There are some differences between the movie and the novel it was made from. In the novel, Idgie and Ruth are a lesbian couple. In the movie they may be just friends. The director, John Avnet said that he wanted viewers to make up their own minds. In one part of the movie, Idgie and Ruth have a food fight. Avnet said that the food fight is symbolic of love-making. When it was released, some critics and LGBT activists were angry that the lesbian part of the story had been "glossed over". Even though the lesbian content had been hidden, the movie won an award from the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) for best feature movie with lesbian content.