When we first heard about the Lifetime remake of the classic Steel Magnolias, we were understandably bemused. To many of us, the original film starring--starring Sally Field, Dolly Parton, Shirley MacLaine, Olympia Dukakis, Julia Roberts, and Daryl Hannah--is a gay classic.
As producer Neil Meron said to The Advocate when the project was first announced: "We believe the movie is about community...and it's a community of all types who fit together by a commonality of family...Very much like the gay community. We think that there are a lot of elements that gay viewers can relate to, with these ladies hanging together, growing together and dealing with the eccentricities of life and the strength they must face when there is a death among them at such an early age."
Now we've seen the initial "trailer," and it's taken us a while to process that this is REALLY GOING TO HAPPEN--although Lifetime hasn't set a broadcast date yet. We took an office poll to see what others thought of the trailer. Check it out below.
Max Berlinger: I'm not OK with this on so many levels. Shirley MacLaine and Dolly Parton's performances are so utterly perfect I'm flabbergasted that anyone would think this is a good idea. I mean, I'll watch it, but I won't be happy.
Alex Panisch: Nope, not having any of it. This isn't happening. This isn't a thing. I'm going back to bed now.
Jerry Portwood: Somehow this makes me embarrassed for ever liking the film, the story, any of it in the first place. Ugh.
