means something to you,like you know, like Steel,
magnolias, speed.

Speaker 3 (28:26):
And let's talk about that title for a second Sure.
So I think there is a line inthe film that is even like
fragile as Magnolias but toughas steel, right Like that.
Yeah, I think that's what Iwrote down here, so forgive me
if I didn't get it exactly right, but it's like that's.

Speaker 1 (28:42):
It is such an interesting contradiction and
that, I think, is very, verysmart, that it because it sticks
in your head, and I love it,that you're not expecting Well
yeah, and and Malin has thatmoment at the end in the
cemetery when she says you knowthat, you know her husband left
and the kids didn't stay, andit's like they're supposed to be

(29:02):
tough as steel Right and likeshe's just kind of weeping that
out and it's, and that's likewhen.
That's when it hit me betweenthat and the wonderful moment
when Weezer looks at Scarrettand says are those my Magnolias?
That hasn't been establishedyet, you know.

Speaker 3 (29:21):
I also like one of the details I thought was like
the most fun in the film is theyhave the father character
that's running around and likeshooting at the, the, the
pigeons or whatever.

Speaker 2 (29:33):
The birds and the trees and the nuisances, and
then the dogs getting angryabout it.

Speaker 3 (29:38):
She was so much I found I love that little
shenanigans like a littlebackbeat happening there and I
feel that that wasn't in theplay right, the play was just
the women, have you?

Speaker 1 (29:46):
seen the play.
Tom, have you ever seen theplay?
So I don't know.

Speaker 4 (29:49):
I mean, I'm sure that they talked about things that
had gone on with the men.
So did they get that stuff fromthe play?
It was already in there, butthe men weren't present.
I don't know.
That's the question.
Yeah, that's the fascinatingthing, because it's a one set
play.

Speaker 1 (30:05):
It's actually my.
This was one of the first playsI ever worked on, an undergrad
actually, buddy of mine wasdirecting and he was in the
theater group and I wanted toget involved and he's like, well
, come help me.
And I was like sure, what's theplay?
And he told me and I knew themovie, but I didn't.
I was like, oh, and that kindof like began my relationship
with it and it was.

(30:28):
It was amazing just to see the,those women and it's a one set
the entire time and just thestillness.
And, like Steve you talkedabout this earlier just being so
dialogue driven, you could tellwhere its roots were and it
just breaks your heart, did you,tom?
We were just talking about thetitle, did you?
Did you have a relationshipwith the title when you were
filming?
Did it mean anything to you Atthe time, or was that?

Speaker 4 (30:53):
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 Southernwoman as being very beautiful

(31:15):
and light, and you know, whathappens is definitely a
stereotype but also that theycan lay down the law and they're
probably wearing the pants inthe family.
So, you know, I think it was agreat combination of two words
that gave you an exact pictureof what he was going for.

Speaker 1 (31:36):
Yeah, that's a great point.
They do a lot of.
You know and I know ShirleyMcClain talked about this that
you know these are these womenstart off, everybody's trying to
fix something or they'repreparing something, they're
just, they're busy, they'redoing, doing, doing, doing.
And you know there doesn'tnecessarily seem to be anything
that stands out.
You know to be special aboutthem, but then you begin, as

(31:56):
these things unfold, youunderstand the profound
relationships that they havewith each other and just that's
what becomes so relatable.
And at the end I mean andthat's what I love about with
just the relationships, of howthey can be so brutal and
brutally honest.
And as a fellow Southerner, Inever, I rarely, got to see a

(32:18):
lot of that brutal brutality.
But when you did, you knew itwas coming from like just a.
It was coming from therelationship you know and you're
, you're from Chicago, is thatright?

Speaker 4 (32:29):
I grew up in the suburbs of Chicago.
Yeah, Illinois, Illinois, yeah,where did you grow up?

Speaker 1 (32:37):
Where in the South did you grow up?
Atlanta, Okay, yeah, so not,not.
Not as not as French, if youwill, as Louisiana.

Speaker 3 (32:44):
That's a good way to put it.

