Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood

Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood is about relationships…those between mothers and daughters, girlfriends – the kind you keep your entire life, and those souls, by blood, love, or choice, you call family.

It’s about imperfection, diva-ism, holding your judgment about someone until you know the whole story about them, crazy-making, letting go of old tapes from your childhood that no longer work for you in adulthood, forgiveness, and it is about love – the unconditional kind.

Mainly though…it’s about the relationship between mothers and daughters.

Quotes

Younger Vivi: (Throws dinner on the floor in anger) You can starve for all I care! (And then leaves)
Little Sidda Walker: I'll make dinner, Daddy. Okay?
Younger Shep Walker: Thank you. I'll get the skillet. Don't touch it; it's hot.


Sidda: (about Vivi) I am sick of fighting! And, I am sick to death of this whole center of the universe, holier than thou, nothing is ever enough. Oh, how I've suffered, nobody understands me. Somebody fix me a drink and hand me a Nebutol, worn out Scarlett O'Hara... thang!
Caro: (one of Vivi’s childhood friends) Well, she's got her pegged, all right.


Sidda: Daddy, did you get loved enough?
Shepard James 'Shep' Walker: What's enough? My question is, did you?


Vivi: (to her friend) Teensy! I demand that you move this piece of shit outta my way, this very instant!
Teensy: (takes off her sunglasses and glares directly at Vivi) Who do you think you're talking to?
Vivi: I know she's there. (meaning Sidda) Now, what is going on? Is betrayal absolutely everywhere?
Teensy: (sarcastically) Yes. Your lifelong friends are programming your daughter to destroy you!
Vivi: Well, somebody better tell me what's going on!
Teensy: Vivi, calm down! You're just gonna have to trust us. If you go there now, you're gonna ruin EVERYBODY'S life!
Vivi: What IS it with me "ruinin' everybody's life"? EVERYBODY, Teensy? Strangers are saying it now!
Teensy: What strangers?
Vivi: Connor. He yelled at me! She's walked out on their entire life, whatever that means.
Teensy: Go! Go home right now!
Vivi: Don't you talk to me like that. I'll knock you in the middle of next week!
Teensy: Then I will kick your sorry ass on Thursday. Now get in the goddamn car and go home!
(Vivi huffs at Teensy, then climbs into her car, slams the door, and leaves)


Necie Rose Kelleher: I wish you could've known your momma back then, you would've loved her.
Sidda: Necie, me not loving momma was never the problem.
Caro: Her not loving you was never the problem either.

Plot Summary

Sidda (Siddalee) Walker (Sandra Bullock) has created a successful life for herself far away from her southern family. She has a play; a wonderful fiancé named Connor McGill (Angus Mcfadyen), and maintains a tension-filled relationship with her mother. Connor wants to marry her, but memories of her parents' unhappy marriage makes Sidda gun-shy about going through with the actual wedding.

Then there is an interview for a national magazine, where the interviewer distorts the information Sidda shared about challenging childhood – her mother Vivi Walker (Ellen Burstyn) reads it and war breaks out between mother and daughter – each trying to prove the other is the “crazy-making one.” Sidda’s father Shep Walker (James Garner) just does the best he can to alternately soothe and stay out of the war between these two women he loves.

Vivi’s three childhood friends, the Ya-Yas, intervene, trying to create peace between mother and daughter. Using Vivi's scrapbook, Sidda learns the truth – “about the ups and downs, triumphs and tragedies” that has shaped her mother into the complex woman she is today. Vivi learns some valuable lessons as well.

It is that To Kill a Mockingbird – Atticus Finch quote all over again –

“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view…until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.”

Life Lessons

Ladies….

You start off in diapers, but time passes very quickly and before you know it you will be celebrating your fiftieth birthday. One day, a short time later, you’re going to catch your reflection in a mirror and do a double-take because you’ll realize, your mother, your grandmother, or your Aunt Jo’s face is looking back at you.

Gentlemen…

The same goes for you.

It’s startling, freaky, and kind of cool all at the same time.


Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood Movie Cast

Sandra Bullock as Siddalee ‘Sidda’ Walker
Ellen Burstyn as Vivianne Joan ‘Vivi’ Abbott Walker
Fionnula Flanagan as ’Teensy’ Melissa Whiteman
James Garner as Shepard James ‘Shep’ Walker
Cherry Jones as Grandma ‘Buggy’ Abbott
Ashley Judd as Younger Vivi Abbott Walker
Shirley Knight as Necie Rose Kelleher
Angus Mcfadyen as Connor McGill
Maggie Smith as Caro Eliza Bennett
David Rasche as Taylor Abbott
And Others