History YMMV / FriedGreenTomatoesAtTheWhistleStopCafe

** Smokey's reminiscing about Ruth, before [[spoiler: he freezes to death]].

* QueerShowGhetto: In the film version, the lesbian romance was toned down to being implied instead of explicit to market to mainstream audiences.

*** There's also a little difference in the film (where Evelyn's personal growth is the main focus) and the novel (where we have a little more time to see how their marriage is going). By the end of the film, Ed's just warming up to his wife's new ideas; in the book, he comes around a little earlier and the book ends with indications that their relationship is in the midst of a happy upswing. Plus, there's something to be said about a man who visits his belligerent elderly aunt in a nursing home every week even when he knows she's just going to throw things at him.

* DesignatedVillain: Not a villain per se, but Evelyn's husband is portrayed in a very negative way. Throughout the movie, the audience never sees nor hears of him doing anything bad to her or anyone else. He's not very exciting and clearly has interests that don't involve her, but he doesn't try to suppress her new-found spirit either. When it is inconvenient for him, he gets annoyed, but never says anything mean or regrettable. The only time he ever draws the line is when she wants to move Ninny in with them--something he only finds out about when he discovers Evelyn preparing a room for her. He attempts to reason that Ninny is both very old and not even family. Since Evelyn has only known Ninny for a short time, has only visited her in a facility where she receives 24/7 care, and that despite her age, Ninny is otherwise in good health and could live for many more years (not to mention the inevitable issues that will arise when they must make end-of-life decisions for a non-related adult living under their roof), [[StrawmanHasAPoint Ed definitely has a point.]]

* AlternateCharacterInterpretation: ** When Evelyn and Ninny discover at the end that Idgie's still alive in the present day, Ninny gives Evelyn a smile. Does Ninny know where Idgie is, or is Ninny actually Idgie herself?

* CreatorCameo: Author Fanny Flagg as the red-haired speaker at Evelyn's marriage seminar.

** Ruth, another kind and loving person, who first tragically loses her boyfriend (the the movie adaptation), is physically and emotionally abused by her husband, and later dies of cancer.

* TheWoobie: Buddy such a loving, and charming young man, who tragically is hit by a train right in front of his beloved little sister!

* DesignatedVillain: Not a villain per se, but Evelyn's husband is portrayed in a very negative way. Throughout the movie, the audience never sees nor hears of him doing anything bad to her or anyone else. He's not very exciting and clearly has interests that don't involve her, but he doesn't try to suppress her new-found spirit either. When it is inconvenient for him, he gets annoyed, but never says anything mean or regrettable. The only time he ever draws the line is when she wants to move Ninny in with them--something he only finds out about when he discovers Evelyn preparing a room for her. He attempts to reason that Ninny is both very old and not even family. Since Evelyn has only known Ninny for a short time, has only visited her in a facility where she receives 24/7 care, and that despite being very old, Ninny is otherwise in good health and could live for another 10-15 years (not to mention the inevitable issues that will arise when they must make end-of-life decisions for a non-related adult living under their roof), [[StrawmanHasAPoint Ed definitely has a point.]]

* DesignatedVillain: not a villain per se, but Evelyn's husband is portrayed In a very negative way. This is unfair as throughout the movie we never see nor hear of him doing anything bad to her or anyone else. He's not very exciting and clearly has interests that don't involve her, but he doesn't try to suppress her new-found spirit either. When it is inconvenient for him, he merely gets annoyed but never says anything mean or regrettable. The only time he ever draws the line is when she wants to move Ninny in with them--something he only finds out when he discovers Evelyn preparing a room for her. He attempts to reason that Ninny is both very old and not even family. Being as Evelyn has only known her for a short time, has only visited her in a facility where she receives 24/7 care, and the fact that despite being very old Ninny is otherwise in good health and could live for another 10-15 years--not to mention the inevitable issues that will arise when they must make end-of-life decisions for a non-related adult living under their roof--[[StrawmanHasAPoint Ed definitely has a point.]]
** Ed's chief "villainy" is not that he does anything bad to Evelyn, or that he tries to prevent her from doing what she wants--it's more that he seems blind to his wife's growing unhappiness. In fairness to Ed, Evelyn believes that she is at fault and doesn't express her concerns to Ed until she's well past despair (the film plays this for laughs while the novel shows her frequently fantasizing about suicide), but once she does so, Ed seems responsive to the idea. There's also a little difference in the film, where Evelyn's personal growth is the main focus, and the novel, where we have a little more time to see how their marriage is going: by the end of the film, Ed's just warming up to his wife's new ideas; in the book, he comes around a little earlier and the book ends with indications that their relationship is in the midst of a happy upswing. Plus there's something to be said about a man who visits his belligerent elderly aunt in a nursing home every week even when he knows she's just going to throw things at him.
* TearJerker: Oh so many different examples.

