Customer Reviews:

• An unforgettable celebration of friendship
  "I'm not O.K. and you're not O.K. and that's O.K." That's one of the messages of this funny, profound, honest film. The flawed humanity of its characters stands alongside the transcendent miracle of friendship.

  Young Siddalee Walker (played with passion and humor by Sandra Bullock) has made it as a playwright in New York. She has been successful in starting an entirely new life, in the process gaining distance from her alcoholic, mercurial mother back in Louisiana. She has escaped -- or has she? Something makes her send a postcard home by giving an interview to Time Magazine in which she attributes her creativity to the mistreatment she suffered as a child. That serves as a call to action for her mother's lifelong friends (Fionnula Flanagan, Shirley Knight, and the incomparable Maggie Smith, wheeling an oxygen tank). It seems likely at this point that Siddalee's mother Vivi (Ellen Burstyn) will go to her grave without ever speaking to her beloved daughter again. Drastic action is called for, and these three ladies are no frail blossoms. They kidnap Siddalee, bring her to a backwoods cottage in Louisiana, and set about the task of helping both mother and daughter to remember that growth comes from acknowledging connections, not severing them. They are aided in this task by an ornate scrapbook that the four of them kept of their youthful adventures as the Ya-Ya Sisterhood.

  The members of this sisterhood do not turn a blind eye to each other's shortcomings. In one of the film's many poignant moments, Siddalee does a cruel impersonation of her mother. As the audience readies itself for Vivi's friends to rush to her defense, one of them (Maggie Smith, of course) says dryly, "She's got her pegged all right." These women, who are about as far from perfect as the cottage in Louisiana is from New York, dare to love each other with eyes wide open.

  Flanagan, Knight, and Smith are delightful as Vivi's three friends, and James Garner contributes a fine performance as the quiet, forbearing husband and father. Most memorable of all is the wounded beauty of Ellen Burstyn as the tempestuous Vivi, who has grown up with two kinds of savagery -- the naked brutality of her father and the merciless piety of her mother. Through the whole film shines the keen emotional intelligence of director Callie Khouri.

  This film is a masterpiece that should not be missed....more info

• More than just a comedy.
  The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood is a great and deeply moving mother and daughter film. First of all, Ellen Burstyn and Sandra Bullock have great and exciting chemistry as the bickering mother and daughter. Ashley Judd plays Burstyn's character as the film travels back in time, and boy Judd's acting is brilliant and don't say that often about her. This is the kind of role that is perfect for her, her character has depth. This movie is the best chick-flick I have come across in awhile. I highly recommend checking these crazy Ya-Ya's out. Enjoy!...more info
• Movies
  This is one of my favorite movies. I may be a little biased because I had grandparents that remind me of many of the characters, but this movies is great.
  The actors are perfect in each role and watching it more than once brings out details you don't notice before.
  An excellent movie. ...more info
• Pretty good chick flick
  This isn't bad for chick flick. Sandra Bullock and James Gardner were really good in this movie. Maggie Smith was pretty funny as Caro, the friend. It's a touching story to watch. It's also very moving too. ...more info
• Full price for a used DVD?!?
  I purchased this DVD from the site (not another seller) last month. When it arrived I realized that there was no way that the DVD was new. It was tapped closed (not with normal security tape) and when I tried to remove the tape it ripped the whole cover off. Then, when I got the package open the plastic prongs that hold the DVD in place were broken and the DVD was scratched. So, I am really happy that I paid full price for an obviously used item. Thanks! The only reason I am giving 2 stars it because I love the movie....more info
• Good effort ... but wish it could have been Great!
  IF I had never read the Ya-Ya books by Rebecca Wells, I MIGHT have been able to view this movie on a stand alone basis and been completely satisfied with the several major plot points put forth by the screen writer to portray this huge cast of characters, strung over several generations and many years in the complex extended family swirling around ViVi Abbott Walker. Many of the major cast members were represented by actors as children, young adults and in older versions of adulthood -- not with makeup but with completely different actors in each part.
  
  I am the first to admit that it would have been a gargantuan effort to boil 60 years of living into a two hour movie. The fact that the movie is at all comprehensible says a great deal about the talent of all those involved in it's making. And I commend them for the effort....but....

  The saga of the Divine Ya-Ya Sisters should have been a 12 part TV mini-series. That is really the only way to get to "know" these complex people and do justice to the whole Ya-Ya experience.

