Naman Shrestha
Adapted from the 1987 novel ‘Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe’ written by Fannie Flagg, ‘Fried Green Tomatoes’ is a 1991 comedy-drama movie that focuses on Evelyn Couch, an unhappy and trapped homemaker, who crosses paths with Ninny Threadgoode at a nursing home and forms a deep connection with her through the stories of her free-spirited sister-in-law Idgie.
While Ninny shares stories of Idgie, who owned a small Alabama cafe called the Whistle Stop Cafe in the 1920s, and her bond with Ruth, Evelyn can’t help but feel enthralled and hopeful about her own future. Helmed by Jon Avnet, the hilarious film features impressive performances from a group of talented actors, including Kathy Bates, Jessica Tandy, Mary Stuart Masterson, Mary-Louise Parker, and Cicely Tyson. Given the presence of several interesting locations set in Alabama, including the Threadgoode residence, nursing home, and Evelyn’s house, the viewers are likely to be eager to know if the shooting took place on location or not.
Fried Green Tomatoes Was Majorly Filmed Across Georgia
‘Fried Green Tomatoes’ was filmed primarily in Georgia, which doubled for Alabama. Specifically, the shooting took place in Juliette, Coweta County, Whitesburg, Fayetteville, Decatur, Conyers, and Zebulon. Moreover, some portions were filmed in Orlando, Florida as well. According to reports, the production of the comedy film got underway in June 1991 and wrapped up after a couple of months, in August of the same year.
Juliette, Georgia
A significant portion of ‘Fried Green Tomatoes’ was lensed in and around the unincorporated community and census-designated place of Juliette, which lies within Georgia’s Monroe County. The scenes set in the Whistle Stop restaurant were shot in a former antique and hardware store at 443 McCrackin Street, which was redesigned by the filming unit as a cafe with a horseshoe-shaped counter in order to have optimal camera angles. Fannie Flagg, one of the screenwriters, based the restaurant on a real-life cafe in Irondale, Alabama — Irondale Cafe — which was formerly owned by her great aunt and where she used to go frequently. As of today, an actual Whistle Stop Cafe is located at the spot.
The dam along which Idgie, Buddy, and Ruth walk with the red umbrella is the Juliette Dam on the Ocmulgee River. Moreover, Juliette United Methodist Church at 69 McCrackin Street in Juliette doubled for the First Baptist Church of Juliette in the movie. As for Ruth’s grave scene, it was taped in and around the Juliette Mills, Village Cemetery at 232 J H Aldridge Drive in Juliette.
Coweta County, Georgia
Several important scenes for ‘Fried Green Tomatoes’ were also taped in Coweta County, including Senoia. The exterior of the Travis-McDaniel home at 204 Bridge Street in Senoia was utilized to shoot the outdoor scenes involving the Threadgoode family home. In addition, the filming unit made Avalon Health & Rehabilitation at 120 Spring Street in Newnan stand in for the Rose Hills Convalescent Home where Ninny tells Evelyn about Idgie and Ruth.
Other Locations in Georgia
For the purpose of shooting, the production team of ‘Fried Green Tomatoes’ also traveled to other locations across Georgia, including Fayetteville and Conyers. The town of Whitesburg also served as a prominent production location as the cast and crew members were spotted recording several scenes in and around Snake Creek at 750 Hutcheson Ferry Road and Banning Mills, which doubled for the Old Mill building where Ruth and Idgie play poker.
In addition, the Probate Court of Pike County at 16001 Barnesville Street in the city of Zebulon was used to portray the courthouse for the trial in ‘Fried Green Tomatoes.’ a few scenes were also lensed in and around the Agnes Scott College at 141 East College Avenue in the city of Decatur.
Orlando, Florida
Additional portions of ‘Fried Green Tomatoes’ were also taped in the city of Orlando, which is the county seat of Florida’s Orange County. Besides the 1991 Jon Avnet directorial, it has hosted the production of many movies and TV shows over the years. Some of the notable ones are ‘The Waterboy,’ ‘Fighting with My Family,’ ‘Out of Sight,’ ‘All That,’ and ‘Hi Honey, I’m Home.’
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