MovieChat Forums > Fried Green Tomatoes (1992) Discussion > The FAC section on Idgie vs Ninny is non...

The FAC section on Idgie vs Ninny is nonsense. SPOILERS

posted 14 years ago by MrPie7
14 replies | jump to latest

"1. Ninny states in the nursing home during her first scene that she was practically adopted by the Threadgoode family, not born directly into it."

In what way does this prevent them from being the same person? Ninny couldn't have LIED?

"2. Ninny Threadgoode also states that she married Cleo Threadgoode, another one of Idgie's brothers. However, Cleo Threadgoode never appears by name in the film, and neither does Ninny, so the confusion is understandable."

Not only "understandable" but INEVITABLE! The reason we never see Ninny or Cleo is that they don't EXIST!

"3. During the wedding scene near the beginning, a child-aged Idgie is on her brother Buddy's back while Ninny says in voice over that she had always had a crush on Buddy. If she and Idgie were the same person, then she would have stated that she had a crush on her brother."

What? Incestuous feelings don't exist? But even THAT isn't nessicary. It might be how Idgie thinks an "adopted sister" would inevitably feel. Thus the "crush is just part of the cover story.

"4. Towards the end of the movie Ninny says that she was told by Sipsey the maid the full truth of Frank Bennett's death. If Ninny and Idgie are the same person, then that statement would have been nonsensical, as Idgie knew about Frank Bennett's death long before Sipsey told Ninny."

Once again it's just part of the cover story as to how Ninny knows about Frank's death.

The implication that Ninny and Idgie are the same person, therefore, is impossible based on several other" NO NO NO !!!!!!

This FAQ is WHACK! It offers NO evidence that Ninny is not Idgie, but instead provides the most impressive reason why they ARE! The fact that there are no Ninny or Cleo in the stories Ninny tellsis very revealing. What old lady (or ANY of us) could possibly tell a long, LONG, story of events they witnessed w/o including themselves??

[–] perorewen 14 years ago

If you're going to believe everyone is lying to you, you can't hold anything true in your life. If Ninny was a liar all the time, she's a hel of a good liar as well. And not only that, most of her lies would have made no sense within the story. Why on earth would she create a son like Albert? It wouldn't make any sense. And if she was lying, why would everyone in the nursing home call her mrs Threadgoode, not miss? They sure as hell did not partisipate in any of her lies - and the mrs. implies she was married to a Threadgoode - but why would she do that if her one and only love was Ruth? Or are you going to deny that as well?

Honestly, you see things that aren't there.

**********
- Who's the lady with the log?
- We call her the Log Lady.

[–] MrPie7 14 years ago

Who ever said I believe everyone is lying to me? No need to be insulting and imply I'm mentally deranged! What compels you to insult someone you disagree with? Of course, I'm refering to the context of the story. If, as I maintain, Ninny was trying to tell the story in the 3rd person to fool Evelyn, ( and more to the point, the audience) she need to tell a FEW lies. BTW,Do we ever SEE Albert? But IF, she wanted to maintain the fiction, it would be a SIMPLE matter for her to tell the staff she prefered to be called Mrs Threadgoode instead of MISS Threadgoode.

[–] sisterdebmac 14 years ago

This subject always fascinates me and I just saw the film again over the weekend. My problem with your assertion, MrPie is that you fail to address (at all) what the POINT of Ninny just making all this crap up would be.

I assert that you just really, desperately want it to be true.

The Idgie who lives in my mind --- as a fan of the book and the film --- would never go on to marry a man. She would just raise Buddy Jr till he was old enough to strike out on his own, and then she would go off and live somewhere quiet, away from people, where she would grow old and die alone, still in love with Ruth.
________________
there will be snark

[–] sisterdebmac 14 years ago

PS: It's FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions. Don't know where you got FAC from.
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there will be snark

[–] jennyk32 14 years ago

While I was watching the movie just now, I averaged young Idgie to be around age 10, and the fact that Ninnie had said that the "Great War" (WWI) had just ended (must have been 1918), so she must have been born in 1908, making her 83 in the movie. Much later in the movie, Ninnie has a birthday and celebrates it with Evelyn. She states her age, which I had remembered from before, but couldn't remember the age, just somewhere in the 80's. When she said 83, I thought wow, I am good! So because of that, plus the end, I would have to say that Idgie and Ninny are the same person. But then again, what you wrote here does make sence, and she couldn't have married her brother, even if she was adopted in...well she could, but it would be just wierd. It says that in the book, they are indeed different people, and that Ninny and Cleo are in the story with Idgie and Ruth. So there you go, they are not the same people at all, the just do not show that in the movie. They leave it a mistory.

