Desertman84
Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood is a comedy drama or dramedy movie that stars Sandra Bullock and Ashley Judd together with Ellen Burstyn,Fionnula Flanagan,James Garner,Maggie Smith and Shirley Knight.Screenwriter Callie Khouri makes her directorial debut with this adaptation of a pair of popular novels by author Rebecca Wells namely:the novel with the same title and its prequel collection of short stories entitled,Little Altars Everywhere.Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood starts when Sidda Lee Walker,a New York playwright,opens a can of emotional worms with her estranged, alcoholic mother, Vivi.She discusses her painful childhood and particularly Vivi's less-than-enviable mothering skills in a Time magazine article. The eccentric Louisiana drama queen Vivi has already been barred from her daughter's wedding to her fiancé, Connor so the article sends her into a rage. Coming to the rescue of the relationship are Necie,Caro, and Teensy, a trio of bickering women, who, along with Vivi, formed a secret society of feminist empowerment and friendship 60 years earlier that they dubbed the "Ya-Ya Sisterhood." The Ya-Yas kidnap Sidda and bring her home to Louisiana, where they reveal to Sidda via a carefully maintained scrapbook her mother's painful past,which makes her get to know more about her mother which make an effect to the rapprochement between mother and daughter.Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood explores many tragedies in life such as alcoholism,parental conflict,intrusion to another person's life or privacy,and child abuse but it was handled in comical manner.I don't think that these serious and tragic issues does not need to be addressed in laughable manner.Instead of handling it through great character development and brilliant plot especially in female relationship,the film becomes an exercise of comedy with a few dramatic scenes thrown in.The cast are too talented but put into waste in it as the characters don't get our sympathy.Rather,we get annoyed with the silly actions they take in life.In summary,the film was a bad combination of drama and comedy.
bkoganbing
No college sorority was ever as tight as the bond formed by Ellen Burstyn, Shirley Knight, Fionnula Flanagan, and Maggie Smith as the Ya Ya Sisterhood. So when one of them is in trouble, they all jump in to help.In this case Ellen Burstyn possibly the most neurotic of the four has just been cut good and proper by her daughter Sandra Bullock on a television interview. Bullock in a moment of candor says that her growing up in Louisiana was not the happiest childhood she could have had.Of course all the members of the Sisterhood read it and/or hear it and the other three think that it's time that Sandra gets told a few facts about mother and both their childhoods that she didn't know. These crazy old women actually slip Sandra a Mickey Finn and whisk her back to Louisiana for a little heart to heart.Even risking kidnapping charges, these women are really there for each other. We should all be lucky enough to have such friends.This is one of the best films of this new century so far to come out. I enjoyed every blessed nostalgic look back in flashbacks to the events that shaped the lives of Burstyn and Bullock. Ashley Judd's performance as Burstyn's character in young adulthood is also first rate.The great thing about the Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood is that not all of us, not most of us even get to live in ideal Donna Reed or June Cleaver like homes. We make it out of childhood the best we can, with what we can. The most important relationships each of these women have is with each other. That silly little childhood name they chose for their group is what sets them apart and what supports each of them through their individual crisis.Presiding through most of the film is Burstyn's husband and Bullock's father James Garner. In fact Garner through half the film has no dialog at all, but his facial expressions tell everything. He's a lot of the reason that Bullock made it through childhood as well.I can't recommend this film highly enough, it's about four of the best friends ever put on film.YA-YA forever.
Marina
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.
girrlslie2
i don't think anyone should see this movie without first reading the book....the book is excellent and the movie does it justice but this movie is definitely not for people only into action flicks or movies that are mindless drivel..........it will make you laugh but you will have to think and be aware of all the characters...its a good movie but definitely not for guys into "manly" movies...Ashley Judd is amazing and of course Sandra bullock is her usual charming self..but my favorite actor in the whole thing is Fionnula Flanagan playing teensie...she just nails the character!.................. .......... .......... ............. ............................ .................... ............. ....... .................... ........ .............. .................... ............................
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