Sweet Home Alabama (2002)

by Tristi Pinkston | More from this Blogger

16 Jun 2008 10:00 AM

In "Sweet Home Alabama," Melanie Carmichael (Reese Witherspoon) is living the life every girl dreams of. A fashion designer, she's just launched her line with her own show and the critics are raving. To top that off, she's dating the mayor's son, Andrew (Patrick Dempsey) and he's madly in love with her. So in love that he proposes in Tiffany's and lets her pick any ring she wants. She, of course, says yes.

There's just something she has to take care of first, and she heads off to get it done. She flies back to Alabama, where she's from, and hits her husband up for a divorce, again.

His name is Jake Perry (Josh Lucas) and they've been together since they were ten, when he first proposed. She got pregnant right out of high school and they got married, but she lost the baby and their relationship couldn't stand the stress. She took off for New York, took on the fake last name of Carmichael (her real name is Smooter) and send off divorce papers, which Jake sent back. Over and over she filed, only to have him refuse to sign every time. Now she's come back in person.

Seems like she's the only thing in town that's changed. Her friends all still hang out at the same places, doing the same things, and she feels like a fish out of water. Little by little, though, she remembers her roots, and it makes her mad. She's made a life for herself and got out of this place-she wants nothing more to do with it. Finally, after making a huge fool of herself at the bar and offending all of her friends, Jake signs the papers, and she's free to go. But there's one problem.

Andrew and his mother (Candice Bergen) decide to come meet the family, and the story of who Melanie really is comes tumbling out. They believe she's from a well-to-do family with a good education, and she's not. Andrew, however, loves her still and moves forward with the wedding. But Jake is still in Melanie's heart.

I liked this movie, and yet there were things I didn't like. Jake has done pretty well for himself financially, and it's not until Melanie discovers this that she starts feeling warm and cuddly toward him again. That just wasn't cool. There was also a little more language than I really liked. But there were some good messages about being true to yourself and about what love really is. (Although, for the record, I just have to say - Andrew was just about perfect in every way. I think she was crazy not to marry him.)

This film was rated PG-13.

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Learn more about Tristi Pinkston

I've been a blogger for Families.com since August of 2006.

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ljb (3984) 16 Jun 2008 10:37 AM

I had a different take on why Melanie warmed up to Jake after she found out that he had made something of himself and you almost hit the nail on the head when you said that she was the only one who had changed. Jake didn't just make something of himself. He made something of himself and CHOSE to be in Alabama. He showed her that he could still be successful and not live in New York. It wasn't for him - he liked the simpler life.

During the entire movie, I got the sense that Melanie was not a New Yorker. She was a southern belle at heart. But in her eyes, her career choice and begged her to be elsewhere. Jake showed her that isn't true.

I thought it was a really cute movie.

Tristi Pinkston (10839) 16 Jun 2008 01:18 PM

That is an interesting take. Thanks for sharing that -- it makes a lot more sense!