Product Details

• Actors: Kiersten Warren, Angus Macfadyen, David Lee Smith, Jacqueline McKenzie, James Garner
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 5.1), French (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Subtitles: English, Spanish, French
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Studio: WARNER HOME VIDEO
• DVD Release Date: November 5, 2002
• Run Time: 116 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (207 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00006IZH3
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #50,970 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (Full Screen)" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

LIKE MOTHER, LIKE DAUGHTER. NEITHER A HARD-AS-NAILS NEW YORKPLAYWRIGHT NOR HER FLAKY LOUISIANA MOTHER WILL TAKE STEPS TOMEND THEIR LONG-TIME RIFT. NO, THIS IS A JOB FOR THE YA-YASISTERHOOD, SWORN LIFELONG FRIENDS WHO STAGE AND OUTLANDISH INTERVENTIONS TO BRING DAUGHTER AND MOTHER TOGETHER.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wise, Witty, and Wonderful!, October 31, 2002

By 

Benjamin J Burgraff (Las Vegas) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (Widescreen Edition) (DVD)

After all the hype and comparisons to 'Steel Magnolias', 'Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood', sadly, did not do much box office, which was a shame, as it is a more intimate, realistic vision of women and life-long friendships than the glossier 'Magnolias'.

Four girl friends in Louisiana create a secret sisterhood in 1937, swearing eternal devotion to each other, and they remain best friends through all the triumphs and tragedies in their lives. When the daughter of one of them (Sandra Bullock), a successful playright, has an interview with Time magazine in which she blasts her mother's impact on her life, the mother (Ellen Burstyn, who is superb!) goes ballistic, cutting the daughter out of her life, totally. Into this maelstrom charges the other members of the Sisterhood, kidnapping Bullock, and attempting to make things right!

The film then jumps back and forth in time, with Ashley Judd (who gives an Oscar-worthy performance) playing the younger Burstyn. She has a lot of happy adventures with her Ya-Ya sisters, but also has to deal with racism, a jealous religious zealot of a mother, an overly loving father (David Rasche, breaking free of his usual comic roles), a true love who dies in WWII, and a family with a guy she 'settles' for (played, in present day, by the wonderful James Garner). There is also a dark secret that is the core of the mother/daughter alienation, which must be dealt with in order for the rift between Bullock and Burstyn to heal (No, I will NOT give it away!)

If you do the math about the years covered, you realize the present-day story SHOULD be taking place in the early nineties, at the latest, but this doesn't hurt the overall effectiveness of the picture. As the other present-day sisters, Fionnula Flanagan, Shirley Knight, and (especially) Maggie Smith are WONDERFUL, as is Angus MacFadyen, as Bullock's sympathetic and likable fiance.

While this is unabashedly a 'chick flick', something I really liked was that they DIDN'T fall back on that old chestnut of somebody dying to serve as a convenient catalyst for change and the healing process. And the dialog is full of wickedly hilarious one-liners about men, alcohol, friendship, and growing old!

Don't miss this gem!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Secret of enjoyment, December 8, 2004

By 

Anne La Mont "annlamont" (MI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (Full Screen) (DVD)

Movies are not books. They can't reach in your mind and work it out the way you "saw" it when you read. That being said enjoy the great cast and unfolding story as if you'd no idea what was coming and all will be well. I had no trouble staying involved - sorry for the folks who would find this unmoving enough to watch without caffine - it had emotional punch enough for me to have tears in my eyes. Also my husband enjoyed it so it's not just a Chick Flick.

41 of 54 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Phenomenal, May 20, 2002

By 

D. Ingram "gypceyes2004" (PA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

I was fortunate enough to see this movie at an early premiere. From the moment the movie began it was true to the incredible spirit, integrity and vitality of the novel. There are some changes of course, (using a plane instead of an elephant for Lawanda), but not only does it work, this is by far the best book to movie adaptation I've ever seen. I've always been bitterly disappointed by the movie version of powerful books, but "Divine Secrets" has broken that mold. There is never a dull moment, slow script or moment that doesn't shine. My only criticism was the rather dispassionate way Sidda (Sandra Bullock) responded to Vivi (Ellen Burnstyn) at the very end of the movie. But whether you're a ya-ya or simply looking for a phenomenal story to sit down to, this movie is so layered with intensity you'd have to be dead to miss it. Don't let the label "chick flick" mislead you, it's much more than that. Ashley Judd has never made a movie before this as far as I'm concerned, but it was the actresses that played the older ya-ya's that completely stole the show! I'm counting the days till the DVD release! YA-YA!