DIVINE SECRETS OF THE YA YA SISTERHOOD

US, 2002, 116 minutes, Colour.
Sandra Bullock, Ellen Burstyn, Maggie Smith, Fionnula Flanagan, Shirley Knight, Ashley Judd, James Garner, Angus McFadyen?, Jacqueline McKenzie?.
Directed by Callie Khouri.

One is tempted to use the favoured phrase of the sisterhood about the film itself. There is a lot of ya ya about it. It
opens, as many films about girlhood do with friends making a pact, four girls in Louisiana in the 30s pledging friendship, like mythical queens, forever. The loyalty is severely put to the test over the years as the leader, Viviane, experiences the pressures of a crazed mother, the death of her fiancee in World War II, her own nervous breakdown and physical and psychological abuse of her own children and some rehabilitation. She clashes with her writer-daughter, Sidda, when she gives a critical interview with Time Magazine.

Enter the Ya Ya sisters who are determined that Sidda will learn the truth about her exasperating mother and reconcile with her. The audience is also invited to share Sidda's understanding, so the film moves about constantly with flashbacks from Sidda's point of view, mostly grim memories, from Viviane's point of view and from the sisterhood. One has to keep one's wits about one to put it all together.

Much of it is overwrought, especially in the performance of Ellen Burstyn as the older Viviane, and Sandra Bullock as Sidda. The sisterhood is quite flamboyant with Maggie Smith, Fionnulla Flanagan and Shirley Knight. The anchor of the drama is Ashley Judd, both moving and disturbing as the younger Viviane. James Garner as Viviane's scarcely speaking husband is also a tower of silent strength even as he seems to give up on any change or improvement in the family situation.

Callie Khouri, writer of Thelma and Louise, has written the screenplay and makes her directing debut. She has made a film that has interesting themes but comes across as a film about its characters rather than a more realistic exploration of these characters.

1. The screen version of popular novels? The women's interest of the characters and issues? American appeal? Universal appeal?

2. The atmosphere of Louisiana and the South in the '30s, '40s, '50s and the '90s? The similarities and the changes? The musical score?

3. The title and its tone, the prologue of the girls and their pact, the consequences, their activities, the end and their attempt to rescue Sidda and help Viviane?

4. The structure of the film: the prologue with the young girls, the '90s narrative with Sidda, the clash with Viviane, the flashback from Sidda's point of view, from Viviane's point of view? The flashbacks from the point of view of the members of the sisterhood? How objective, how subjective? The audience perceiving the different perspectives and the truth?

5. Themes of mother and daughter relationships: Viviane and her own mother and the tensions, her Catholic background, relationship with her father, the mad mother, modelling maternal behaviour and Viviane absorbing it? The relationship with Sidda? Sidda's interview, Viviane's reaction, the phone calls and her cutting people off, the drinking, the flare-ups, the reactions to Connor's ringing? The nature of the melodramatic clashes? Sidda and the wedding invitations? The flashbacks to Sidda's childhood, her brothers and sisters, love for their mother, the swimming sequences, going out, Viviane and her nerves, her clashes with their father, the drugs, running away, the violence and the beating of the children? The effect on Sidda? The three generations of mothers and daughters?

6. The portrait of Sidda, the journalist, the theatre, her living with Connor and love for him for several years, the interview and the revelations about her mother, the phone calls, her mimicking her mother's behaviour without realising it? The issue of getting married to Connor, the wedding invitations, not telling her mother the place? Going out with the Ya Ya Sisterhood and their arrival, her being abducted, in the restaurant with them, the discussions, the visit to the toilet, the drug in the drink? Her being taken to Louisiana, a kind of initiation experience, listening to their stories, looking at the photo albums, her memories, her adapting to the situation, and learning? The explanation of her mother's breakdown, absence, getting to understand her mother, the recreating of a bond between them?

7. The portrait of Viviane, her leader as a girl, her tantrums as she grew older, the performance of Ashley Judd as the young and middle-aged mother and comparisons with the performance by Ellen Burstyn to see the continuity? Her mother and her collapse, the father giving her the gift of the ring, her mother's scene (her mother seen? Couldn't be sure), Viviane not able to understand? The continued relationship with the Ya Ya friends, Teensy and her brother, Viviane's attraction, the engagement, his going to the war, his death, her grief? Her marrying Shep without really loving him? Her growing into a dominant woman, her nerves, joy with Sidda and the other children yet the violent outbursts, the drugs and the drink, the prescriptions, her running away, staying at the motel, sleeping, ringing and coming home? Her beating the children? Her secrecy about her being institutionalised - and the consequences?

8. Shep, always in the background, his continued love for Viviane, getting used to her, opting out of any of the battles? His closing the door on her? His talking to Connor, talking to Sidda, always loving and supporting her? Viviane going to his room and wanting to talk, the new bond between them?

9. The portrait of the Ya Ya Sisterhood as young girls, their place in the initial ritual, the pact and the blood, the memory of the mythical queens? As young, full of verve, rebels? Their growing up, their friendship, Teensy's brother? Gradually settling down, their own lives, age, the relationships, the idiosyncrasies of their personalities? The particular talent that Maggie Smith, Fionnula Flanagan and Shirley Knight brought to the ageing sisterhood? Their becoming "tough broads"? The nature of their friendship, their putting up with Viviane, bringing her through the crises, especially Teensy? Viviane's effect on them, the decision to abduct Sidda and let her understand her mother? Their hopes? Teensy and the encounter with Viviane in the car, trying to get her not to come, Viviane expecting they were preparing a birthday party? The finale with the revelation to Sidda and their achieving their goal?

10. Sidda and her relationship with Connor, cutting him off as her mother cut her father off? The phone calls, his exasperation, wanting to find out the phone number, his coming, participating in Sidda's understanding of her mother?

11. The nature of friendship and love, conflict, secrecy and the consequences of secrets? Reconciliation?