Reese Witherspoon (as stubborn, sassy lapsed southern belle Mel) could play this role in her sleep, and essentially she plays Reese Witherspoon, which is OK if you like her. At least she's intelligent, and not a bimbo. To me, the star of the film is Josh Lucas, as her estranged husband Jake, who stayed in Alabama years ago while she left to forge a corporate career. Mel is about to marry her handsome Yankie beau Andrew (Patrick Dempsey), but she returns home to ask Jake for a divorce. Cue lots of rather insulting cliches about southerners: they drink a lot, they're hillbillies, they're uneducated, they have kids very young, etc, etc, etc. Plus about five renditions of the rock hit Sweet Home Alabama, which admittedly is still a great song.
Jake, however, comes across as very smart, and he's portrayed as genuinely puzzled about why Mel left, and what she expects of him. The couple really do have stuff to work through - haven't they heard of couples therapy? But it's believable, the way it's written. And he and Witherspoon have great chemistry. The supporting cast including Candice Bergen - as Andrew's very stubborn and sassy (and snobby) mother, who's mayor of New York - are good. There's some nice scenes, such as showing Mel's father's Civil War re-enactment group. There is no doubt, whatsoever, how this film is going to end, and did they really need the other stock rom-com staples - the gay friend and the cute dog? But if you're stuck inside on a rainy day, it's a good way to pass the time.
Review of Sweet Home Alabama
