SWEET HOME ALABAMA


US, 2002, 108 minutes, Colour.
Reese Witherspoon, Josh Lucas, Patrick Dempsey, Candice Bergen, Mary Kay Place, Fred Ward, Jean Smart, Ethan Embry, Melanie Lynskey, Courtney Gains, Rhona Mitra, Dakota Fanning.
Directed by Andy Tennant.

This is a star vehicle for Reese Witherspoon is emerging as the star at this period, soon to be in the Legally Blonde comedies and when an Oscar in 2005 for Walk the Line.

She plays Melanie, a young woman from Alabama who has made it big in New York City in the world of fashion, changed her name, accent, attitudes, and is engaged to the wealthy son of the mayor. The mayor is played by Candice Bergen and Patrick Dempsey is her son. The mother is a snob and certainly looks down on Melanie and is suspicious of her Southern background and sets a private detective after her.

Melanie does have a back story at home, friendship with Jake, Josh Lucas, secret marriage to him, her fleeing Alabama and asking him to sign divorce papers which he has refused for many years. When she returns home, there are many interactions with him and the discovery that he has always loved her, has made good, has a pottery factory with many profitable contracts. But he does not tell her this.

In an atmosphere of being thwarted, she goes out on the town, encounters friends from the past, especially young man, Bobby Ray, and drunkenly outs him – and while hurt, he nevertheless helps to keep her cover.

The film has very strong supporting cast of character actors which makes the film stronger than it might have been. Dakota Fanning is the young Melanie.

Director, Andy Tennant, had made a number of romantic films including Fools Rush In, Ever After, Anna and the King.

1. The title? The song? The Alabama story? The perspective from New York City? The South, class differences, the North?

2. The location photography, the city of New York City, society, fashion, work, wealth? The contrast with Alabama, ordinary, homes, the town, the surroundings, the mansion, the factory?

3. Melanie’s story, Reese Witherspoon? From Alabama? Adapting to New York, changing her name, covering her past, her work, fashion, success? In love with Andrew? The engagement? The plans? Andrew’s mother, her snobbery, dislike of Melanie, using the private detective?

4. Andrew, nice, wealthy, genial, his work, relationship with his mother? Love for Melanie, the engagement?

5. The opening, Melanie and Jake together, playing, the bond between them? First love? The effect, the marriage, Melanie leaving, leaving her parents behind, at home in Alabama, their characters, hopes for their daughter?

6. Melanie’s change, the world of fashion, the pretence? The need for the divorce, Jake not signing, her coming south, confronting him, the urgency of his signing?

7. Jake, in himself, scenes from childhood, love for Melanie, the marriage, drunk at the wedding? Their life together? Her leaving? The revelation that he’d gone to New York, did not like it, wanted to prove himself? Setting up the business, his success, the factory, the contracts, his still loving Melanie?

8. Her return, her anxiety, the parent’s love for her, their attitudes, plans? Taking money out of the bank account?

9. At the club, Jake’s mother, the various women at the club, her friends, the characters in the town, an interesting gallery? The story of her pregnancy?

10. Bobby Ray, the past, his being gay, Melanie outing him, the effect? At the mansion, the gardening? The journalist, Melanie pretending, Bobby Ray and the tour, helping her?

11. Andrew, coming south, his mother, the detective posing as a journalist, the truth? The Civil War re-enactment, Melanie’s father, Jake talking to Andrew? Melanie and the dynamite on the cat? At the fair?

12. Melanie, handling the situation, hitting Andrew’s mother? Jake, his presence, the discussions with Andrew, the truth? That she had not signed the papers?

13. Andrew as the gentlemen? Melanie having to face facts, to face Jake, his success? The talk at the cemetery?

14. The sheriff, the cake, the wedding dance?

15. A future for Melanie and Jake? The picture of the two contrasting worlds – and the need for truth?