Product Details

• Actors: Reese Witherspoon, Josh Lucas, Patrick Dempsey, Candice Bergen, Mary Kay Place
• Directors: Andy Tennant
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC
• Language: English
• Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Buena Vista Home Entertainment
• VHS Release Date: February 4, 2003
• Run Time: 109 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (386 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00007E2F6
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #4,912 in Video (See Bestsellers in Video)

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  Video > Comedy > Romantic Comedies

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

As formulaic, utterly inoffensive romantic comedies go, Sweet Home Alabama could be better, and could be worse. It's a variant of Julia Roberts's Something to Talk About, with all the same strengths and weaknesses, and Reese Witherspoon is definitely its saving grace. As an Alabama country girl turned hot New York fashion designer, Witherspoon finds the genuine emotions hidden under a blandly familiar plot, making her character's romantic indecisiveness seem not only credible but disarmingly appealing. She's just agreed to marry the Camelot-bred son (Patrick Dempsey) of New York's no-nonsense mayor (Candice Bergen), but first she has to officially divorce the husband (Josh Lucas) she left behind years earlier... only to discover that their love is stronger than ever. The rest, of course, is a foregone conclusion, but with a sharp supporting cast and a few charming moments, Sweet Home Alabama will satisfy anyone who prefers safe, reassuring entertainment. --Jeff Shannon

Product Description

This delightfully entertaining romantic comedy stars Reese Witherspoon (LEGALLY BLONDE) as sophisticated Melanie Carmichael, a rising New York clothing designer who suddenly finds herself engaged to the city's most eligible bachelor. But this is no fairy tale romance for Melanie. She has skeletons in her fashion-filled closet that include Jake -- the backwoods husband she married in high school who refuses to divorce her. Determined to end their marriage and sever all ties with her past once and for all, Melanie returns to Alabama. But home starts to tug at her heartstrings, and what she thought she wanted may not be what she wants at all.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

49 of 54 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Never forget who you are..., October 1, 2002

By	Alvin Tanhehco "kerki" (Kowloon, Hong Kong) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I was a bit hesitant to watch this film at first because romantic-love-triangle-comedies all end the same way. Plus before the movie started, the audience was packed with high school teenagers with their cellphones. (They could litterally fiddle around with them for hours while looking seemingly busy.) But my mom insisted and I obliged. Anyways, the movie turned out to be pretty sweet and heartwarming.

Melanie Carmichael (aka Melanie Smooter), played by Reese Witherspoon, is an up-and-coming New York City fashion designer who has just been proposed to by Andrew (Patrick Dempsey), the mayor's son. (Quite an impressive proposal I might add, with the Tiffany store open just for them.) There's only one problem, she's still legally married to Jake (Josh Lucas) in Alabama. That's where the real story begins. Melanie drives back to her hometown and nags Jake to sign the divorce papers. He drags his feet while Melanie gets some time to get reacquainted with his family and friends, whom she left for seven years. She desperately wants to believe that she's a whole new person (with the last-name change and all), and ends up hurting the ones who love her. Does she get her divorce and who will she be with in the end? Ah, for that you'll have to watch the film!

I think the more interesting aspect of this film is watching Melanie come to her senses and acknowledge her roots. In New York, she might have had to cover up who she really is to get to where she's at -- changing her last name and fabricating a tall tale about her family. But it was a lie waiting to be exposed. When she goes back to Alabama and brings this pompous personality back with her she is reminded that it won't get her anything but the disappointed looks of her friends and family; the people she left behind.

In a nutshell, even though the ending was relatively predictable, the story is poignant enough and had sufficient humorous scenes in it to keep the audience hooked. (I particularly liked it when Melanie realizes that being married to Jake means that they still have a joint account at the local bank.) Also, I think Reese Witherspoon gave a good performance, and it's always nice to see Candice Bergan in a frenzy.

This is one of the better romantic comedies I've seen this year.

LEAP rating (each out of 5):
============================
L (Language) - 3 (Cute, has its sentimental moments. Never boring.)
E (Erotica) - 0 (n/a)
A (Action) - 0 (n/a)
P (Plot) - 3 (In order to get married, Melanie must get a divorce, but going home and realizing how much she's left behind forces her to reconsider.)

56 of 63 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Reese Witherspoon is 'Sweet' in 'Alabama', September 5, 2002

By	"joel928m" (Chicago) - See all my reviews

Witherspoon gives another strong, leading performance that proves she can make just about any movie look good. She stars as Melanie, a New York fashion designer whose dream is about come true. She's proposed to by New York's most successful and eligable bachelor, who also happens to be the mayor's son. Before she can say for sure, she quickly travels back home to country-side Alabama, to try and get a divorce out of her high-school sweetheart Jake (Josh Lucas). The film was better than I expected. It was pretty funny and heartwarming, while Reese gives a sweet performance in SWEET HOME ALABAMA. It's kind of a chick-flick, but proved high for a comedy on my standards. If you're in the mood for something light and funny, sweet and entertaining, "Alabama" is worth seeing.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Sweet Home Alabama, April 4, 2008

By	Kelly "Reviewer for The Sinfully Sensuous" (Littleton, Colorado) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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This review is from: Sweet Home Alabama (DVD)

Reese Witherspoon was wonderful as Melanie Carmichael! She plays the displaced southerner very well. Josh Lucas was the perfect counterpart portraying the southern hick. They have known and loved each other since they were kids, but of course life interferes, and that is where this movie starts. The town and residents are a typical stereotype, but it doesn't even matter because the film was that good. The writing and supporting cast are priceless. I do have to give special mention to Candice Bergen. She is at her best when she plays those dry roles.