Strong and Moving!

Perfect cast and a good story

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

This movie was suggested to me on netflix several months ago but I never had time to watch it or had it sent to my house. Last week I had decided to watch it and it blew me away!!! Since last week I have watched the entire movie 5 times and already bought the DVD. The cast was simply amazing. Ashley Judd's performance as Vivi was spectacular at playing this simple yet "wounded" character. If you are someone who has gone through hardships you will definitely appreciate this movie.It is vivid, moving, and witty.Definitely an all time favorite :)

Movies that feature "women-only" themes are few indeed and at any given time we can count their existence on one finger. Hollywood loves reminding us that "it's a man's world, baby" and I would hazard a guess that 95% of current box office offerings are male-centered (That is, male = hero, victim, anti-hero; with a female = smart talking' and lookin' and barely visible unless required to provide booty, tears, or encouragement to - you guessed it, the male!).So when a movie with a female-centered cast and theme (trivialized by the term "chick flick") is served to us, I watch with a wary eye and a hopeful heart. Why? Because most chick flicks are written, directed, and produced by men...maybe that's why there are so few of them! To the credit of The Divine Secrets of The Ya-Ya Sisterhood, it didn't disappoint my heart or my head.The Ya-Ya Sisterhood takes the universal theme of mother-daughter conflict and serves it up as refreshingly as a mint julep on a scorching day. Taking place in Louisiana, this movie leads us through a merry romp of friendship and fierce loyalties, stopping along the way to tug at our heart strings and drag out the tissues (don't all good chick flicks?).The plot centers around a young director (Sandra Bullock) who is estranged from her Old School Southern Belle mother (Ellen Burstyn) and nervous about her upcoming nuptials. Through the "divine" intervention of the Ya-Ya's - a three woman tag-team of family friends - (played by Maggie Smith, Shirley Knight, and Fionnula Flanagan) the daughter is able to heal old familial wounds and welcome her new role as daughter, wife (and future mother).Yet, layered within this beautiful film is three levels of female experience, told through the life of Maiden-Mother-Salty Sage women Burstyn and Ashley Judd. (I'd like to see Judd get a nod at the next award show for this multi-faceted role.) Add to that a funny and tender juxtaposition of the men in their lives (James Garner and Angus MacFadyen) and everyone is sure to get their Ya-Ya's out! Unforgettable in every way!

One writer called this "A chick flick for chicks of all ages." This is probably a fair description, though I hate the term "chick flick" and find that a majority of the movies that touch me most deeply probably fall under that "category." Beyond this, however, I believe this is a wonderful movie for anyone. including males who are not afraid of their "feminine" side, their sensitive side. I have always been a big fan of James Garner, and have recently become a huge Sandra Bullock fan (which is why I bought this DVD in the first place). But while I was very pleased with their usually excellent performances, the entire cast was truly outstanding. And while the focus of the film was on female friendships and mother-daughter relationships, it also speaks of human relationships in general, in all their joy and pain and complexity, and of the power of love - not to eliminate the problems or overlook them - but to transcend them. A great movie - give it a try!

This is a nicely done story of how a young woman comes to learn about some of the difficult circumstances behind some of her worst childhood memories, and thus stops being a victim to them. I don't want to address specifics lest I ruin it for you. The cast is nothing short of awesome, the story is very good - I highly recommend this one. Fionnula Flanagan particularly sparkled, as did Maggie Smith.The trailer for this movie was VERY poorly done, so I avoided it for years. However, I got roped into watching it one night & I was shocked that I loved it. The character development was, for the most part, very well done. The subject matter was close to what one might see in their real life as opposed to over-glamorized dramatizations of what goes on in real life - I think this fact may be why this movie was not so well received. You will hear about the events being retold, but your heart strings will not be gratuitously pulled, and the characters do not wallow in grief & drama. You'll have to think for yourself, pay attention, & make up your own mind about things as they play out, but it's worth it.