Sweet Home Alabama (2002)

User Rating:

5.8/10   

Director:

Andy Tennant

Writers (WGA):

Douglas J. Eboch (story)
C. Jay Cox (screenplay)

Release Date:

27 September 2002 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

Sometimes What You're Looking For Is Right Where You Left It.

Plot:

A young woman with a white trash background runs away from her husband in Alabama and reinvents herself as a New York socialite.

Plot Keywords:

Husband | Divorce | Alabama | New York City | Fashion Designer

Awards:

3 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Reese Witherspoon	...	Melanie Smooter
Josh Lucas	...	Jake Perry
Patrick Dempsey	...	Andrew Hennings
Candice Bergen	...	Mayor Kate Hennings
Mary Kay Place	...	Pearl Smooter
Fred Ward	...	Earl Smooter
Jean Smart	...	Stella Kay Perry
Ethan Embry	...	Bobby Ray
Melanie Lynskey	...	Lurlynn
Courtney Gains	...	Sheriff Wade
Mary Lynn Rajskub	...	Dorothea
Rhona Mitra	...	Tabatha Wadmore-Smith
Nathan Lee Graham	...	Frederick Montana
Sean Bridgers	...	Eldon
Fleet Cooper	...	Clinton

Also Known As:

Melanie's Getting Married (USA) (original script title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some language/sexual references.

Runtime:

108 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Portugal:M/12 | Iceland:L | South Korea:12 | New Zealand:PG | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Finland:S | France:U | Germany:o.Al. | Hong Kong:IIA | Italy:T | Netherlands:AL | Norway:7 | Peru:PT | Philippines:PG-13 | Singapore:PG | Spain:T | Sweden:Btl | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:12 (canton of the Grisons) | UK:12A | USA:PG-13 | Canada:PG (Ontario)

Filming Locations:

Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Company:

D&D Films

Trivia:

In the deleted original ending (included on the DVD), the jazz band at the reception is ‘The Clock Tower Jazz Ensemble’ (from Rome, GA) directed by Sam Baltzer. The singer is Lillie Huddleston from Atlanta.

Goofs:

Continuity: While in Tiffany's, Andrew asks about Christmas in Ireland and Melanie says that is four months away, which would mean that it's now August or September. But for most of the rest of the film, everyone in Alabama is in long sleeves. It wouldn't be cold enough for those types of clothes.

Quotes:

Melanie Carmichael: [referring to Bobby Ray] Oh why don't you just go to a gay bar!
Eldon: [walks up and puts arm around Bobby Ray] Now, what would Bobby Ray do at a gay bar?
[realizes, takes arm away and backs up]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Saturday Night Live: Adrien Brody/Sean Paul & Wayne Wonder (#28.19)" (2003)

Soundtrack:

Weekend Song

A charming and funny comedy movie.

I am glad I didn't listen to critics and watched this movie! It is a very good movie with charm, humor, sadness and most of all, genial acting! Reese Witherspoon and Josh Lucas are the two characters that you can relate to. Especially the dog part is very fun. I think what makes this movie good is that it is a story you can relate to, but made with humor. Yet there are a part sadness in the story.

It begins with that Melanie is asked by the son of the mayor if she wants to marry him. Then she says yes, but she has things to make up and decides to go down to her hometown in Alabama to get a divorce from her husband who she hasn't met for years, not after she lost her child and he was drunk on their wedding.

The concept and plot is very smart, when the tone is told with humour even in situations that are serious. In fact, if the movie hadn't humor, it had been falling apart. The humor is lifting the story to a little more than just good. It is so fun, so full of genial and amusing characters, excellent acting and an excellent ending. Maybe a movie that mostly girls like to watch, but anyway a good movie.