Speaker 1 (32:45):
Yeah, not as French, but my.
But I mean like, oh, there wasa moment in I don't know if you
remember this scene we're in thebackyard of Truvie's house, of
your house, and they we meet thejust terribly ugly Darrell
Hanna, and she's asked what hername is and what you know,

(33:09):
what's your, what's your givenname, what's your surname?
And she says, well, my marriedname is Dupree and you know, and
doesn't really go into her realname, and it reminded me this
is just a total side note mymother, who has a double
Southern name, alice Ann, andit's not Alice it's not Ann,
it's Alessanne.

(33:30):
And she was when she had moved.
My dad was in the service andmy mother got a job in Georgia
which is how they ended up overthere and so she was trying to
figure out where she was goingto live.
And it's had an interview withan older Southern woman who sat
her down and they had like somepeppermints and whatever, and
then asked her her name and shesaid it's Alice Ann.

(33:51):
And she said Alison, no, no, no, alice Ann, that's my
daughter's name.
And she and immediately theybonded over that and said are
you of the Edwards of thisfamily and this family?
And so immediately, like my momwas not hitting it off, but as
soon as she said her name andthe old woman was like well,
you're staying with me.

Speaker 3 (34:11):
And that is such a Southern one.
Such a Southern.
I mean that it does reallytrack in this movie.
I mean there's some of thedialogue in here.
I wrote down some of the linesand was like, because I'm from
like sort of that, I call itlike the Appalachian South.
It's like Southern Missouri anda lot of the things in my
culture were very Southern, likemy aunt's names are like Ruth
Ann, mary Evelyn, you know, likeyou know they have.

Speaker 1 (34:33):
Mary.

Speaker 3 (34:34):
Lou, they all have the same kind of two name thing.
But the but phrases like thisjust rings so true to me.
It's like we're going to bebusier than a one armed paper
hanger.
Like that is just such it.
Just if I can hear my familysaying that if you can achieve
puberty, you can achieve a past.
Like that is like that.
I think someone told me thatyeah.

(34:56):
You know what I mean, like thatis a true wisdom.
It's a true wisdom and it reallyis so sharp in the dialogue and
I think maybe because itstarted as a play and many films
, in my opinion, do not transferwell from the stage to film,
like it feels like it wouldcause.
They're sort of similar mediumsbut they're very different in

(35:18):
how the audience digests them.
This one they were very smart.
It's interesting that you saythat this was like a unit set
right yeah, as a unit set,because I'm immediately thinking
, more than the act break has tobe, 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 setof the city in this plays a huge

(35:42):
, huge role in the texture andin the feeling and the vibe of
the film that the play wouldn'tnecessarily get.

Speaker 1 (35:48):
That's correct.
Yeah, I think well into that.
When we get to the sets in thefilm, nothing is half done.

Speaker 3 (35:56):
Right, no, they're lavish.

Speaker 1 (35:58):
Everything is like pink and blush, and then, of
course, when they're decoratingfor Christmas, everything and
that's kind of how the stage ismeant to be as well it's just
like full on, just gorgeoussalon.
I don't want to put you on thespot here, tom, because we're
talking about the dialogue.

(36:19):
Is there any dialogue thatstands out to you, that just
kind of sits or is like bubblingback up as we talk about it,
that either came out of you knowMalin's mouth or your mom's
mouth, that?

Speaker 4 (36:32):
just nothing.
Nothing in particular, really.
I just I don't really rememberthe dialogue or anything.
You know, I have so manyfriends that can quote lines
from every favorite movie andI'm just not that person.
I memorize the stuff and itjust disappears from my head.
So pretty much the only thing Ican remember is one of my lines
, which was why did you hire herfor?

Speaker 2 (36:54):
Yeah, I think it's probably pretty much my only
line.

Speaker 1 (36:59):
But you got to get your tail hopping.
You said that it didn't getyour tail hopping.

Speaker 4 (37:03):
Okay, all right, all right, so I do like.
But as far as the productiondesign goes, you know, I really
think that they hadn't advantagein that they use a lot of
actual locations.
You know, we weren't shootingon a set, so I think that that
really added a lot of character.
But also the production design.
You know the designers wereawesome.

(37:24):
But I'll give you one littletrivia bit, which is in Malin's
home.
If you look closely at thefamily pictures, the photos and
stuff that they use, they hadcollected photos of all the cast
and you know to just pepperaround the houses and my photos

(37:46):
were used.
My childhood photos were usedinstead of Jonathan and Knowles.
So, yeah, so they just the artdepartment made a mistake and so
if you look in their houseyou'll see pictures of me as a
kid.
So that's one funny thing.

