The location to the 1989 tearjerker Steel Magnolias helps create a sense of community and family as the movie shows the effect Shelby Eatenton-Latcherie (Julia Roberts)’s death had on the small town. Steel Magnolias is adapted from the 1987 play by Robert Harling about his sister, who passed away from diabetes (via The Atlantic). Set in Chinquapin Parish, Louisiana, the film features a beauty salon, a large house, and church where Shelby marries Jackson Latcherie (Dylan McDermott). The film starred Sally Field as Shelby’s mother, M’Lynn, and Olympia Dukakis, Daryl Hannah, and Dolly Parton as her friends, Clairee Belcher, Annelle Dupuy Desoto, and Truvy Jones.
Before Julia Roberts guest-starred on Friends, she appeared in several notable ’80s and ’90s movies, including Mystic Pizza, Sleeping With The Enemy, and Pretty Women. Steel Magnolias was one of her more serious roles and showed her acting talent. The characters cherish the fact that they know their neighbors very well and a charming town is necessary for the movie’s heartfelt tone. When wondering where was Steel Magnolias filmed, the real town in the South creates a flawless setting for the emotional moments in the film and the way that the characters accept Shelby’s tragic fate and feel grateful for knowing her.
Steel Magnolias Was Filmed in Natchitoches, Louisiana And A House Was The Main Setting
The main setting of Steel Magnolias is Shelby’s mother, M’Lynn Eatenton Field house, which is where the two characters have spent the majority of their lives, and is located at 320 Jefferson Street located in Natchitoches, Louisiana. It has an idyllic front porch, a parlour with an old-fashioned fireplace and beautiful chandelier, pool, and guest room named after Shelby. The house is significant as Shelby leaves home to live with her husband Jackson (played by Dylan McDermott, known for American Horror Story, a much darker role). Before becoming a bed and breakfast, the 5,900 square foot home was called the Cook-Taylor house because Henry Cook Taylor owned it (via SteelMagnoliaHouse.net).
This house is also the setting for Shelby and Jackson’s wedding reception and the family gets ready for the big day here. While the celebration of a marriage is always a moving scene in a film, the Steel Magnolias family wedding scene is also emotional as Shelby has Type 1 diabetes and is told she can’t conceive biological children. She goes into kidney failure after becoming pregnant and giving birth later on. In hindsight, the wedding is tragic to look back on, knowing that Shelby and Jackson will not be together much longer. Shelby’s motto is, “I would rather have thirty minutes of wonderful than a lifetime of nothing special.”
If Steel Magnolias iconic family wedding reception was filmed elsewhere, it wouldn’t feel as special or sweet. Since Shelby is so close to her mother and the people in her town, it makes sense that she would want to mark this milestone in her life at a place where she feels safe and loved. The Steel Magnolias house is a perfect filming location since there are so many unknowns in her life regarding whether she can have a baby, and she is comforted by this familiar place and all of the people she has ever known surrounding her with love and support.
There Are Several Other Natchitoches, Louisiana Filming Locations
There are several other Natchitoches locations that appeared in the movie which helped show the charming place the characters call home. This includes the Odalie Lambre-Gwinn House located at 1972 Williams Avenue, which is where Jackson and Shelby live after their wedding, the Lemee House at 310 Rue Jefferson, where Ouiser Boudreaux (Shirley Maclaine) lives (via Natchitoches.com), and the Natchitoches Regional Medical Center located at 501 Keyser Avenue, where Jack Jr. is born. Other sets also include the Brookshire’s Dixie Plaza Shopping Center at 318 Dixie Plaza and the Northwestern State University Field House, which have also proven to be popular destination points
There is one location in Steel Magnolias that has also become synonymous with the movie: the cemetery. The cemetery scene is the saddest moment in the film as the other characters must accept that their beloved daughter and friend has passed away. Shelby’s funeral service took place at the American Cemetery, which is located at Second Street in Natchitoches. The moment when the camera lands on a grieving M’Lynn is unforgettable. While Roberts appeared in the action film Ocean’s Eleven and Twelve and her resume includes romantic comedies and a few dramas, along with some TV parts, her turn as Shelby is one of her heaviest and most emotional roles.
Shelby gets married at the St. Augustine Catholic Church, which is located on Highway 493 at Melrose, before she has her reception at her family home. Like other filming locations in the movie, this one speaks to Shelby’s desire to have a regular, relatable experience since churches are a traditional place to have a wedding ceremony. She knows that she can’t control her disease at this point or what happens to her next, so to be able to marry the person she loves is so meaningful to her as this is something she can have agency over.
The Small Town Locations, Including The Beauty Salon, Explore The Story’s Theme Of Life After Loss
The small town filming locations also give Steel Magnolias a heartwarming feel. Filmed at a house located at 453 Henry Blvd, a significant part of the movie takes place in Truvy’s beauty salon as the writers dedicate a lot of time to showing the friendship between Shelby’s mother, M’Lynn, Truvy, Clairee, and Annelle. It’s moving to watch these characters exchange news and bond, as it speaks to how relatable the characters can be and, once again, creates a sense of family and community. These scenes also add some light-hearted humor, helping to relieve some of the tension so the movie’s plot isn’t too somber.
While some movies are filmed in Canada, Steel Magnolias is shot in the same place where it takes place, which makes it look authentic. The movie’s theme is that it is possible to feel hopeful after the death of a loved one and to move on with life after loss. The film concludes with Annelle having a baby, which signals that the characters will look to the future despite the pain that they are feeling. There is a sense of hope and peace in this final scene, and the fact that the town is so small and the characters have all known each other for their entire lives adds a sense of comfort to the story.
When it comes to where was Steel Magnolias filmed, the small town of Natchitoches is the perfect place for the main characters to experience the highs and lows of life, from milestones like weddings and the birth of babies to smaller moments like daily get-togethers and conversations between friends. The cast’s emotional performances, including Dolly Parton’s notable role, prove that Chinquapin Parish is the kind of place where everyone knows each other and there are no secrets. This small-town location and tight-knit community is what enables M’Lynn to find the strength to move forward after her daughter’s death. M’Lynn feels grateful to live somewhere where she is supported.
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