Over the course of the story, we learn that Shelby's greatest desire in life is to be a mother and, despite warnings not to get pregnant, she has a baby and goes into kidney failure. And guess what, you guys. SHE DIES TOO.
The original play dramatized experiences of the family and friends of the playwright's following the 1985 death of his sister from diabetic complications after the birth of his namesake nephew and the failure of a family member's donated kidney.
The plot revolves around one of them, Shelby Eatenton, a young woman with diabetes who becomes pregnant after her wedding. Her disease worsens as a consequence of her pregnancy and she dies. Awards: Nominated for an Academy Award in 1989 for Best Supporting Actress (Julia Roberts).
Steel Magnolias (8/8) Movie CLIP - I Wanna Know Why (1989) HD
Why does Shelby have a baby in Steel Magnolias?
In the movie, Shelby has been told by her doctors that if she has a baby that it will put too much strain on her diabetic body and she could die in labor. But she wants a baby SO badly and can't adopt because of her medical condition. So she becomes pregnant and her mom is extremely upset.
Did Dolly Parton really do Julia Roberts hair in Steel Magnolias?
Dolly Parton and Daryl Hannah studied hair stylists so their hair styling scenes would look authentic -- a particular necessity in the first beauty shop scene, during the course of which Parton styles Julia Roberts' hair for her wedding.
Actor and writer Robert Harling wrote the play based on the true story of his sister, Susan Harling Robinson, who died from complications with diabetes.
"We really did make fast friends, all of us," she told Garden and Gun, "and have been ever since. I don't know what it is about the subject matter in the movie, but going through that makes you friends for life."
What happened to Shelby at the end of Steel Magnolias?
In the popular film "Steel Magnolias," part of the story's conclusion involves a character named Shelby dying from Type 1 diabetes shortly after giving birth.
Know your risks. Women who have type 1 diabetes can have a safe pregnancy and a healthy baby, but it's important to monitor diabetes complications that could worsen throughout pregnancy, such as high blood pressure, vision loss, and kidney disease.
Life expectancy estimates for individuals with type 1 diabetes in these reports ranged from approximately 65 years of age to 72 years of age. The CDC currently estimates the average US life expectancy is 76.1 years, the lowest figure since 1996.
Time skips about a year and a half and picks up with everyone celebrating the first birthday of Shelby's son, Jack Jr. A shadow is soon brought upon the cast as Shelby discovers that her kidneys are beginning to fail as a result of her pregnancy.
Annelle Dupuy-Desoto (19-25) very shy twenty-year-old hair-dresser. She goes from a very soft-spoken person to a bible-loving Christian with her heart on her sleeve. Shelby Eatenton-Latcherie Roughly 25-year-old diabetic young lady. Prettiest girl in town, and loved by all.
There were little tributes to Phi Mu all over the film: pink carnations, a Phi Mu composite, a Phi Mu badge on Shelby's wedding reception suit, etc; when I was in college at Transylvania, our Phi Mu chapter loved to watch the film as a sisterhood event and note these details.
The Holyfields relate that their friends used to say “Shelby drink your juice” to one another, to encourage each other to “drink up and pick up the pace.” They named Shelby the poodle after the phrase, and then the cocktail—which features the classic Kentucky ginger soda Ale-8-One—after her, following her death.
What did they call Shirley MacLaine in Steel Magnolias?
Steel Magnolias, based on the 1987 play of the same name, explored the relationships and sisterhood of a group of women in a small Southern community. MacLaine, 85, played Louisa “Ouiser” Boudreaux, the grouchy one of the group with a hardened heart of gold.
The accents in the Steel Magnolias film, however, don't necessarily directly reflect Harling's hometown. Perhaps the biggest shift from the sounds of Natchitoches is the accent Julia Roberts uses for Shelby. Roberts, originally from Georgia, takes on the stereotypical American Southern dropped-R accent.
As the film's creator describes, Robert Harling grew up moving "from southern town to southern town, to southern town, eventually ending up in Louisiana." This nomadic childhood made it hard to make friends from place to place. His best friend was his sister, Susan–or as we've come to know her, Shelby.
While the main storyline is a sad one, ending with a powerful death, Steel Magnolias is really about the friendships that sustain us through life's highs and lows.
