Fried green tomatoes taste sour at first, but eventually have a sweet effect on the palate.

That's how you could describe the new film of the same name. Fried Green Tomatoes journeys through tragedy to ultimately comment on the good things in life.

Jessica Tandy plays Ninny Threadgoode, a woman confined to a convalescent home. She finds a friend in Evelyn Couch (Kathy Bates), an obedient housewife confined by societal expectations.

Evelyn needs a shot of confidence. Ninny's stories about Ruth Jamison and Idgie Threadgoode -- two 1930s heroines -- provide Evelyn a means to re-evaluate her life.

Evelyn must reassess her marriage and her lack of assertiveness, and endless hours of self-awareness classes accomplish little.

The script, co-written by novelist Fannie Flagg, presents a quandary for anyone concerned about the portrayal of women in film.

In one context, the writers crafted multi-dimensional heroines with needs and concerns as cogent as mens'. However, the men in the film fall into the stereotype. This makes the womens' little triumphs less significant.

The movie-within-a-movie presents a lesser impasse. Ruth and Idgie's stories unfold in flashbacks and add a level of interest that offsets Evelyn's struggle.

In fact, the period narrative begins to take over the film, providing Mary Stuart Masterson and Mary-Louise Parker -- Idgie and Ruth, respectively -- chances at juicy roles. Parker, coming off a lackluster turn in Lawrence Kasdan's Grand Canyon, performs much more effectively here. And Masterson takes on a challenging role.

In some ways, this Idgie-Ruth narrative proves more compelling than the master narrative.

This ranks as Fried Green Tomatoes' more minor flaw. The film attempts to weave the Idgie-Ruth narrative into the modern-day tale, but soon Evelyn and Ninny's problems and concerns become entirely secondary.

This goes so far, that one could argue Masterson and Parker are the film's leads.

Thankfully, the writers have enough of a tie between the two stories to make the film cohese. We accept Evelyn and Ninny in the background and enjoy the mystery story of the Idgie-Ruth narrative.

And in the end, the movie's performances and sentimentality win us over. So take a bite, you'll like it.