Factual error: In the scene with the Christmas decor in the front yard, all the trees are green as well as the grass and landscaping. Even in Louisiana at that time of the year, most everything would be dormant. (00:59:23 - 01:02:24)
Steel Magnolias (1989)
1 factual error - chronological order
Directed by: Herbert Ross
Starring: Julia Roberts, Sam Shepard, Shirley MacLaine, Daryl Hannah, Sally Field, Tom Skerritt, Dylan McDermott, Olympia Dukakis, Dolly Parton
Continuity mistake: When you see Shirley MacLaine laughing in the mirror after she belches at Truvy's, you can also see that her hat is back on her head, after she's taken it off and laid it on the chair.
Trivia: This is a true story. After the death of his sister, Robert Harling locked himself in a room and 10 days later came out with this play which 3 years later became a movie. The movie was even filmed in the town that where everything happened and the nurse and doctors who cared for his sister Susan played themselves in the movie.
Question: In the scene where Shelby and Jackson are eating the wedding cake, what was the point of Nancy Beth telling Shelby that Jackson is "one big-hanging man"? And how does Nancy Beth even know?
Answer: Reading this answer, I just now put two and two together. While it's obvious Nancy Beth is referring to the fact that she's been with Jackson intimately, it kind of refers to the "ladies man" persona Jackson has. It also foreshadows for later in the film, when Shelby bitterly says, "Jackson loves to hunt for anything", he is what used to be called "a skirt chaser." I always felt that having babies wasn't the only reason Shelby reconsidered marrying Jackson. I always suspected she feared womanizing on the side would happen.
Answer: She's basically saying she has had a piece of him already and was trying to ruin her day by reminding her of their affair. This also helps clarify when Shelby tells her mom she's pregnant, that they are having marital problems pretty much he is cheating on her.
Answer: She'd definitely been to bed with him. Nancy Beth was known as kind of loose, as you can see her mom had to reel her in at the wedding. Then there was the Miss Merry Christmas scandal where she was stripped of her title because she was found in a hotel room with I believe one of the judges. Shelby tried to appease Jackson by having a baby, to try to keep his interest at home.
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Answer: Nancy Beth, who has had a crush on Jackson, is likely jealous that he is marrying Shelby rather than her. She is trying to ruin Shelby's happiness with her spiteful comment, hinting that she has been intimate with Jackson, though it is uncertain if she ever has been.
raywest ★