  That having been said, how was the movie? I liked it a lot, with reservations. Sandra Bullock, Ashley Judd, Ellen Burnstyn, James Garner, Shirley Knight, Maggie Smith, Fionnula Flanagan and the truly divine Angus MacFadyen anchor the story in place and keep it moving along. The presence of such a "first-rate" cast assures the viewer that this was a serious attempt to tell the story and not just a way to part the viewers from their money at the box office. The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood has been a cultural phenomenon for a number of years. Several million readers of the book(s) were excited, delighted and maybe just a little apprehensive to see how the tale would play out on the screen.

  I can only tell you my opinion but here it is: As a reader of the books, I still had a bit of a time keeping up with the back story and can only wonder whether someone unfamiliar with the clan wouldn't have become hopelessly lost in the twists, turns and flashback format of this version. A few of the plot devices (a red airplane instead of Lawanda the elephant) I understand. Other things left out or changed were a disappointment to me. But for getting a whole complicated story told in under two hours, well, it was a pretty good effort. So it gets 4 stars from me....more info

• One of my favorite movies in YEARS
  I seem to be one of the few women on the planet who had never even heard of the book before this movie came out, and I am a voracious reader. It does give me the opportunity to review the movie on its own merits. I am ordering the books from this esteemed web site, and I'm sure I will deeply enjoy those as well. Experience has taught me it's always best to see the movie first if you can work it that way.

  I do not remember ever being so emotionally engaged in a movie in my entire life. I was laughing, crying, or both throughout most of the film, exhausted when it was over, and could hardly wait to watch it again.

  While I have picked up several foreshadowings and other tidbits with repeated viewing, I did not find the flashback format at all difficult to follow.

  The casting is superb; what an honor to see such a crew all in one place!

  Get this movie and schedule a slumber party!...more info

• Best Buy, Great Service
  I couldn't beat the price or the service. I will purchase all my movie orders this way from now on. This was my first time ordering movies online and don't know why I didn't do this years ago. Very happy!...more info
• Didn't like it much, but has some good things...
  Divine Secrets Of The Ya-Ya Sisterhood is a chick flick, for sure. I didn't like it much, but I think that's because I'm a man. Women I know who have seen this movie liked it a little more that I did (my mom, for example). On the other hand, I also know women who didn't like this film. Now I'll talk about the film itself.

  Ellen Burstyn stars as Vivi Walker, mother of magazine article writer Sidda Walker (Sandra Bullock). Sidda writes an article how she didn't like her childhood and blames her mother. Vivi reads the article, and refuses to speak to her daughter. Vivi's three friends Teensy (Fionnula Flanagan), Necie (Shirley Knight), and Caro (Maggie Smith) notice that she isn't acting like herself and when they found out what happened, they beg Sidda to come down and make peace with her mother. Upon her arrival, the three friends reveal to Sidda about the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, a life long band formed by the three friends and Vivi when they were children. They promised that they would be blood sisters or something like that, I don't remember very well. Along with this story, we flash back to Sidda when she was a child and see her relationship with her mother (played in these scenes by Ashley Judd). James Garner costars as Vivi's husband, but he's a very small part of the movie.

  I liked some of the acting, particularly Maggie Smith and Sandra Bullock, and the film tells a story worth telling, but some problems drag it down. First, during the flashback scenes, I noticed that Sidda had a few brothers and sisters. However, in the present scenes, they're no where to be found. I admit that the movie is mainly about the relationship of Vivi and Sidda, but considering what happens in the flashback scenes (which I won't reveal), It would have been more plausible if we found out about the siblings now that they've grown up. Also, for me, the movie went on too long. The film is two hours long, but it feels more like it's four hours. Lastly, I thought that the Ellen Burstyn character was kind of a disappointment. Burstyn was much better and more convincing in Requiem For A Dream (2000), which she got a Best Actress nomination for.

  So, I didn't hate this movie, but it didn't work for me. I think I didn't like it because I'm a man. I have nothing against "chick flicks". I think that some overcome the "only women will enjoy it" thinking such as Emma (1996), Kate And Leopold (2001), The Evening Star (1996), and arguably the best example, Gone With The Wind (1939). Ya-Ya doesn't cross that line. I know that women will enjoy it much more than men. I'm thinking some men would compare viewing this movie to medieval torture. Even though I didn't like it, I didn't think about it like that. To prove my point, I'm going to quote a couple I saw in the video store, trying to pick a movie out. The woman saw Ya-Ya on the shelf.

