Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (2002)

the audience applauded

Simply Perfect

hyped garbage

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

I had postponed watching 'Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood' because I thought it would be just another melodramatic glossy film like 'Steel Magnolias'. I finally got myself to see it last night. After all how bad could a movie, with a cast that includes Ellen Burstyn, Sandra Bullock, Maggie Smith, Fionnula Flanagan, James Garner and Shirley Knight, be? Now I can say that 'Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood' did not disappoint.First of all, this is a performance oriented film. It is the acting by every single actor that makes this film stand above others. The movie has some great one-liners that are wonderfully delivered by the actors. Ellen Burstyn, Ashley Judd, Maggie Smith, Sandra Bullock, Fionnula Flanagan, Shirley Knight, Angus MacFadyen and James Garner are superb. Their line delivery and knack for comedy and/or subtle intensity is excellent.I found the timeline to be a bit inconsistent. The art direction in the 30s setting is brilliant. Detail is given to the costumes, makeup, gestures and language of the actors. However, the present day, which is supposed to be set in the 70s doesn't give that feel at all. I also would have liked to see more backstory on Teensy, Caro and Necie. After all, the story is about their sisterhood.Even though flawed, it's an interesting study on relationships. The balance of comedy and intensity is well done and it avoids being the 'tearjerker melodrama' that 'Steel Magnolias' is.

This movie has been underrated. It is fantastic. Sidda is a character like many daughters that have suffered from their parent's decisions. Vivienne is a flawed mother like many mother's. This movie is real, and will touch you straight to the heart on multiple levels. It is intelligent and soft. I did not realize all of the multitudes of layers in this story until I recently watched it. The acting is very good. This tale mimicks many families that have suffered problems, and it is very beautiful. I truly enjoyed it. It is underrated and very beautiful with the tales of friendship as well as family dysfunction. I know so many mother's and daughter's that have experienced this type of pain, and some forgive and some don't. This is a story of true mother and daughter relationships, and the wounds we carry on to other generations beneath us. I loved it!

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.