It'd be hard to go wrong with a cast like this, but just to add that extra bit of insurance, get a smart, funny script and a director who understands women.  There you go, Steel Magnolias.  This film about six women whose lives are bound together both by kindred spirits, and by the joys and sorrows of their lives, could have ended up sappy and maudlin. Instead, saved by wit, a fine edge of meanness, and a goofy charm, this film really works.  It makes the friendships feel real, the characters seem knowable and familiar.  These aren't perfect women with perfect lives who smile through tragedy.  These are women you know, or would like to know.  There's not a bad performance in the whole film, and the supporting cast is as good as the leads are.  They'll have you weeping helplessly one minute and screaming with laughter the next.