Sidda Walker (Sandra Bullock), who is high on life--about to marry Connor (Angus MacFadyen) and flushed with success because her new play is about to open on Broadway--gives an unguarded interview to TIME Magazine. After reading the interview, Sidda's mother, Vivi (Ellen Burnstein), is so livid that she disowns Sidda, takes down her pictures, and refuses to attend her daughter's wedding. Trying to heal the rift between mother and daughter, Vivi's best friends, Caro (Maggie Smith), Teensy (Fionnula Flanagan), and Necie (Shirley Knight), go to New York, take Sidda to dinner, slip her a Mickey Finn, and spirit her off to Louisiana.

First-time director Callie Khouri (writer of THELMA AND LOUISE) uses an intricate series of flashbacks to slowly reveal the DIVINE SECRETS OF THE YA-YA SISTERHOOD, which is based on the book by Rebecca Wells. The flashbacks are triggered by a scrapbook that Caro, Teensy, and Necie show Sidda. The scrapbook chronicles the hopes, dreams and disappointments that they shared with Vivi. Standouts in the great cast are Ashley Judd, as the younger Vivi, and Maggie Smith as the feisty Caro.