Speaker 1 (38:02):
I like the storyline here that there's something else
about these two householdsthat's not being talked about
with Louis.

Speaker 4 (38:09):
Right, right, who's he, who's his real father?
Yeah, I don't know.
Maybe he was adopted by TruvieRight.

Speaker 3 (38:18):
We've stumbled on a conspiracy theory here.

Speaker 1 (38:20):
It only took 30 some years, but we got there.
Yes.

Speaker 4 (38:24):
They were switched at birth.
Maybe, I don't know.

Speaker 1 (38:26):
Oh yeah, well, she did, shelby worked in the
hospital, she would have youknow, wait a minute.
How much older would she havebeen than you, though?

Speaker 4 (38:35):
No, not that much older.
In fact I might have been olderthan her.

Speaker 1 (38:40):
So yeah, I think that's probably did work, so we
folded that like a paper sack.

Speaker 4 (38:45):
Yes, Another interesting little tidbit.
I'm sure this is out there, butI believe that the person that
played Jack, like the little boyShelby's son, was a girl.
Oh, I'm pretty sure that you'llhave to verify that, but I'm
pretty sure that the little boyrunning around with that white,

(39:05):
blonde hair is actually a littlegirl.
At least at one stage.
There might have been a coupleof ages that we saw.
I don't remember anymore, butI'm pretty sure.
And then the mom's like well,please don't say anything,
because we don't want them tonot cast our kid.

Speaker 3 (39:23):
So can I ask you guys what the hell is happening with
the Easter eggs?
The Easter egg hunt is just allover the place right hey
talking about at the top.
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (39:32):
Yeah, like what's going on.
Why so many Easter eggs?
Yes, they're everywhere.
What the hell is going on withthese.

Speaker 3 (39:38):
Easter eggs.
Where are they going with these?

Speaker 4 (39:42):
And also I think the money was drunk.
I think I'm sorry.

Speaker 3 (39:46):
Every chicken in this county just has to be terrified
, wherever these people comearound.

Speaker 1 (39:49):
Oh no, it's Easter.
Oh no, it's Easter.

Speaker 4 (39:53):
Well, if I remember correctly, it was a long
painting shot, wasn't it?
So they have to.
You know, they have to hide theeggs all over so they can get
that shot in there.

Speaker 3 (40:00):
Yeah, exactly, I would just like the amount of
eggs and I could just see teamof people dying eggs.

Speaker 2 (40:07):
Oh, that's our team.
God, tomorrow's the egg day Eggday I'm like I've got a baby.
What was it movie?

Speaker 4 (40:13):
magic.
Were they really eggs?
I can't, I really can't verifyyou know, with a siren phone.

Speaker 2 (40:17):
What was it?
I don't remember.

Speaker 4 (40:18):
Exactly.

Speaker 1 (40:21):
But if you look close , if you break them open,
there's pictures of Tom when hewas younger, in the eggs.
Yes, yeah.

Speaker 3 (40:29):
And also like the neighbor is a god.
Shirley McClain is getting soangry at the father character
for, like, shooting the gun.
I was like in the south, likeif they're shooting the gun all
the time, that's just breakfast.

Speaker 2 (40:38):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (40:39):
And the rest is like.
There's.
No, you know, like your dog,every neighbor you have is like
shooting something.

Speaker 1 (40:44):
Yeah, the critique is not to stop shooting the gun.
It's your form is bad, exactly.

Speaker 4 (40:48):
Yes.

Speaker 1 (40:49):
Yes, you got it.

Speaker 4 (40:51):
Really I mean.
I'm not from the south, so Imean really, though I mean in
the middle of a residentialneighborhood you're hearing,
probably not.

Speaker 3 (40:59):
Probably not.
But I mean where I grew up, Igrew up in the country and it
was like everything was evereither, 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 meanthere are areas of the south.
You do all three in sequence.
That is true.
You know what?

Speaker 1 (41:15):
I mean I didn't say it.

Speaker 4 (41:16):
I didn't say that, so that's why I'm here, the but
that, okay, hold on.

Speaker 1 (41:25):
So that actually makes me think too, though, with
the way.
So how long were you on set?

