Fried Green Tomatoes

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Fried Green Tomatoes

PG-13

1991

2h 10m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

77%

Tomatometer

48 Reviews

89%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

On one of trapped housewife Evelyn Couch's (Kathy Bates) Wednesday nursing home visits, she encounters Ninny Threadgoode (Jessica Tandy), a colorful old woman who brightens Evelyn's outlook by sharing tales from her past. As Ninny recounts the exploits of her free-spirited sister-in-law Idgie (Mary Stuart Masterson), owner of a small Alabama café in the 1920s, and the bond Idgie shared with her friend Ruth (Mary-Louise Parker), Evelyn gains the confidence to change her own life for the better.

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Critics Consensus

Fried Green Tomatoes' tearjerking drama is undeniably manipulative, but in the hands of a skilled cast that includes Jessica Tandy and Kathy Bates, it's also powerfully effective.

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Lynden Barber

Sydney Morning Herald

Dec 19, 2025

If it contains hokiness and cornpone, these are not served in portions so large they can't be swallowed, and there are at least enough quality ingredients to aid digestion.

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Hugo Davenport

Daily Telegraph (UK)

May 20, 2022

Do not be deterred by the indigestible title nor, if feministically inclined, by the fact that it is directed by mere man Jon Avnet. It is funny, cleverly constructed, often rather moving, and only occasionally allows sentiment to slop over the bucket.

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Michael Sragow

The New Yorker

Jun 2, 2014

[A] clunky, fraudulent, yet apparently crowd-pleasing laugh-and-tear-jerker.

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Mark Jackson

Epoch Times

May 5, 2026

3.5/5

The treacly 'Fried Green Tomatoes' wouldn't be the long-standing crowd-pleaser it is without Bates, Tandy, Masterson, and Parker infusing it with charisma.

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Malinda Lo

AfterEllen.com

May 6, 2024

Fried Green Tomatoes is iconic in its presentation of love across the years, across generations and across boundaries. It’s a tamed but still powerful love story -- and a lesbian classic, if only in subtext.

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Rex Sterling

Alabama Forum

May 4, 2023

A compelling and enjoyable movie.

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Patricia A

May 15, 2026

This was a really great movie! It was the first time I seen it at the theater. I would definitely go see it again.

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Dawn Dalton

May 14, 2026

It was incredible! I’ve been watching Fried Green Tomatoes since its initial release and seeing it on the big screen again with my daughter was such a special moment!

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Sharon F

May 14, 2026

A heart warming story of friendships in the rural South along with the trials that came about. The beautiful setting adds so much to the story.

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David

May 14, 2026

It was cancelled without notice. Where’s my refund?

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Rolly D

May 14, 2026

Epic film that still stands up!

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Secret's in the Sauce

May 12, 2026

One of the best character driven movies of all time. The acting is superb. It feels timeless. I was blessed to see it in the theaters when it was first released, watched multitimes on tv, and so grateful to see again on the big screen.

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Jon Avnet

Director

Kathy Bates

Evelyn Couch

Jessica Tandy

Ninny Threadgoode

Mary Stuart Masterson

Idgie Threadgoode

Mary-Louise Parker

Ruth Jamison

Nick Searcy

Frank Bennett

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Synopsis

On one of trapped housewife Evelyn Couch's (Kathy Bates) Wednesday nursing home visits, she encounters Ninny Threadgoode (Jessica Tandy), a colorful old woman who brightens Evelyn's outlook by sharing tales from her past. As Ninny recounts the exploits of her free-spirited sister-in-law Idgie (Mary Stuart Masterson), owner of a small Alabama café in the 1920s, and the bond Idgie shared with her friend Ruth (Mary-Louise Parker), Evelyn gains the confidence to change her own life for the better.

Director: Jon Avnet
Producer: Jon Avnet, Jordan Kerner
Screenwriter: Fannie Flagg, Carol Sobieski
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Production Co: Fried Green Tomatoes Productions, Universal Pictures, Avnet/Kerner Productions, Act III Communications, Electric Shadow Productions
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 27, 1991, Original
Rerelease Date (Theaters): May 10, 2026
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 15, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA): $81.2M
Runtime: 2h 10m
Sound Mix: Surround

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