How to Make an American Quilt (1995) Winona Ryder, Anne Bancroft, Ellen Burstyn, & Jared Leto

Book Vs. Movie: How to Make An American Quilt
Whitney Otto’s Debut Novel Vs the Winona Ryder Movie
The 90s were an incredible time for what became known as “Chick Lit”--or just books that featured women writers and characters. Whitney Otto’s How to Make an American Quilt told the multilayered story of generations of women who are in a quilting group in Grasse, California. Our main protagonist Finn is a graduate student who is engaged to her longtime boyfriend but is experiencing cold feet.
The book is a mixture of quilting instructions and the life story of several characters with the many ups and downs of their interpersonal relationships. Everything is discussed from cheating spouses, interracial dating, the ennui of motherhood, and having a parent that disapproves of your life choices.
The film is a tour de force of incredible actors from Winona Ryder to Ellen Burstyn to Alfre Woodard. It’s sweet, warm, and sexy. It had women behind the scenes and made four times the budget. Yet Hollywood still doesn't produce more of them. Because...show business is sexist.
So, between the original story and the 1995 film-which did we prefer?
In this ep the Margos discuss:
The popularity of the novel
Stories about women protagonists and why women are attracted to them
The differences between the book and the movie
The cast: Winona Ryder (Finn Dodd,) Anne Bancroft (Glady Joe,) Ellen Burstyn (Hy,) Lois Smith (Sophia Darling older,) Samantha Mathis (young Sophia,) Jean Simmons (Em,) Joanna Going (young Em,) Kate Nelligan (Constance,) Alfred Woodard (Marianne,) Maya Angelou (Anna Neale,) Kate Capshaw (Sally Dodd,) Loren Dean (Preston,) Dermot Mulroney (Sam,) Rip Torn (Arthur Cleary,) and Johnathan Schaech as Leon.
Clips used:
Finn meets Leon
How to Make an American Quilt trailer
Anna Neale’s story
Glady and Hy argue about Rip Torn
Music by Thoman Newman
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