Speaker 3 (41:32):
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 (41:39):
Yeah, it was a big movie.
You know, I'm trying to thinkit 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 beforethis too.
And I'm trying to remember that, whether Critters 2 was before
this or not, I want to say itwas afterwards, I want to say it

(42:00):
was more like the full time,but I can't remember for sure.

Speaker 1 (42:02):
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 massivemovies, I mean you know it was
like I mean, those movie starscome in.

Speaker 4 (42:18):
I was so just like overwhelmed with the fact that I
was with all of these amazingactresses.
You know Julie Roberts wasn'tto name at that time, but the
other five Well, I didn't reallyknow Olympia Dacoccus at that
point, but you know certainlyDarrell Hanna, sally Fields, and
you know I remember SallyFields had a reasonably new kid

(42:40):
I don't know if it was a baby oror you know, but reasonably new
.
And so she was pretty muchusually off with the kid when
she wasn't filming.
But there was one time we werewalking to set and Corey Hame
from Lucas had played her son ina movie, and so I was like, oh
hey, you know we both workedwith Corey and she was friendly,
like, but me kind of just likedoing her thing.

(43:04):
And then there was another timeI had an interaction with
Shirley McClain and she wasgoing into the makeup and hair
trailer and she's like hey, Isaw, you know, what you did the
other day.
I really liked that.
That was really believable.
I was like oh, thank you.
And I think it was just like megetting on my motorcycle and she
couldn't have been gaslightingme, she could have been, just
like you know, been sarcastic,but I think she was serious and

(43:25):
I was like, oh, my God, it wasawesome 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 andairheaded and but but just very
sweet and down earth, and weboth had grown up in Chicago and
so we had that in common and we, sir, I mean, I love you to

(43:49):
caucus, though she was probablymy favorite you know, she was
just like like that favoriteaunt that you have, you know,
just like Didn't watch her moutharound the kids and just was
funny and a little crass andJust sings off the, off the
screen

Speaker 3 (44:05):
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 (44:10):
It just sums her up so perfectly, she yeah and she
had just won the Oscar forMoonstruck, right?
Yeah, I don't remember.
Yeah, I think she just got yourword on that, the, and she's
just.
Yeah, I've had a quote of hersin, like framed I don't know,
ever since I moved to New Yorkand it's, you know, people

(44:33):
become.
Hold on, now that I have it, Ican't even remember it.
The reasons people start out tobe actors are not the same
reasons people continue to beactors.
We must investigate andrediscover those reasons.
And I don't remember why, thecontext of her saying that, but
it was just something that youknow, an interview years ago,

(44:53):
and I was like write that down.
I just, it's just, I love theidea of constantly
Reinvestigating andrediscovering why we do anything
and especially something welove.
And that was just, you know, itwas early in my career, early
in my life, and and so just youtalking about her spirit on set,
I do wonder, was she kind ofwas there a quote leader, if you
will, someone that like kind ofdeferred to everyone?

(45:15):
I kind of I feel like.
Olympia would be that way, youknow.
I want to.

Speaker 4 (45:20):
I want to say it might have been surely, but you
know I Didn't.
The women, I think, gottogether a lot when we weren't
filming and we weren't part ofthat.
It was kind of like theirspecial circle.
So I really didn't have aninside view of that.

Speaker 1 (45:37):
I my own.

Speaker 4 (45:44):
You know I should go with, surely, shirts, probably
would have invited me over for alittle, you know, swim, I might
don't know, but yeah, so my, myinstinct would be surely, just
because that's kind of.
You know, she had a very strongpersonality as well, in a
different way from Olympia, butI can't really give you any
insight on that.

Speaker 1 (46:05):
Yeah, no, I just, I just it just feels like I mean,
you have these, just like yousaid, these massive
personalities as well, and they,we, we got.

Speaker 3 (46:17):
We talked to Paul actually we have a really, so we
got a really interesting thatyou know Paul Hirsch edited the
film and Paul Hirsch is likethis, iconic I think, at least
for me, an iconic editor.
He's done like you know, he didlike.
Star Wars strikes back FerrisBueller's day off foot loose
also with her.
And yeah, he was just.