  Woman: Oh, look. Divine Secrets Of The Ya-Ya Sisterhood. I wanted to see that.
  Man: You can see that one by yourself, I'm not going to see it.

  I at least was willing to see this film. Women will most likely enjoy it, most men probably won't, but I could be wrong.

  2 Stars out of 4 Stars...more info

• Surprisingly not too bad
  Summary:
  Siddalee 'Sidda' Walker (Sandra Bullock) is a successful playwright in New York whose mother, Viviane 'Vivi' Abbott Walker (Ellen Burstyn - older; Ashley Judd - younger), has left some very deep, emotional scars on her. When Sidda happens to reveal some of these emotional scars to a Time magazine correspondent who later publishes them, Vivi is deeply offended and cuts off contact with her daughter. It then becomes the responsiblity of Vivi's group of friends, the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (Shirley Knight, Maggie Smith, Fionnula Flanagan), to intervene and bring Sidda and Vivi back together before Sidda's wedding to Connor McGill (Angus MacFadyen).

  In order to bring the two back together, the Ya-Yas (as they call themselves) go to New York, kidnap Sidda, and bring her back to Louisiana. They then keep her quasi locked up while she is forced to experience the history of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood through their record book. Along with the pictures in the book, the Ya-Yas tell her stories, leading up to the climactic story of when Vivi had a nervous breakdown, nearly killed her kids, including Sidda and her siblings, and ultimately ended up in a mental hospital. Apparently Siddha was unaware of a lot of what was going on and, as a result, has held deep seated resentments toward her mother for a long time.

  Eventually Siddha and Vivi are able to come to grips with what has happened. Siddha realizes that her mother wasn't perfect and Vivi admits to not being perfect. Having found some resolution to the emotional turmoil that has upset them for so long they are finally able to let the past go and love each other once again.

  My Comments:
  I went into this movie thinking that it was going to be a 'chick-flick' that I wasn't going to like. I came out regretting my initial sentiments.

  The story itself is really pretty simple. The hardest part, perhaps, is just making sure that all of the flashbacks fit into the present. There are a few places where things don't make a lot of sense and some additional information would have been useful, like, for instance, more information on Vivi's family - Why her mother hated her and why her father loved her so much? It also would have been nice to have more information on why Vivi ended up marrying Shepherd 'Shep' Walker (James Garner - older; David Lee Smith - younger). Without really understanding the backstory to Vivi it is a bit hard to understand why she had the nervous breakdown, but I don't know that you can ever fully explain why someone had one - you can just start to come to grips with the fact that it happened and the ramifications of it. So, despite not having all of the information I would have liked to Vivi's backstory, the story was pretty good. The only other thing I think I should mention is that it would also have been nice to see how this blow-up between Siddha and Vivi affected Siddha's siblings. Even though she was the oldest, they were all probably old enough to remember at least some of the things that happened (this may be addressed in the book).

  As for the acting, I was very impressed. I've never really thought Sandra Bullock was a great actress. So, when I saw that she was the main character in this film, or at least, was supposed to be, I was a bit worried. Well, she was okay, but she really isn't the actress to watch. Ashley Judd is the one who really has to push the limits of her acting ability and she does a great job. I think Ashley Judd has a lot of talent and was a very convincing younger Vivi, including the time during the emotional breakdown. The older Ya-Yas were also very good. Whenever they were on screen they pretty much stole the show from everyone else which, again, I can't say I minded because I'm not a huge fan of Sandra Bullock. The one person who I wish would have had more screen time but did great with what he had was James Garner, who truly did a great job of playing the role of a saintly husband who put up with a lot.

  Overall, I surprised myself by finding ways to relate with this film. I would suspect that pretty much every child holds some resentments towards their parents. I know this is a bit Freudian, but those feelings can later emerge as relevant to people's attitudes towards their parents and life in general. I think this movie (which is based on a book) does a great job of dealing with those issues and illustrating how devastating they really can be. I highly doubt that any parent can prevent their kids from having issues with them, but this does give a good example of how those issues can be addressed at a later point, when both are adults and able to better understand how one's actions affected the other. Maybe I'm reading too much into the movie and all of this psycho-babble Freudian analysis isn't really there, but I think it is. Anyway, it is a movie that tugs on the heart strings, but I think most people can relate to the reasons why. Because of that I would recommend this movie for pretty much anyone that has a mother, which means everyone (whether you know who she is/was or not)....more info

