Sweet Home Alabama

views updated

Sweet Home Alabama ★★½ 2002 (PG-13)

Rich hot city guy or hot poor country guy? That's the choice NYC fashion designer Melanie (Witherspoon) has to make in this amiable romantic comedy. The dueling beaus are Andrew (Dempsey), son of NYC mayor Bergen, and Jake (Lucas), Melanie's high school sweetheart (and current husband) back home in Alabama who still has the hots for her. When Andrew pops the question in high style, Melanie accepts and then races off to Alabama to finish matters with Jake, who hasn't given her a divorce. Complications abound when sparks fly with Jake and Mel's snooty city friends discover her well-hidden, trailer-trash upbringing. Witherspoon plays her trademark plucky act well, elevating a so-so vehicle. 105m/C VHS, DVD . US Reese Witherspoon, Josh(ua) Lucas, Patrick Dempsey, Candice Bergen, Mary Kay Place, Fred Ward, Jean Smart, Ethan (Randall) Embry, Melanie Lynskey, Courtney Gains, Rhona Mitra, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Nathan Lee Graham, Dakota Fanning; D: Andy Tennant; W: C. Jay Cox; C: Andrew Dunn; M: George Fenton.