Cultural Mythologies and Binary Oppositions in the Novel and Film, Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe

In the novel Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, Fannie Flagg upsets the dominant social norms of human interactions by comparing the heterosexual relationship of Evelyn and Ed alongside the homosexual partnership of Idgie and Ruth. In the film, "Fried Green Tomatoes," the director Jon Avnet re-interprets the relationships described by Fannie Flagg in subtly asserting to the audience that the relationship between Idgie and Ruth is merely a friendship built on a strong foundation of trust and devotion. Jon Avnet's interpretation changes the theme of the film by contrasting the powerful friendship shared among Idgie and Ruth to the loneliness and displeasure expressed by Evelyn. The dramatic differences between the novel and film force the audience to explore cultural mythologies and choose whether the film is a credible production of the content and themes present in the novel. In the novel the relationship presented as homosexual is functional and loving, whereas the contrasting heterosexual marriage is portrayed as unhealthy and lacking in the strength and foundation necessary to a successful marriage. …