(46:39):
He actually talked to us alittle about steel magnolias in
an episode that we're actuallygonna release.
It's longer.
We talked for about 20 30minutes about his work in this
film specifically, and actuallywe have a little clip of him
talking about Julia Roberts andJulia coming in to be on this
show.
If we want to actually justjust take a look real quick.

Speaker 2 (46:58):
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 youcould believe that Sally was the
mother of Laura Dern.
But she was.
She really was given fantasticperformance.

(47:18):
Julia was believable.
You know, brunette, can you getaccepted?
Sally was her mom and Herbertsaw it right away and but he has
, you know, he had a great Feelfor acting.
I think of all the directors Iwork with he had more actors
nominated for Oscars than anyother director I work with.

(47:39):
So he had a real sense of andyou know, actually that was the
first time I was ever in acasting session, so I Was a
novice and he was an old ex, notonly an old pro but but really
gifted, had smelling out a greatacting talent.

Speaker 3 (48:01):
Yeah.
So I mean, and Paul, when wedid 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 anda long, long wait oh gosh, a
long time ago in a cutting roomfar, far away.
Yes, it's a good Star Wars,like that's it.
But and I'm an enormous fan ofhim and I don't know like I

(48:21):
think he did a fantastic job inthis, but his book is.
I cannot recommend it highlyenough, like you.
It is if you work, even if youdon't work in the industry, but
especially if you do.
It is such a great glimpse athow so many of these great films
were made and the strugglesthey took and really the human
factor of creatives which sooften they live.
You know, george Lucas lives insort of this iconic place with

(48:41):
Star Wars, but it was not.
That's not how it went day today.
They were trying to figure itout.
Yeah, they didn't exactly knowif it was gonna work or not, and
that is really anyway.
So the long tangent over herewe're gonna be releasing this
episode of with Paul.
But definitely go check out thebook.
I mean I cannot rememberrecommended highly enough.
But again, you know, saying,with Julia coming into the film
it was, I think really you know,a unique casting.

(49:04):
I don't know that you haveanyone that really pulls this
character off the page.

Speaker 4 (49:08):
The same way, you know, what's interesting to hear
about that is that Paul wasincluded in the casting sessions
.
I've never heard of an editorbeing included in the cast
sessions.
That's I'm curious how thatcame to be, and I certainly
don't remember him being part ofthe casting session.
I was that, but I might nothave known he was there.
I mean, he, he did talk aboutthat.

Speaker 3 (49:29):
Yeah, he talks about that.
He and Herbert have been workingtogether for quite a lot, quite
a bit and you know he kind ofyou know an editor is sort of in
my mind You're like thepost-production director, you
know what I mean like you're theone that is sort of you know,
you take a big mantle ofstorytelling and the honest
evaluation.
One of the things I love that hesays, because it echoes my
experience, is yeah, I don'treally read the script a whole

(49:52):
lot when you're editing.
You read it a couple times tounderstand where it is.
You read it so you understandthe form of what they shot, but
ultimately you're looking atwhat they give you because you
have to make a decision Withwhat you have in front of you
that you're gonna work with andstarting to in.
So the idea of what it wassupposed to be is sort Of
irrelevant to a certain degree,and he talks about that quite a
bit and you know that that, Ithink, was so.

(50:14):
He developed a rapport with allthese great directors like
Brian DePaul, and they reallytrusted his opinion.
So they would all kind of.

Speaker 1 (50:20):
So yeah, I think he was specifically brought in for
the.
What do you think of this?
You?

Speaker 3 (50:25):
know like as a character and it just really
yeah, cuz, cuz, I'm with you.

Speaker 1 (50:29):
I hadn't heard of it myself.

Speaker 3 (50:31):
Yeah, so I think it's an uncommon thing, for sure.
Now.

Speaker 1 (50:33):
Yeah, go ahead.

Speaker 4 (50:35):
I was also gonna say one other thing about her Ross,
which is I think that his talentwas more in casting, you know,
and finding the right actor oractress, then in directing.
That was that's my opinion.
Yeah, I did not like his styleof directing, which Definitely
included a lot of belittlingpeople, and I thought he was a

(50:58):
prima donna and not a kindperson.
That's certainly when I'vedirected things.
That is just not there, orproduced them.
It's just not the way I work.
I think you can get a greatperformance out of someone with
kindness and Support and youdon't have to treat a person
like that.