• A chick flick, but.....
  Actually a pretty good movie. Watch it with your lady and she will be melting into your arms by movies end....more info
• Simply Divine
  The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood is a great movie based on the best-selling book written by the author Rebecca Wells. A great cast of Ashley Judd, Sandra Bullock and Ellen Burstyn gives the movie a cheerful and funny mood. The movie is great for mothers, daughters, and friends to share. The plot revolves around real life situations about growing up, falling in love, the hardships of life, and most importantly, the friendship between friends, mothers and daughters. If you want to share laughs with someone you are close with, or just want a great way to spend your night, then watch the Ya-Yas and listen to what they have to say. Ya-Ya!!!!...more info
• The magic of nostalgia did not work
  I enjoyed the conversation among ya-ya sisters and, off course; Maggie Smith gives us laugh here and there. Somehow, the magic of nostalgia did not work for me with this movie when they try to describe how the mother has reconciled with her daughter over the tough time they had in the past due to her alcoholism. May be it was beacause I just didn't see the connection between the mother in 40's that Ashley Judd played and the current one....more info
• Didn't like it much, but has some good things...
  Divine Secrets Of The Ya-Ya Sisterhood is a chick flick, for sure. I didn't like it much, but I think that's because I'm a man. Women I know who have seen this movie liked it a little more that I did (my mom, for example). On the other hand, I also know women who didn't like this film. Now I'll talk about the film itself.

  Ellen Burstyn stars as Vivi Walker, mother of magazine article writer Sidda Walker (Sandra Bullock). Sidda writes an article how she didn't like her childhood and blames her mother. Vivi reads the article, and refuses to speak to her daughter. Vivi's three friends Teensy (Fionnula Flanagan), Necie (Shirley Knight), and Caro (Maggie Smith) notice that she isn't acting like herself and when they found out what happened, they beg Sidda to come down and make peace with her mother. Upon her arrival, the three friends reveal to Sidda about the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, a life long band formed by the three friends and Vivi when they were children. They promised that they would be blood sisters or something like that, I don't remember very well. Along with this story, we flash back to Sidda when she was a child and see her relationship with her mother (played in these scenes by Ashley Judd). James Garner costars as Vivi's husband, but he's a very small part of the movie.

  I liked some of the acting, particularly Maggie Smith and Sandra Bullock, and the film tells a story worth telling, but some problems drag it down. First, during the flashback scenes, I noticed that Sidda had a few brothers and sisters. However, in the present scenes, they're no where to be found. I admit that the movie is mainly about the relationship of Vivi and Sidda, but considering what happens in the flashback scenes (which I won't reveal), It would have been more plausible if we found out about the siblings now that they've grown up. Also, for me, the movie went on too long. The film is two hours long, but it feels more like it's four hours. Lastly, I thought that the Ellen Burstyn character was kind of a disappointment. Burstyn was much better and more convincing in Requiem For A Dream (2000), which she got a Best Actress nomination for.

  So, I didn't hate this movie, but it didn't work for me. I think I didn't like it because I'm a man. I have nothing against "chick flicks". I think that some overcome the "only women will enjoy it" thinking such as Emma (1996), Kate And Leopold (2001), The Evening Star (1996), and arguably the best example, Gone With The Wind (1939). Ya-Ya doesn't cross that line. I know that women will enjoy it much more than men. I'm thinking some men would compare viewing this movie to medieval torture. Even though I didn't like it, I didn't think about it like that. To prove my point, I'm going to quote a couple I saw in the video store, trying to pick a movie out. The woman saw Ya-Ya on the shelf.

  Woman: Oh, look. Divine Secrets Of The Ya-Ya Sisterhood. I wanted to see that.
  Man: You can see that one by yourself, I'm not going to see it.

  I at least was willing to see this film. Women will most likely enjoy it, most men probably won't, but I could be wrong.

  2 Stars out of 4 Stars...more info

• Not As Bad As I Feared It Would Be
  I had to watch this thing because it was my wife's birthday. Her book club had read this book and, even though she thought the book was bad -- "Nobody talks like this," she kept saying -- she wanted to see how it had been treated on film. My wife is from Central Louisiana, and she said the accents in the film were deplorable, nobody in Louisiana talks like that.

  The film wasn't as horrible as I feared it would be...

