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    • WSR Detailed LaserDisc Review

    Fried Green Tomatoes
    Genre:Drama

    Reviewed In Issue 31 Of Widescreen Review® Stars:
    Kathy Bates, Mary Stuart Masterson, Mary-Louise Parker, Cicely Tyson, Jessica Tandy

    WSR Review Scores
    Picture Rating: 3.5
    Sound Rating: 3.5
    Download WSR Review
    Reference Systems
    Critics' Composite Score:
    Internet Links

    Supplementals
    LaserDisc special features include director’s commentary and making-of segment.

    DVD General Information
    (Studio/Distributor): Universal Studios Home Video
    (Catalog Number): 43292
    (MPAA Rating): PG13
    (Retail Price): $39.98
    (Running Time In Minutes): 137
    (Color Type): Color
    (Chaptered/Scene Access): Yes
    (Closed Captioned): Yes
    (Theatrical Release): 1991
    (LD Release Date): 2/99
    (THX® Digitally Mastered): No

    Credits Information
    (Director): John Avnet
    (Screenplay/Written By): Fannie Flagg & Carol Sobieski
    (Story): NA
    (Music): Thomas Newman
    (Director Of Photography):
    (Production Designer): Barbara Ling
    (Visual Effects):
    (Costume Designer):
    (Editor): Debra Neil
    (Supervising Sound Editors):
    (Re-Recording Mixers):
    (Executive Producers): NA
    (Co-Producers): Martin Huberty, Lisa Lindstrom & Ric Rondell
    (Producers): John Avnet & Jordan Kerner

    DVD Picture Information
    (Principal Photography): Academy Standard Flat
    (Theatrical Aspect Ratio): 1.85:1
    (Measured LaserDisc Aspect Ratio): 1.82:1

    DVD Sound Information
    (DVD Soundtrack): Dolby Surround
    (Theatrical Sound): Dolby Stereo SR
    (Theatrical Re-Issue Soundtrack):
    (Remastered Dolby Digital): No
    (Remastered DTS Digital Surround): No
    (Additional Languages):

    WSR Narrative Review
    Story Synopsis:
    The gentle voice of Ninny Threadgoode (Jessica Tandy) recounts the past in the extended version of Fried Green Tomatoes based on the book by Fannie Flagg. A chance meeting between Ninny and Evelyn Couch (Kathy Bates) leads to their friendship with the elderly woman telling tales of the Threadgoode family and the goings ons at the Whistle Stop Cafe.

    LaserDisc Picture:
    The pleasant picture exhibits accurate fleshtones, rich and warm colors and deep, solid blacks. The LaserDisc is slightly soft and sometimes plugged-up by comparison, missing minute details. Contrast and shadow delineation are nicely rendered. There is only slight noise apparent on this 1.82:1 transfer.

    LaserDisc Soundtrack:
    The matrix PCM Dolby Surround soundtrack is quite spatial with nicely resolved low level ambience. Dialogue sounds generally natural with good spatial integration, though ADR-processing is apparent in some scenes. The music score is nicely recorded, and wraps into the surround channel.
    (Surround Bass Below 50Hz): No
    (Aggressive System Surround): No
    (Intense 25Hz Bass): No
    (Deep Bass Challenging): No
    (Aggressive 0.1 LFE):
    (Holosonic Soundfield): No
    (Aggressive Split Surround): No
    (Center Back Surround Imaging): No
    (Directionalized Dialogue): No
    Superb Sound Effects Recording Quality:
    Superb Music Score Recording Quality:
    		 No
    Superb Special Visual Effects Quality:
    		 No
    Superb Color Fidelity:
    		 No
    Superb Cinematography:
    		 -
    Reference LaserDisc:
    		 No
    Collector Edition:
    		 No
    DVD To LaserDisc Comparison:
    The anamorphically enhanced DVD, when viewed in component video, exhibits sharper and more detailed images with better clarity and contrast when compared to the otherwise pleasant LaserDisc. Colors are more subtly rendered on the DVD, with accurate fleshtones, richer and warmer colors and deep, solid blacks. Images exhibit beautiful clarity on the DVD, no doubt due to the increased vertical and horizontal resolution of the anamorphic processing. The LaserDisc is slightly soft and sometimes plugged-up by comparison, missing minute details that are apparent on the DVD picture. Contrast and shadow delineation are nicely rendered on both, but improved resolution is apparent in the darker scenes on the DVD. There is only slight noise apparent on both versions. While the LaserDisc measures 1.82:1, the anamorphic and letterbox DVD is matted at 1.85:1. Both the DVD Dolby® Digital coded and LaserDisc matrix PCM 2.0 Dolby Surround soundtracks are quite similar, though the PCM version sounds slightly more spatial with better resolved low level ambience. Dialogue sounds generally natural with good spatial integration, though ADR-processing is apparent in some scenes. The music score is nicely recorded, and wraps into the surround channel.