IMDb >
Crazy in Alabama (1999)
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotesOverview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv scheduleAwards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage boardPlot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotesFun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQOther Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDeskPromotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo galleryExternal Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clipsCrazy in Alabama (1999) More at IMDbPro »
| Photos (see all 34 | slideshow) | Videos (see all 2) |
Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers (WGA):
Release Date:
22 October 1999 (USA)
more
Tagline:
Sometimes you have to lose your mind to find your freedom
Plot:
An abused wife heads to California to become a movie star while her nephew back in Alabama has to deal with a racially-motivated murder involving a corrupt sheriff. full summary | full synopsis
Awards:
3 wins
&
4 nominations
more
NewsDesk:
(2 articles)
Movie Reviews: Crazy In Alabama
(From Studio Briefing - Film News. 22 October 1999)
Venice Film Festival Unveils Its Roster
(From Studio Briefing - Film News. 30 July 1999)
(From Studio Briefing - Film News. 22 October 1999)
Venice Film Festival Unveils Its Roster
(From Studio Briefing - Film News. 30 July 1999)
User Comments:
A delightful surprise
more (68 total)
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Melanie Griffith | ... | Lucille Vinson | |
| David Morse | ... | Dove Bullis | |
| Lucas Black | ... | Peter Joseph 'Peejoe' Bullis | |
| Cathy Moriarty | ... | Earlene Bullis | |
| Meat Loaf | ... | Sheriff John Doggett (as Meat Loaf Aday) | |
| Rod Steiger | ... | Judge Louis Mead | |
| Richard Schiff | ... | Norman the Chauffeur | |
| John Beasley | ... | Nehemiah Jackson | |
| Robert Wagner | ... | Harry Hall | |
| Noah Emmerich | ... | Sheriff Raymond | |
| Sandra Seacat | ... | Meemaw | |
| Paul Ben-Victor | ... | D.A. Mackie (as Paul Ben Victor) | |
| Brad Beyer | ... | Jack | |
| Fannie Flagg | ... | Sally the Waitress | |
| Elizabeth Perkins | ... | Joan Blake |
Additional Details
MPAA:
Rated PG-13 for some violence, thematic material, language and a scene of sensuality.
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
111 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Iceland:L |
South Korea:12 |
Germany:12 |
Argentina:13 |
Chile:14 |
France:U |
New Zealand:M |
Norway:11 |
Peru:14 |
Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) |
Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) |
UK:12 |
USA:PG-13 |
Singapore:PG |
Portugal:M/12 |
Finland:K-8
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Two of Lucille's children are played by Melanie Griffith's real-life children: Dakota Johnson and Stella Banderas.
more
Quotes:
Sheriff John Doggett:
You're trespassing on public property!
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Mulholland Dr. (2001)
more
Soundtrack:
Said I Wasn't Gonna Tell Nobody
more
FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (68 total)
Message Boards
Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Crazy in Alabama (1999)| Recent Posts (updated daily) | User |
|---|---|
| Is it based on a true story | britabrat6 |
| Chester? | crazykenj04 |
| The judge? | ctabor-1 |
| Must see!!! | dean-452 |
| one more thing...? | missmusician8191 |
| carolyn clay | velvetbunny |
Recommendations
If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
Show more recommendations
|
|
|
|
|
| Intruder in the Dust | Ghosts of Mississippi | A Lesson Before Dying | To Kill a Mockingbird | Sweet Home Alabama |
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
Related Links
| Full cast and crew | Company credits | External reviews |
| News articles | IMDb Drama section | IMDb USA section |
| Add this title to MyMovies |













A real treat, much better than it had any right to be. It's the 1960s in Alabama and Lucille (Melanie Griffith) murders and decapitates her abusive husband Chester, and heads to Hollywood with his head. Meanwhile back home, segregation is being fought in her small town. Our narrator is Lucille's nephew, he is living with his uncle (David Morse), witnessing the evil of the town sheriff (Meat Loaf) and trying to make sense of the civil rights movement.
This is an odd, yet ultimately successful, merging of two very different stories. The Alabama civil rights story is a gentle, human drama, while the Lucille story is broadly colored, with flashy costumes, comical characters, and tart dialogue. Lucille dazzles everyone who meets her, and everything goes her way, despite the fact that Chester's head continues to speak to her, calling her a slut who'll never amount to anything. I can't explain why the surreal comedy works so well in parallel to the small town drama, but it does. Griffith is compelling -- her husband, Antonio Banderas, directs her as he sees her, the camera keeps finding the perfect woman; thrilling, sensual and sweet.
In the "featurette" on the DVD, both Griffith and Banderas say the movie is about freedom, and the stories parallel well because Lucille's freedom from her husband's oppression parallels the blacks' freedom from civil oppression. But I saw it more as an R.D. Laing movie. The truth of Crazy in Alabama is in its title -- sanity IS a sane answer to an insane world. The nation WAS watching Bewitched and shopping for hats while blacks were beaten to death for the right to use whites-only facilities. "Crazy," in this movie, defies definition -- what is individual craziness when the world goes crazy? Lucille's craziness is sweet and understandable; the world's, less so. 9/10