A Special Mother’s Day Treat - A Look at “Stepmom” and “Steel Magnolias”
- Matt Palmer
- May 7, 2025
- 2 min read
Mother’s Day is just around the corner - May 11 to be exact. So, for all the mothers out there, I wanted to take a quick look at a couple films for this special day - the 1998 movie “Stepmom” and the 1989 film “Steel Magnolias” (which is also one of my mother’s all time favorites).
In the 1998 movie “Stepmom,” three years after divorcing Jackie, the mother of his children, Luke Harrison decides to take the next step with his significantly younger girlfriend, fashion photographer Isabel Kelly.
But, when flaky Isabel starts helping with the children, their fierce allegiance to their mother is obvious. Try as she might, Isabel fails to endear herself to the children - and to Jackie - until a looming family crisis changes everything.
“Stepmom” is a heartwarming and, at times, humorous movie that can be really relatable for a lot of people. The movie does a great job exploring the dynamics of a complex family, including divorce and the challenges of a stepfamily.
There are quite a few moments where things get really emotional as the movie depicts a divorced couple and their children going through extremely difficult times. But once a family member’s health diagnosis takes a turn, the divorced family and the soon-to-be stepmother become closer than ever, which is a nice (and emotional) touch.
In the 1988 film “Steel Magnolias,” M’Lynn is the mother of bride-to-be Shelby Eatenton,
and as friend Truvy Jones fixes the women’s hair for the ceremony, they welcome a helping hand from aspiring beautician Annelle Dupuy Desoto.
Diabetic Shelby has a health scare, which is averted but doesn’t bode well for her hopes of having children. Time passes, and the women and their friends encounter tragedy and good fortune, growing stronger and closer in the process.
“Steel Magnolias” is a film that can either make you laugh, feel for the characters and even tear up. The 1988 film does deliver quite a few witty moments that can easily make you chuckle. When all the women are together (Sally Field, Dolly Parton, Olympia Dukakis, Shirley MacLaine), a lot of those scenes can be really funny. Tom Skeritt, who plays Drum Eatenton, also has some really hilarious moments.
Like I stated before, the film can deliver a huge range of emotions and has a good blend of humor and poignant plot points. Its exploration of grief and loss, intertwined with the characters’ comedic banter, creates a very unique emotional experience. And, if you haven’t seen the film yet, make sure to have a tissue or two (or more than two) for the latter part of the movie!
You can rent “Stepmom” via Amazon Prime, YouTube, Apple TV and Fandango At Home, while you can stream “Steel Magnolias” on Max (along with renting it via the previously mentioned PVOD platform services).
So, make sure to have a nice Mother’s Day weekend for all the mother’s out there!
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