----New York City----

Melanie Carmichael and Andrew Henning are the perfect Hollywood couple, she is a beautiful, top fashion designer, whose latest show, receives excellent reviews and he is a top celebrity politician, who is desired by all females and has millions of dollars, they are the elite of New York’s high society. When he hires out the whole of Tiffany’s, just to propose, she is completely overwhelmed and agrees straight away. Andrew’s scheming mother, Mayor Kate Henning, is not pleased and tells the world of their engagement, even when Melanie strictly asks her to keep it under wraps.

----Alabama----

It emerges that Melanie is originally from Alabama, and has to go back to get a divorce (Andrew, doesn’t know that she was previously married) from Jake Perry, a true country boy, who is a expert mechanic, and still lives in the same house, wears the same clothes, walks the same walk and talks the same talk. Jake, has previously received the divorce papers and sent them back, but this time Melanie is sure she will win him over and make him sigh.

Jake refuses to sign the papers, and the two start a war, insulting each other left right and centre. Jake is angry that Melanie has transformed from a country girl to a high flying New York socialite, and Melanie is annoyed that his is the same old Jake with no ambitions.

----New York City----

Mayor Kate Henning is becoming increasingly worried for the public perception of her family. If there are any skeletons in Melanie’s closet, then she must know about them, because she doesn’t want ANYTHING to harm her campaign. Her relationship with her son is becoming increasingly strained as she is completely work driven, and he is letting his heart take over what he does. Secretly, she manages to send a reporter down to Alabama, to the house (Melanie lied about where she grew up as a child, she said she lived in the grand estate that is owned by her best friend) where she lives and do a report and a bit of spy work, posing as a newspaper journalist.

----Alabama----

Back in Alabama, it seems that everyone is in the same state of mind, that city folk = bad news. Although everyone is being kind on the outside, they are all very distant. Which suits her fine as she sees them as insignificant little rednecks from her past. Melanie doesn’t help things, by getting drunk in the local club, and branding everybody red neck losers, pigs, idiots she also outs her best friend. Not good.

Back in her parent’s house, Melanie and her mother are always arguing, as Pearl (her mother) seems to pick out every flaw about her. Melanie’s father on the other hand is a lot kinder and less critical. Both her parents like rein acting old battles.

Melanie’s old feelings for Jake start to harbour again, but when Andrew comes back, her feelings are starting to become all mixed up again.

Will Jake and Melanie get together? If so what will happen to Andrew? If Mel and Jake do get together, will they be able to adjust to each others very different life style? Will Mel’s mother stop nit picking, and is there a reason she does? You will have to rent or buy it to see.

The acting is one of Sweet Home Alabama’s best points. Some real tender and largely realistic performances make this a treat to watch.

Reese Witherspoon is the glue that sticks this movie together. She, as Melanie is really stunning, she has a refreshing innocence about her, but also in this performance she adds a venomous edge. I think that this tender, emotional, hard and accomplished performance is the main reason to watch this flick as she does truly become her character. I like the way she puts a spin on the character, by not always playing it straight, like one scene when she goes to visit an old dogs grave, she really goes for it, and makes that moment a raw one. She doesn’t only act brilliantly; she also looks fabulous in this.

I don’t see the big deal about Josh Lucas, but he is good, even if a little ordinary as Jake Perry. He doesn’t really act, except that there is a little bit of a change in his attitude and mannerisms near the end of the film. A couple of scenes, he was slightly wooden, but nothing major, I found this an interesting performance, to see where the actor was going to take the character and it was quite good, compared to what it could have been.

Patrick Dempsey is very good, as the upper class fiancé, who is torn between his love of Melanie and his mother’s wishes and career. He is well cast as he does have the same kind of persona of both a celebrity and a politician. I think as a character he is confused as to what he should do, and that comes out in Patrick’s performance. I also like the way that he changes, from hard nosed business man to soft centred softy who is really in love with someone, even though his mother doesn’t approve of her.