Speaker 3 (51:14):
So I think that was also the time.
You know that this time is thetime of that sort of auteur
director, where it isFashionable to be an asshole.

Speaker 4 (51:23):
You know what I mean.
Maybe so, yeah, maybe so.
You know, but I worked with alot of directors that were not
like that, you know.

Speaker 3 (51:29):
Right of course, yeah .

Speaker 4 (51:30):
I give you yeah surely bad it was.

Speaker 1 (51:32):
It also said what you said you know about working
with and she had just doneanother movie with him before
and I probably Felt like shecould come out and say stuff,
but was basically like will youstop bullying Dolly, you know?

Speaker 4 (51:45):
Yeah, she was.
You know he was awful to her.
Yeah, which?

Speaker 3 (51:48):
is incredible because she don't.
She's Playing herself and doingit in a way that no one could
ever, you know, coach that realhumanity with so much.
You know, like she's sort oflike a pithy, yeah, like he's a
hit the I don't know.
She's like a like, looks likeshe'd be a meringue but is
secretly a pastry.
You know what I?

Speaker 2 (52:07):
mean, I don't know, that's the worst analogy.

Speaker 3 (52:10):
I stand by it.

Speaker 1 (52:11):
Yeah, I know, I get what.

Speaker 3 (52:12):
I mean there.

Speaker 4 (52:13):
I think there were times when he was, you know, he
was wanting something differentand she was giving him something
else, and you know, and so hejust had her do it over and over
.
But you know, I think thatDolly is just such a terrific
spirit and a great sport and youknow, I mean, she wants to
please you as well, and so Ithink it was just a matter of
him not being able tocommunicate.

Speaker 3 (52:34):
Yeah so her what he was looking for, that's yeah, I
had to keep on doing it when Iwas directing when I was first
starting out, I directed aassistant directed Frost Nixon
right after Broadway at the StLouis Repertory Theater and a
assistant directed Steve Wolf,who was the artistic director
there for a million years andpeople always really loved him
and I always thought similarthings of his directed.
Now, he was not an asshole, hewas a very sweet human, very

(52:55):
good.
He just didn't really know howto direct.
In my opinion, he was alwaysgiving like he was always
objective words or like hit thisline a little different or
something about the rhythm ofthis line Doesn't work.
But the thing he was brilliantat was casting like and I think
there is a whole generation orSubset of directors that that's
what they do.
They just have such a good eyeFor that individual who can work

(53:18):
with this individual and plugthis thing together that it, you
know, and it can work forpeople.

Speaker 4 (53:24):
Yeah it's a director if you cast it well and you know
credit has to go to the castingdirector as well.
But if you choose the rightpeople, a majority of your work
is done.
You know, I really think it'sit's difficult to teach a person
how to act on set.

Speaker 2 (53:39):
So, if you, if you cast someone.

Speaker 4 (53:41):
This is something I learned a long time ago.
I've got a buddy of mine.
His name is Adam Rifkin andhe's directed a number of films,
and one of his very I think itwas his very first film was
called never on Tuesday it's.
It's a, actually based on theroad trip that we took together
going from Chicago to California, but it's Peter Berg, who's now

(54:02):
a big director, claudiaChristian, who's been in tons of
movies, and Andy Connick.
I remember his name now, butwhen, when they were doing
casting at the time I was gonnaplay the Pete Berg role and so I
sat in on the casting they hadall these gorgeous women coming
in because, about two guys, they, their car breaks down in the

(54:23):
middle of the desert and thisbeautiful woman, her car happens
to break down as well.
And so you know, she's supposedto be this, just this vision of
beauty and this sexy woman, andso they had the Tony contains
and you know all the MissUniverse is coming in, and the
actress that they cast, claudiaChristian, is very attractive,

(54:44):
but what made her perfect therole for the role was not her
physical beauty, it was that shecould act.
She could act sexy, you know.
And so I realized early on thatit's much more important to
cast someone who can act thanwho looks the role.
I also had that happen.

