Fried Green Tomatoes
A discontented Southern housewife finds solace and courage in the bold, passionate life story of a fiery young woman who defied the constraints of 1920s small-town life.
“The secret of life? The secret's in the sauce.”
Synopsis
A southern housewife undergoing a personal crisis encounters an outgoing elderly woman who shares the story of Idgie Threadgoode and Ruth Jamison, two young women who faced hardship and found love in 1920s Whistle Stop, Alabama.
Credits
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How many hands made this film
The scale of the collaboration
A crew of 239+ credited
Why a floor?
This is a minimum, not a total. We only count the credits we’ve captured so far, and coverage is uneven — a blockbuster might show a few hundred names while another of the same size shows a couple dozen. The real crews all ran into the thousands. The number here only grows as full credits are enriched — so we frame it as a floor, never a headcount.
Craft leads on file
Edited by Debra Neil FisherShot by Geoffrey SimpsonScored by Thomas NewmanDesigned by Barbara LingSound by David E Campbell Nm0132372Costumes by Elizabeth McbrideStunts by Kerrie Cullen
Box Office
1991 · Box office
💰 Box-office hit — grossed 11× its budget
Why 2.5×?
Cinemas keep roughly half of every ticket sold, and a wide release’s marketing often costs about as much again as the film — so a movie needs to gross around 2.5× its production budget just to break even theatrically. It’s a rule of thumb, not the studio’s ledger (home video and streaming come later).
Worldwide gross
$119.4M
US & Canada: $82.4M — 69% of worldwide · International: $37.0M (31%)
Opening weekend: $105K — 0% of its US run. It had legs — it kept earning long after opening weekend.
Opening week (7-day): $269K — 0% of its US & Canada run.
Peak 5 theaters
Versions & cuts
- extended· 137 min
Also known as
- Grüne Tomatende
- Tomates verdes fritoses
- Beignets de tomates vertesfr
- (English)Fried Green Tomatoes
- Pomodori verdi frittiit
- Pomodori verdi fritti alla fermata del trenoit
- (Bulgarian)Пържени зелени домати
Release dates around the world4 countries · showhide
- United StatesDec 27, 1991
- ArgentinaFeb 27, 1992
- MexicoMar 4, 1992
- United KingdomMar 13, 1992
Production & Distribution
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Cast & Crew
239 unique people credited
Top billed cast
Kathy Bates
as Evelyn Couch
Jessica Tandy
as Ninny Threadgoode
Mary Stuart Masterson
as Idgie Threadgoode
Mary Louise Parker
as Ruth Jamison
Cicely Tyson
as Sipsey
Chris O Donnell
as Buddy Threadgoode
Stan Shaw
as Big George
Gailard Sartain
as Ed Couch
Timothy Scott
as Smokey Lonesome
Timothy Scott Nm0779850
as Smokey Lonesome
Gary Basaraba
as Grady Kilgore
Lois Smith
as Mama Threadgoode
Supporting cast
46Jo Harvey Allen
as Women's Awareness Teacher
Macon Mccalman
as Prosecutor Percy
Richard Riehle
as Reverend Scroggins
Raynor Scheine
as Sheriff Curtis Smoote
Grace Zabriskie
as Eva Bates
Reid Binion
as Young Julian Threadgoode
Afton Smith
as Leona Threadgoode
Danny Nelson
as Papa Threadgoode
Nancy Moore Atchison
as Little Idgie Threadgoode
Constance Shulman
as Missy
Nick Searcy
as Frank Bennett
Haynes Brooke
as Older Julian Threadgoode
Ginny Parker
as Ruth's Mother
Tres Holton
as Boy at Supermarket
Ronald Mccall
as Ocie
Wallace Merck
as KKK Man
David Dwyer
as Hooded Man
Lashondra Phillips
as Young Naughty Bird
Kathy Larson
as Beetle Girl #1
Missy Wolff
as Beetle Girl #2
Latanya Richardson Jackson
as Janeen
Grayson Fricke
as Buddy Threadgoode Jr.
Enjolik Oree
as Older Naughty Bird
Genevieve Fisher
as Peggy Hadley
Tom Even
as Judge
Bob Hannah
as Defense Attorney
Ted Manson
as Bailiff
Carol Mitchell Leon
as Sue Otis
Evan Lockwood
as Tim
Suzi Bass
as Nurse
Paul Armbruster
as Gas Station Attendant
Jacob Avnet
as Wedding Guest
Michael Burgess
as Wingo, Man at BBQ
Todd Eller
as College Buddy
Bill Ewin
as College Dean
Fannie Flagg
as Teacher
Shelby Hofer
as School Girl
Barry Hopkins
as Shantytown Male
Teretha G Houston
as Choir Member
James Mayberry
as Orderly
Shannon Mccrory
as Threadgood Cousin
Bob Penny
as Bailiff
Leonard Shinew
as Mr. Dunaway
Doug Whitley
as River Club Patron
Drew Wilkins
as Young Cleo
Marion Williams
as Gospel Singer
Directors
1Writers
3Producers
23Andrew Meyer
executive producer
Anne Marie Gillen
Producers, executive producer
Anthony Heilbut
the producers wish to thank
Barbara Ling
associate producer
Bette L Smith
the producers wish to thank
Colleen Dewhurst
the producers wish to thank
Deborah Love
associate producer
Dewey Graham
the producers wish to thank
Jay S Berger
the producers wish to thank
Joann May Pavey
the producers wish to thank (as Jo Ann May-Pavey)
Jon Avnet
Producer, Producers
Jordan Kerner
Producer, Producers
Lisa Lindstrom
co-producer
Marion Williams
the producers wish to thank
Martin Huberty
co-producer
Norman Lear
executive producer
Ollie Denny
the producers wish to thank (as Miss Ollie Denny)
Ric Rondell
co-producer
Sara Duvall
executive producer: Electric Shadow Productions
Sarah Black
the producers wish to thank
Shannon Silverman
executive producer: Electric Shadow Productions
Tom Taylor
executive producer
Yuriko Matsubara
executive producer: Electric Shadow Productions
Other crew
163Amy Taylor
additional casting (uncredited)
Toni Crey
additional script supervisor (uncredited)
Jim Borgardt
adr editor
Christian Bevington
art department assistant
T Kalan Brown
art department researcher (as Kalan Brown)
Larry Fulton
Art Director
Debra Schutt
as Deborah Schutt
Kirsten Stevens
assistant accountant (as Kirsten Stephens)
Eileen Sieff Stroup
assistant costume designer (as Eileen Mae Sieff)
Ken Schretzmann
assistant editor
Rex S Jackson
assistant extras coordinator
Judi Goodman
assistant hair
Parents Guide
AI Personalities
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