Steel Magnolias: Cry-laughing is the best way to describe it?!

Okay, international film fans, Priya back again! I just rewatched "Steel Magnolias" (the 1989 version, of course - haven't seen the remake) and wow, it STILL gets me. Like, I know it's set in Louisiana and very specific in its Southern charm, but the feeling of female friendship is so universal, right? It's one of those movies that can make you laugh until you cry and then cry until you're laughing again, sometimes within the same scene. I feel like the director is unknown too...weird. Sally Field is phenomenal, obviously, but I think what really makes this film sing is the ensemble cast. Dolly Parton? Iconic. Shirley MacLaine? Hysterical. And Julia Roberts... that whole wedding scene with the armadillo cake? The whole thing, really. So many levels of emotions. But I wanted to ask: does anyone else think that Shelby's (Julia Roberts) storyline, while beautifully acted, is just… so unfair? I mean, I get it's supposed to be a tearjerker, but was it necessary? Was it really the only way of dealing with the themes in the movie? I'm specifically thinking about the scene in the very end where M'Lynn is completely hysterical and Ouiser starts whacking her. It is dark but also sort of funny. But I think it sort of brings up more questions than it answers. What do you guys think? Did the heavy-handedness of Shelby's fate elevate the story or detract from it? I can't decide if it's beautifully tragic or if it feels manipulative. Maybe both? Let me know your hot takes!