Candice Bergen could do this bitchy role in her sleep; she is quite an expert at it now. But she does put in the right amount of energy and paces herself out well. She is always good in these types of roles, as she has that horrifying stare and that very harsh tone of voice. She is perfectly cast and puts in a great performance as per usual.

Mary Kay Place and Fred Ward are both good as Melanie’s parents. Mary plays the whole tortured soul well and Fred has some very funny lines, mainly to do with his new reclining chair. These two make a sweet and tender couple, and are believable together as a unit. I liked his performance more than hers, because she wasn’t given as good material.

Ethan Embry plays Bobby Ray Melanie’s best friend. He is a sweet and kind hearted character who even after Melanie humiliates him in public still forgives her and helps her keep going through the year. He enters the role of an Alabamian well and has some very funny lines.

As you can see, I was quite impressed by the acting. Reese Witherspoon, really is fantastic, Josh Lucas a little ordinary and Candice Bergen brilliantly wicked.

The script to Sweet Home Alabama written by C.J Fox is predictable, sure, but I have always said about movies that there is something comforting in its familiarity, which is defiantly the case here. As the script centres mainly around one person and her friends, it can often feel a little claustrophobic, so it is good when we as an audience switch from Alabama to New York. The script is extremely sweet and allows the actors to do their jobs. I became a little bored of the repetitiveness, but that doesn’t matter. The concept isn’t stretched and all the characters (except Mayor Kate) are likeable and warm.

The director for Sweet Home Alabama is Andy Tennant, who I didn’t like after watching Fools Rush In, but after recently watching Ever After I have changed my mind.

Pictures of Sweet Home Alabama (DVD)

Mel and Andrew

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He defiantly has a good eye for detail, and in this flick, defiantly has good pace and the actors are used well. The movie never loses sight of what it is and visually it is very good, making both the main states look, probably more beautiful than they actually are.

The production values are high, Reese and everyone else involved look stunning. The fashion shows at the beginning are all very bold and look fairly realistic and when around the super rich Andrew, Tiffany’s, after show parties, chauffeurs and cocktails are all mixed up into the film. The camera work is supremely smooth and glides along happily, but lacks a little bit of edge.

The soundtrack which includes Avril Lavigne, Sheryl Crow, Dolly Parton and The Calling is very fitting. It has a distinct country and western taste without being too heavy as it often changes genres a little bit. It helps keep the pace of the movie going and makes the audience feel all the right things at all the right places.

One of the biggest problems I had with Sweet Home Alabama was the fact that it was all just a little bit too neat. I have absolutely no problem with predictability, but this all kind of ends up full circle, the camera work is perfect, the leading lady is perfect, the clothes and production design are perfect and the relationship between the lead two is perfect. This makes for a very fun and jolly watch, but leaves the audience unfulfilled. Another problem I had was that suddenly everybody in the world has a ton of money, they all live in tiny houses, but they manage to by huge shiny new trucks, and aeroplanes and can afford to go to parties and buy hundreds of rounds of beer.

Those two points aside, this is a very sweet, funny and nice watch. Reese Witherspoon is stunning, and it’s a treat for the eyes, but don’t watch it expecting it to be a statement of our time, it to change your opinions or beliefs or be controversial, because it’s all just one big gooey mess, that is a good watch. Aimee, I have to say liked it A LOT more than me, so maybe I am just a cynical, old grouch.

Financially it was more than a sound financial investment. It only cost 30 million to make, but worldwide it gathered the grand total of 181 million making it 9th most successful romantic comedy ever and the biggest Rom Com of 2002 beating Two weeks Notice and Maid In Manhattan.

At Amazon.co.uk you can buy sweet Home Alabama on DVD for £8.97 ASIN: B00007KGBZ or Video for £14.99 ASIN: B00007KGBY
You can also buy the soundtrack for £ 11.99 ASIN: B00007F8VE

Thank you everyone for reading. Have a great 2005, all the best as always : ) Jay