Beth Henley's award-winning play about 'family' (her favorite topic) gets a cheeky, somewhat condescending screen-adaptation, with very little sensitivity or subtlety but a lot of Southern brawling. The story concerns three idiosyncratic sisters, and the trio of fine actresses in these roles are almost pitilessly miscast. Diane Keaton is the spinsterish one (though she's too young for the part), Jessica Lange is the sultry one (though she's too old for the part), and Sissy Spacek is the troubled one (though she's too sane for the part). I can't think of one thing that looks right, sounds right, or goes right in this picture. The production budget seems low and the script feels half-baked. The whole thing left me thinking, maybe "Steel Magnolias" wasn't so bad after all! *1/2 from ****