Sweet Home Alabama

Rating:
Summary: Even Reese Couldn't Save This
Review: Reese Witherspoon is one of the most charming, charismatic actresses today. "Legally Blonde" is one of my favorite movies, and I believe a truly great one. But "Sweet Home Alabama," while it had so much promise, just was not a good vehicle for her sweetness and contagious optimistic nature.

The story has all the ingredients for a great romantic comedy: a Southern girl leaves her roots and goes to New York City where she makes a name for herself and meets a rich, gorgeous, young hunk. But her past comes back to haunt her, including her first love.

OK, sounds good. But first, this character, Melanie Carmichael, keeps hurting people in terrible ways. But she is supposed to be so irresistible that everyone keeps forgiving her. If I had a dime for everytime someone is humiliated by her, and forgives her when she bats her baby blues and says, "I'm sorry," I would be as rich as her fiancee, who misplaces his Irish accent from between when we are introduced to him and when we see him again. Melanie has a husband in Alabama, Jake, (Josh Lucas), who has waited for her like a faithful coon dog for SEVEN YEARS while she is screwing another man in New York. In seven years, he could have mastered Buddhist monasticism. She blows up a cat with dynamite because it has cancer and she thinks that blowing it up would be more humane??? Excuse me? She outs her friend, telling everyone he is gay. And there is a sappy scene where she is sniffling at the grave of her old coon dog that she walked out on, saying of course, "I'm sorry." There is more, but that would spoil the end of the movie.

The film's plausibility barely holds together. The pride of the South and Southern heritage is a good point of the film, however. The Civil War battlefields and re-enactments, and the beautiful plantation homes make the film more interesting and real.

Candice Bergnen is good as the Mayor of New York City, Melanie's mother-in-law to be. Mary Kay Place as Melanie's mother, Pearl Smooter, is the best actor in the film. She is so good she is out of place. Fred Ward as Earl Smooter, Melanie's dad, sure transforms himself from couch potato to dashing Civil War captain. I liked that touch. The only really funny guy is someone whose name I cannot find in any credits anywhere. He was the African-American, gay man. His facial expressions and timing are hilarious.

Another bright spot is the song by Shedaisy, "Mine." It really made me sit up as the end credits were rolling to a close. And a extra in the DVD is Shedaisy's music video of "Mine." I am probably going to buy Shedaisy's CD based solely on "Mine."

Rating:
Summary: Never Lose Track Of Where You Came
Review: Sometimes a trip home can wake someone up to who they really are. Reese Witherspoon's character Melanie learns that when she visits Sweet Home Alabama to finalize her divorce with Jake(Josh Lewis). Somewhere along the way she finds the little innocent things that she loved way back when. Where at first she just wanted to move on to her fashion indsutry life in NYC, she realizes she is a little country girl at heart. How does Melanie resolve this in the end? Check out the video and see.

Not totally realistic on many accounts but as the saying goes, you can always go home. Touching on many accounts.

Rating:
Summary: You...have...got....to...be...kidding...me!!!
Review: This had to be one of the most stupidest movies i have ever watched. Jesus Christ someone please shoot Reese Witherspoon!

Rating:
Summary: I want to see Andrew's story
Review: I loved, loved, loved this film. When I first purchased it I watched it every day for a week, sometimes twice a day. I fell in love with both Jake and Andrew and was hoping for a sequel in Patrick Dempsey's character. If you are building your 'romantic comedy' movie library this movie must be in it.