[–] trixie-k-88 14 years ago

Ninny is not Idgie. For some reason in the movie they cut out her significance that was present in the book. Also, there is another brother (who is assumed Cleo) in the beginning sequence. He's the one wearing glasses who teases Idgie. Also, where would the Ninny-Idgie character have gotten pregnant with her mentally challenged son Albert? She was a lesbian.

[–] jeannyvere 14 years ago

Lesbians DO have ovaries, you know! And the story is set in the early twentieth century when people couldn't be as open about their sexuality as nowadays.

And the boy you're referring to is Idgie's brother Julian!

[–] trixie-k-88 13 years ago

Okay, I got the brother's name wrong. But either way Ninny was married to ONE of Idgie's brothers. Also, yes lesbians have ovaries. But generally they're not game for fertilizing them the natural way. A woman of Idgie's nature would NEVER have been with a man. Her true love died and I doubt she'd have enough sought out another woman, plus she had their son, and their cafe. Why in hell would she look for a man?

[–] mikeclaw 14 years ago

So is it your theory that Ninny is a compulsive liar? Or that she suffers from dementia and therefore none of her memories of Whistle Stop can be trusted. I mean, if she can't even remember who she is, then she must really be distorting the stories of her background.

So we have two possibilities:

(1.) Ninny and Idgie are two different people
(2.) Ninny is a compulsive liar and made the whole thing up

I don't know ... I think (1.) is more plausible and makes for a better story. Why in the world would you make a half-dozen or more logical leaps to try and prove that the lead character is a liar?

[–] artistathome 14 years ago

To the OP.
1. Yes, Ninny could have lied but it is not likely she would lie to a complete stranger who couldn't care less. Why not just say I am Idgie and this is what happened to me?

2. Cleo Threadgoode was played by Drew Wilkins. It is in the cast credits!! Therefore there was another brother.
It was uncredited because it was probably a crowd scene & any major scene with him was cut. I believe this was done so that it could be a mystery as to whether Ninny really married him.

If we see Cleo in the movie, then we know Ninny isn't lying.
it is perfectly possible Cleo is in the wedding scene or in the scene where Idgie comes down the stairs. But it is uncredited.

3. Saying that Idgie had a crush on her brother is just reaching. You are saying that to prove a point and it is dumb.
It is obvious Ninny is telling a story of something that happened to OTHER people. She has no reason to cover up the fact that she is Idgie, if she is. It is not like she is hiding from the FBI...

4. To say this is a cover story is stupid. Ninny has no reason to cover up being Idgie to Evelyn Couch--- a complete stranger!! It was 60 years ago and it doesn't matter now. She wasn't guilty of anything so why try to cover it up. She didn't reveal herself as Idgie because she is not Idgie. We don't know what happened to Idgie. For all we know she might still be alive.

At that time of the story, both NInny and Idgie would be about 82 or 83.

OP, you have not done your homework. There is a Cleo in the cast credits. So you cannot say that Cleo is made up or doesn't exist!

The director decided at the end of the movie to end it with a question mark unlike the book that showed plainly Idgie was not the narrator of the story, Ninny was.

That is why Cleo's scenes are not in there, because had they shown Cleo it would have proved Ninny did marry someone named Cleo.

This is typical of directors to muddle it up.

[–] pv61 12 years ago

Yeah, you're right. When I am 80 I will tell a stranger (who doesn't know me or any member of my family) that I am .......my uncle's name....... and tell a very detailed story about me (myself). Does that make any sense? Why would I tell my story to somebody pretending I am someone else?

[–] bsb205 12 years ago

do we hear the name of the boy who teases Idgie before the wedding?

[–] Ditto-head 12 years ago

Yes, that was Julian.

[–] Pmdmnym 9 years ago

Thank you! And Amen!