(55:05):
I directed a short film calledshoot the moon and it was about
a girl in Atlanta who, in the70s, who who shoots a moon out
the back of a bus and she getssuspended from school.
Then she goes to visit hergrandmother and we're trying to
find this beautiful southernbell type of woman.
And we have a few actressescome in I'm just for a short

(55:27):
film that weren't.
They weren't getting paid, andJune Lockhart was one of them
and she was so sweet, she lookedapart, she's just gorgeous and
just exactly what I wasimagining.
But she couldn't do a southernaccent and she just, you know,
she wasn't right for the role.
And then Audrey Lendley, who hadplayed Mrs Dropre, came in and
I don't know if you guysRemember three's company, but

(55:49):
she you know I'm not gonna notlook at all the roles and she
didn't come in when she had nomakeup on, you know, but she
nailed the character and onceshe 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 auditionprocess, but once we were on
set she was there.
So, yeah, I kind of went on atangent, but I really feel that

(56:14):
Casting an actress who knows howto do the role, as opposed to
someone who looks the role,you're always gonna win.

Speaker 1 (56:22):
Yeah, absolutely well said yeah there.

Speaker 3 (56:24):
Can we clarify one thing back in steel magnolias
for a second.
So Darrell Darrell is wearing awhite 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 (56:38):
Did you notice this?
Not yeah, this is the firstthing that I noticed.

Speaker 3 (56:45):
The whole time I was like, why is she?
She's giving her a white dressand 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 (56:55):
I didn't pick up on that.

Speaker 3 (56:56):
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 withWhite and red and it, just like
you know, two of them collidedand it turned into like that's
why everything is pink.

Speaker 1 (57:11):
That's what I love.
You know?
That's part one of those linesthat she has.
It's like my colors are blushand bashful.
Yeah, she's in this, my cut andcuz.
Her mom's like it's so pink,it's just pink.
And she's like no, my, it'sblush, oh my god, what a great

(57:31):
my colors are blush and bashful,I feel seen in this movie.
I just want to say that the Imean overall.

Speaker 3 (57:39):
I mean this is, I think you know, wrapping it up
here, you know, kind of to theend here, what do you do?
What is this film to you guys?
Like what, what does it mean?
Like, what do you think it'sabout?
And like, I mean, we kind oftouched on all of it.
But for me it feels like thisis really an expo.
The men, I think, are not todiminish your role at all time,
but this is not a film about men.

(58:00):
This is a film about women,their interaction, their
struggles and about how, youknow, the, the deep south, they
still have their own individualidentities and their own power.
I think, for me, the men aresort of, like, you know, useless
from the film's perspective.
They are just part of the setand setting.

Speaker 1 (58:18):
I mean, that's the beautiful thing about scare.
Its character is like you knowthat drama, like he's yes, he's
so ineffective with With the gun.
It's just perfect to that wholething and it's just yeah.
I think that gets across, tom.
What about yourself, especiallywith your obviously your
intimate Experience with it?
What is?
How would you say it's?

Speaker 4 (58:39):
about that sisterhood , that bond that only women can
have with each other.
And you know and and kind ofgetting as men, getting to peek
behind the curtain and andexperience that.
You know, and it did it so well, robert, even though he's a guy
, he just nailed it, I think Imean Probably because it's based

(59:00):
a lot on his, his own life, andso he had those, he was witness
to these conversations and andthese characters.
But yeah, I think it's aboutthe bond and the strength of
women and and how they canreally rally behind each other
and just be there to support oneanother in the worst and the

(59:21):
best of times.

Speaker 1 (59:23):
Yeah, I mean, I'll echo both of what you guys are
saying and, like I know, I seethis through the eyes with my,
my mother and her best friend.

Speaker 3 (59:33):
Same.
Yeah, that's the way I see it.
I'm like I see a lot of myfamily.

Speaker 1 (59:37):
I really do.
You know, and just the, thebond that these you know, this
small group of women that havebeen friends for years and have
had to bury a few of theirfriends.
You know, and it's just the andand how you process that.
So to me, this is a movie aboutprocessing what it is to be
alive and and I love that youknow that we hadn't even talked

(01:00:02):
about it the fact that this isalmost 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 yourpoint, tom, that there's so much
of that Authenticity andrealism and the true peak behind
the curtain does come out, andhe gives it in such an honest
way, because I think he startedit as a short story for his like

(01:00:23):
niece and nephew to like helpthem process, but then ended up
writing it in less than twoweeks.
He wrote this in ten days.
It's insane.

