film report

Fried Green Tomatoes Film Report

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FRIED GREEN TOMATOES FILM REPORT

Fried Green Tomatoes is a comedy-drama film that discusses various topics. The film mostly concentrates on women where two women meet In a nursing home and start a friendship. The older woman starts to give details of her family regarding the lives of two women, Idgie and Ruth. The lives of the two women are about a strong relationship between them where their story happened in the early 20th century in and around one of the cafés that they owned. The story of Idgie and Ruth is recreated from the flapper period in the 1920’s to a women’s movement that happened during 1960’s and 1970’s. Love of family is the main issue that emerges itself throughout the film. The love of family members, love of individuals coming from different races and love between women and love for all irrespective of gender or race. The characters in the film believe that the family is all about love but not biology that’s why idgie loves Ruth and her baby with all her heart yet she is female but wears like a male. The essay will be examining the type of love that exists between the two characters as well as the relationship between Frank and Ruth where Frank was a domestic abuser.

The relationship between Idgie and Ruth is that of strong friendship and love so it is clear that the two are lovers. The two characters are friends, business partners and before the eyes of many in the town they are lesbians. The issue of lesbianism has been depicted with one of strong relationship but has not committed itself in some aspects such sexual behavior. The issue of lesbianism is evident between the two characters but Fannie Flagg does not come out strongly to state that the two are lesbians. The idea that Ruth and Idge are lesbians is evident in parts of the films in the way they communicate with each other and act to the other individual (Sohn, 1992). The issue of lesbianism between the two is subverted by the way that everyone views Idgie as a man. The idea that Idgie and Ruth are lesbians may be misunderstood since stating that they are lovers and a lesbian couple means that they ought to be involved in a sexual relationship. The idea that they are lesbians and they are involved in sex with each other is a part that is left out of the viewer. However Flagg is concerned on subject of the film and does not want to raise issues of controversy by stating that they are lesbians but describes their relationship as homosocial. The first episode that reveals that Ruth and Idgie are lovers is the “Bee Charmer” part (Rockler, 2001). In this scene the way that the two act and behave towards each other resembles what most lovers do both homosexual and heterosexual. In this scene Idgie tells her that she would sacrifice her life and even kill for her because she loves her so much. Ruth responds by smiling happily at her. The second episode that proves that Ruth and Idgie are lovers is when idgie goes crazy after Ruth states that she will go and marry a man after the summer that they had enjoyed together. “’Why are you gonna marry that man? ‘……. ‘You don’t love him.’ ‘Yes I do.’ ‘Oh no you don’t. You love me…you know you do. You know you do!’” (Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café). Everyone can understand that Idgie would get upset because of her lover leaving but by the way Idgie gets upset shows that there is much more than friendship between them. Ruth’s son Stump is referred to as their son as his last is Threadgood Idgie’s last name not Ruth’s (Rockler, 2001).

When Ruth told Idgie that she would leave and get married, she was going to be married to Frank. Ruth loved Frank very much and promised to marry him so that he could look after her and her mother. Frank caught the eye of Ruth and after they got married they moved to Valdosta, Georgia. Unfortunately, Ruth's mother died shortly after her daughter became pregnant. Idgie was concerned about her friend Ruth who was frequently physically abused by Frank. Idgie brought her friend Big George and another man to help Ruth out of Frank’s house. Idgie loved Ruth so much that she once threatened Frank in a barbershop that if he beat Ruth again she would kill him. Idgie cared so much about Ruth that she would travel to Georgia once a month not just to talk to her but to make sure that she is okay. Frank Bennett met his death during the struggle to go with Ruth’s baby in the café. Smokey stopped Frank from going with Ruth and the baby and in the midst of the struggle Sipsey whacked Frank on the back of the head with a frying pan terminating his life.

Smokey is a strong, caring and compassionate character. Her character of love and care reminds me of the story of me and my family. I and my mother had for long been involved in a dispute and I felt that I hated her so much that we rarely talked. It was contrary to me and my dad as we used to converse daily and even wish me a good day to school. One day when I came from school I met my mother and dad quarreling and the quarrel had heated such that my father started to beat my mother. Even though I and my mother were not on good terms tears tricked down and I was shouting at my father to let her go as I love her so much. Smokey fought for Ruth because he understood the pain that she underwent at the hands of the villain Frank even if he did not know her. And for me, I understood the pain that my mother went under the hands of my father and even if I hated her she was still the only mother that I had and I would not let her continue get battered by my father. The words of Smokey “you ain't goin' nowhere with Miss Ruth's baby” (Sohn, 1992) shows bravery and determination not to let the villain hurt Ruth again. I am now a strong character as I have grown to be one from the day that I stopped my father from fighting mom stating that I love her so much.

In conclusion, the friendship between Ruth and Idgie is of lovers and they are lesbians at the time when homosexuality is shunned against by the people in the society. that is the reason why they don’t involve in sexual behavior as it would come directly that they are lesbianism but the director makes the relationship between them strong and one cannot live without each other to prove that they are lovers.

References

Sohn, M. F. (1992). Fried Green Tomatoes. Appalachian Heritage, 20(3), 54-54.

Rockler, N. R. (2001). A wall on the lesbian continuum: Polysemy and Fried Green Tomatoes. Women's Studies in Communication, 24(1), 90-106.

Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café: Summary & Lesbianism. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://schoolworkhelper.net/fried-green-tomatoes-at-the-whistle-stop-cafe-summary-lesbianism/