Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (2002) - Synopsis
Sidda Lee Walker (Sandra Bullock), a prominent young playwright living in New York City, is a long way from her Louisiana hometown and a nice safe distance from her loving but highly dramatic and eccentric mother, Vivi (Ellen Burstyn). And that's the way she'd like to keep it.
When a Time Magazine profile on Sidda implies that Vivi was not a good mother, Vivi is outraged and the two women get into a fight that threatens to destroy not only their relationship but Sidda's tenuous wedding plans with a man who has waited seven years for her to get over her fear of raising a family of her own.
Enter the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (Fionnula Flanagan, Shirley Knight, Maggie Smith)... Vivi's intrepid gang of lifelong friends, eager to restore peace no matter what it takes.
To truly understand Vivi, the Ya-Yas believe, Sidda must know who her mother was as a young woman. A high-spirited beauty who valued love and loyalty above all else, young Vivi (portrayed by Ashley Judd) was dealt many disappointments in life but was also blessed with an indomitable sense of humor, an adventurous spirit and three best friends. Together, this inseparable foursome shared both good and bad times with grace and humor, celebrating each other's triumphs for more than 40 years, which they recorded in a scrapbook stuffed with letters, ticket stubs, dried corsages and photos -- otherwise known as the Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood.
Taking matters into their own hands, the Ya-Yas stage an unorthodox intervention to bring mother and daughter back together. With their help, and the help of the Divine Secrets, Sidda will begin to unravel the truth about her complicated and unconventional mother, find forgiveness and acceptance and let go of her painful past.
Warner Bros. Pictures Presents, in Association with Gaylord Films, An All-Girl Production: Sandra Bullock, Ellen Burstyn, Fionnula Flanagan, James Garner, Ashley Judd, Shirley Knight, Angus Macfadyen, Maggie Smith, Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood. The film is produced by Bonnie Bruckheimer and Hunt Lowry, and directed by Callie Khouri from a screenplay by Khouri, adaptation by Mark Andrus, based on the novels Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood and Little Altars Everywhere, by Rebecca Wells. Bette Midler, Mary McLaglen, E.K. Gaylord II and Lisa Stewart are the executive producers. The director of photography is John Bailey, A.S.C., production designer is David J. Bomba and editor is Andrew Marcus. Music is by T Bone Burnett and David Mansfield. Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, an AOL Time Warner Company. This film is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America for "mature thematic elements, language and brief sensuality."