Speaker 3 (01:00:31):
That is insane.
Yeah, and it just should theplay version, you mean the play,
the play.

Speaker 1 (01:00:35):
Yeah, he wrote the play in ten days.
It was supposed to be like ashort story and then I think his
therapist just said, well, justwrite it.
And so he just just keptwriting, 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 (01:00:51):
We're going to.

Speaker 1 (01:00:51):
Broadway.
We're waiting for government.
The that's my life, so, um,yeah, I that.
That to me is kind of where Iland on that with the the beauty
about yeah, and the beauty ofit and why I Simultaneously had

(01:01:12):
to make the joke I had to makeat the top and also feel
terrible about it, because I dolove it and I think it is.
It's one of the most quotablemovies and and of all time, not
just because it's delivered well, but from where it's delivered
and on that note.

Speaker 3 (01:01:27):
So this being a style to be, so we always kind of
touch base and be like does thismovie still hold up?
Because some movies can begreat Movies, it'd be terrible.
But does it hold up in a modernterritory under a rewatch?
So you would say for you itdoes, yes.
I would say for me, absolutely.
I think it's just as relevantas the day it was made.
Tom, what do you think I?

Speaker 4 (01:01:45):
think the story a A lot of.
It does the hair and and.

Speaker 3 (01:01:52):
That might be the only thing that really dates.

Speaker 2 (01:01:58):
Absolutely, I think the heart of it.

Speaker 4 (01:01:59):
It's still, you know, so powerful and effective.
And, you know, every time I seethat cemetery scene it makes me
cry.

Speaker 3 (01:02:06):
Yeah, I mean that they said I think the I asked
Paul about this and he says inthe episode they saw it in the
play and then the play you couldlaugh 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 theysaw that that worked, he's like
that's what I knew, the filmwould work and it would be okay.
Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:02:26):
I mean, it's like it's in so many of those moments
that you have the permission tolaugh and cry and that
beautiful quote laughter throughtears is my favorite emotion,
that that your mom delivers, youknow like how I keep going back
to that.
Yeah, we're getting her.
We're getting her.

Speaker 3 (01:02:43):
She's gonna be singing so, tom, if people want
to Follow you and find outwhat's going on for you you know
, post strike, whatever.
Where should people come followyou?

Speaker 4 (01:02:52):
I'm on Instagram.
I don't know what my handle is.
I guess I should.
But it's mainly it's mainlyposts of cakes that I make for
my daughter or dresses that Imake for her.

Speaker 1 (01:03:04):
Nothing too exciting.
Do you're not making anyarmadillo cakes, are you?

Speaker 4 (01:03:08):
I've not tried that yet.
No, I made her a Pikachu cakefor 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 lotof fun with that and then I
didn't have no idea I could, sountil she was born and then I've
been making her some creations,so it's been fun too.

Speaker 3 (01:03:26):
Wow, that's amazing, awesome.

Speaker 1 (01:03:28):
Amazing and follow and follow Tom.

Speaker 2 (01:03:35):
As far as acting.

Speaker 4 (01:03:35):
I'm not really doing anything.
People call me, I'm onavailable, 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 calledIntelligence that we did for sky
, which is on peacock check itout and just always developing

(01:03:57):
stuff and that's amazing for thenext one you know I've got it.

Speaker 3 (01:04:00):
I would have.
I would be remiss if I don'ttouch on your favorite role for
me, which I don't know if yousee, but it's from heavyweights
and I guess that movie foreveris it is it ran rings of my
childhood and we are definitelygonna do it on this podcast at
some point.
But I think you're justfabulous in that film and I
really appreciate it.
Why were time watching you whenthey spread honey on you?

(01:04:22):
It makes me laugh every singletime.

Speaker 4 (01:04:27):
It is About heavyweights when we talk about
that.
Yes, great, awesome we have analienated Tom.

Speaker 3 (01:04:34):
It is a successful episode.

Speaker 2 (01:04:36):
The guest does not hate us.

Speaker 4 (01:04:37):
It is a happy hour, alright.

Speaker 1 (01:04:44):
Thank you so much for joining us today and talking
all things steel magnolias.

Speaker 4 (01:04:49):
Absolutely always fun to talk to people about.
You know movies that mean a lotto me, so but sure, thanks so
much, tom.