** Oddly (or perhaps not, all things considered), that final shot of the Whistle Stop Cafe, dilapidated and weathered and abandoned, with the whole town gone. It just seemed to encapsulate everything Idgie lost, everything we loved about her town.

* DesignatedVillain: not a villain per se, but Evelyn's husband is portrayed In a very negative way. This is unfair as throughout the movie we never see nor hear of him doing anything bad to her or anyone else. He's not very exciting and clearly has interests that don't involve her, but he doesn't try to suppress her new-found spirit either. When it is inconvenient for him, he merely gets annoyed but never says anything mean or regrettable. The only time he ever draws the line is when she wants to move Ninny in with them. He attempts to reason with her that she's both very old and not even family. Being as Evelyn has only known her for a short time, has only visited her in a facility where she receives 24/7 care, and despite being very old is otherwise in good health and could live for another 10-15 years, [[StrawmanHasAPoint strawman definitely has a point.]]

* CrowningMomentOfFunny: "Let's face it, honey, I'm older, and I have more insurance."
** "P.S. I'm not deaf."
** Reverend Scroggin's rescue of Idgie and George.
** The Judge: As far as I can tell, Frank Bennett got himself drunk, drove into the river, was long ago eaten up and I don't GIVE A GOOD GOD DAMN!

* DesignatedVillain: not a villain per se, but Evelyn's husband is portrayed In a very negative way. This is unfair as throughout the movie we never see nor hear of him doing anything bad to her or anyone else. He's not very exciting and clearly has interests that don't involve her, but he doesn't try to suppress her newfound spirit either. When it is inconvenient for him he merely gets annoyed but never says anything mean or regrettable. The only time he ever draws the line is when she wants to move Ninny in with them. He attempts to reason with her that she's both very old and not even family. Being as Evelyn has only known her for a short time, has only visited her in a facility where she receives 24/7 care, and despite being very old is otherwise in good health and could live for another 10-15 years strawman definitely has a point.

** Oddly (or perhaps not, all things considered), that final shot of the Whistle Stop Cafe, dilapidated and weathered and abandoned, with the whole town gone. It just seemed to encapsulate everything Idgie lost, everything we loved about her town.

* Designated Villain: not a villain per se, but Evelyn's husband is portrayed In a very negative way. This is unfair as throughout the movie we never see nor hear of him doing anything bad to her or anyone else. He's not very exciting and clearly has interests that don't involve her, but he doesn't try to suppress her newfound spirit either. When it is inconvenient for him he merely gets annoyed but never says anything mean or regrettable. The only time he ever draws the line is when she wants to move Ninny in with them. He attempts to reason with her that she's both very old and not even family. Being as Evelyn has only known her for a short time, has only visited her in a facility where she receives 24/7 care, and despite being very old is otherwise in good health and could live for another 10-15 years strawman definitely has a point.

* CompleteMonster: Frank Bennet.

** Designated Villain: not a villain per se, but Evelyn's husband is portrayed In a very negative way. This is unfair as throughout the movie we never see nor hear of him doing anything bad to her or anyone else. He's not very exciting and clearly has interests that don't involve her, but he doesn't try to suppress her newfound spirit either. When it is inconvenient for him he merely gets annoyed but never says anything mean or regrettable. The only time he ever draws the line is when she wants to move Ninny in with them. He attempts to reason with her that she's both very old and not even family. Being as Evelyn has only known her for a short time, has only visited her in a facility where she receives 24/7 care, and despite being very old is otherwise in good health and could live for another 10-15 years strawman definitely has a point.

** Smokey's last scene, before [[spoiler: he freezes to death]].

** Smokey's last scene.

** "Just let her go. Miss Ruth was a lady, and a lady always knows when to leave."