Fried Green Tomatoes 1991

Dave Kehr, Chicago Tribune: The movie never quite shakes its stiff, studied feel, just as the town of Whistle Stop never stops seeming the quaint creation of an art director. Read more

Jay Boyar, Orlando Sentinel: Directed and co-written by first-timer Jon Avnet, the episodic production manages to capture the fried-tomato flavor of the deep South without becoming too pushy or patronizing about it. Read more

Desmond Ryan, Philadelphia Inquirer: Fried Green Tomatoes is a case of a film acted with such skill and conviction that glaring problems of narrative, pace and structure seem like minor slips. Read more

John Hartl, Seattle Times: When a group of actors this gifted and lively tries so good-naturedly to deliver such an obvious message, the audience is left in the position of trying to stop a tidal wave. You may hate yourself for responding, but you're smothered before you know it. Read more

Janet Maslin, New York Times: One of the strongest things in the film is Ms. Masterson, a magnetic, wildly defiant actress with so much energy she often seems to be bursting at the seams of her role. Read more

Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: The movie left me wishing its sterling cast -- including a radiant Jessica Tandy -- had been better served. Read more

Michael Sragow, New Yorker: [A] clunky, fraudulent, yet apparently crowd-pleasing laugh-and-tear-jerker. Read more

James Berardinelli, ReelViews: Fried Green Tomatoes is a thoroughly enjoyable movie-going experience, replete with laughter, tears, triumph, and tragedy. Read more

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: Fried Green Tomatoes is fairly predictable, and the flashback structure is a distraction, but the strength of the performances overcomes the problems of the structure. Read more

Colette Maude, Time Out: More dizzying than the jumps between past and present is the speed with which consciousness-raised Evelyn swaps caricatures, evolving from Frump to Fighter. Read more

Variety Staff, Variety: Tandy is at her sparkling best as the endearing old story-teller. Bates is also terrif in a funny and sympathetic turn. Director Jon Avnet, in his feature film debut, gets first-rate work from the featured performers. Read more

Rita Kempley, Washington Post: Mary Stuart Masterson, as Idgie, keeps us guessing. One of Hollywood's best young actresses, she fairly sets off sparks as the tomboy next door, a distaff Huck Finn. Read more