  For the most part, it's the tired old story of buried childhood trauma in a dysfunctional family of the Deep South. Ashley Judd was extremely pretty, and made the movie somewhat bearable for a guy to watch without running screaming from the room....more info

• A Cajun woman, reminiscing biographically of her highs and lows
  DIVINE SECRETS OF THE YA YA SISTERHOOD, is a movie that
  will appeal mainly to young kids, and those who are
  typically fans of so-called chick flicks. Not everyone is
  a disciple, as demonstrated by a recent tongue in cheek
  joke made on the Daily Show With Jon Stewart.
  
  Here, Ashley Judd reprises once more her type-cast role of
  someone having a delinquent side to her personality, (as
  also seen in several other movies in which she's a
  protagonist), and does a fine job in playing the role of
  a woman, reminiscing biographically of the highs and lows
  of her life, when her own daughter decides to get married
  and and enter an adulthood of her own. James Garner is
  credible, and charismatic, now as the elder statesman, who
  gives away the bride to the groom.
  
  The cast is well chosen, in my view, and the film's
  strength is mainly its originality, although it's highest
  challenge at the same time, is to make a biographical
  tale, that is highly personal, of any interest to the public
  at large. This objective was met, otherwise this film would
  not have been made.
  
  Therefore, the viewer is provided a vision to
  someone's life story, with Sandra Bullock playing the
  modern, perhaps plastic woman who is confronted with the
  values, traditions of another age and era, as represented by
  her Mother and her friends who themselves have their own Ya
  Ya "inner joke" since childhood,. She has to deal with
  that, in view of reestablishing a relationship with own
  family, that for many years had grown distant, cold and
  confrontational. Finally, Bobby Dylan wraps the movie,
  with his own number, tying his own folk image to the
  Mardi Gras, and Cajun folk culture put forth in this movie
  too.
  
  I would have given this 1 star, perhaps, but given the
  realistic elements of this movie, the moderation of the
  dialog (that doesn't pain too much the viewers), and the crisp
  images of Louisiana, and the outdoors, the sincerity of
  the actors, and quality of the acting, I had to raise it a
  notch to 2 stars.
  ...more info
• Divine Movies and this is one of the best
  STORY: Siddalee Walker (Sandra Bullock) is a playwriter that has an estranged mother Vivianne (Ellen Burtsyn). When Vivi's best friends the Ya-Ya's drug Sidda and kidnap her the young woman learns more about her mother's past and knows that she was wrong all this time.
  RATING: PG-13 for Language, Situations and Partal Nudity.
  FAVORTIE YA-YA:Teensy I adored her from teh first time I saw her the reason why Teensy is my favortie Ya-Ya sister is because she was cute when she was little she was gorgeous when she was older and she managed to keep her looks good.
  QUOTES FROM MY FAVORTIE YA-YA: I had swore to Jack I would never tell a soul Mama got angry at daddy for letting the word out and he swore to and now daddy is in the doghouse- Older Teensy Well don't you worry Vivi I'll get you're ring back even if I have to steal it from you're own flesh and blood- Yougner Teensy Yes, you're best friends kidnap you're daughter and turend her into a zombie and she has turn against you - Teensy I recommend you let go of Vivi right now or I'll give that priss pot what he diserves- Yougner Teensy
  OUTCOME: I love this movie and I love Teensy I have to suffer watching it on T.V until I own it but so far so good I think this will stay my favortie Comedy from years to come. My children willl love this movie as much as I do I hope....more info
• mothers and daughters
  Roger Ebert hated this movie, but I liked it as a story of the young woman Sidda (Sandra Bullock) who comes to grips with her strained relationship with her mother through the help of her mother's three lifelong friends....more info
• Go Ya Yas!
  While the books do give more detail I have to agree with one of the above reviewers. I think that the movie was a lot more explanatory and didn't seem to drag on as much as the novels did. As far as the acting goes, I think they all did a pretty fair job esepcially Maggie Smith who had me laughing everytime she was on the screen. The other actor who I thought stood out the most was James Garner. I loved his interpretation of Shep, the father of Sidda yet lonely husband of Vivi. The movie makes me glued to my seat everytime so much so that I don't like to miss a minute. I would definetely recommend this "chick flick" to any woman who has had a difficult relationship with their mother over the years because it show us grownup women that in reality our mothers are not perfect and just women like us....more info
• Great Movie!
  When I saw the previews, I wasn't interested, but I ended up seeing it one day because there was nothing better to do...and I loved it!!! I bought a copy, and read the books! It's a little dark, and a lot funny! Great for mothers and daughters....more info