Sweet Home Alabama (2002)

A young woman who's reinvented herself as a New York City socialite must return home to Alabama to obtain a divorce from her husband, after seven years of separation.

Director:

Andy Tennant

Writers:

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

Stars:

Reese Witherspoon, Patrick Dempsey, Josh Lucas

3 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

Melanie Carmichael, an up and rising fashion designer in New York, has gotten almost everything she wished for since she was little. She has a great career and the JFK-like fiancée of New York City. But when he proposes to her, she doesn't forget about her family back down South. More importantly, her husband back there, who refuses to divorce her ever since she sent divorce papers seven years ago. To set matters straight, she decides to go to the south quick and make him sign the papers. When things don't turn out the way she planned them, she realizes that what she had before in the south was far more perfect than the life she had in New York City.

---

Plot Keywords:

divorce | husband wife relationship | gay friend | firefly | new york city | 

---

Taglines:

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

---

Genres:

Comedy | Romance

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some language/sexual references

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 September 2002 (USA)

Also Known As:

Melanie's Getting Married

Filming Locations:

Alabama, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$30,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$35,648,740, 29 September 2002

Gross USA:

$127,223,418

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$180,622,424

Company Credits

Production Co:

Touchstone Pictures, Original Film, D&D Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The character Erin Vanderbilt was deleted from the film because test audiences consistently misunderstood her relationship with Andrew. In the finished movie, she appears in a newspaper shown to Melanie during the closing credits.

---

Goofs

Melanie drives past a sign on her way home in Alabama that says "Greenville," a town about two hours from the beach. If that's near her childhood home, she wouldn't have been there alone as a child, or popped by after the wedding. If she lived near the beach, she wouldn't be driving through Greenville.

---

Quotes

Earl Smooter: Praise the Lord, the South has risen again.

---

Crazy Credits

During the end credits some photos are shown with the cast. In a sequence of them Melanie's parents are "scared" by a punk with a pierced tongue, Mel's co-worker from the beginning of the movie, who comments on her accent when she dreams.

---

Connections

References Li'l Abner (1959)

---

Soundtracks

Dixie's Land
(uncredited)
Written by Daniel Decatur Emmett

User Reviews

Reese Witherspoon sweet performance makes this work

Reese Witherspoon terrific heartfelt performance makes this movie work. I originally had my doubts about seeing this one but I bought the DVD and I highly enjoyed the movie. Reese Witherspoon has good chemistry with both Patrick Dempsey and Josh Lucas. The film although predictable is full of funny moments and a lot of heart.