Oh, Sweet Home Alabama. What can you say about this generic romantic comedy? As a romantic comedy, there is an intrinsic ridiculousness to the plot line, an inborn sappiness to the dialogue and an irritating lack of dimension to the characters. If you have a slightly cynical side, it is a tough genre to love.
But people don’t watch these movies to see intricate plot lines or fully developed characters; they pay to feel good about themselves and restore their faith in the powers of love. To that end, Reese Witherspoon and the rest of the cast of Sweet Home Alabama have made themselves a fine romantic comedy.
The film concerns Melanie (Witherspoon), a young designer living in New York who is poised to make her big splash on the international fashion scene. She is recently engaged to Andrew (Patrick Dempsey), a young Kennedy-like gentleman. Things with Andrew are great, so great that he proposes to her in Tiffany’s, giving her free choice over her engagement ring. What else can she say to such a display of love and commerce but “Ohmigod!” Again, dialogue is not this film’s strong suit.
So what’s the catch? Melanie is still legally married to her high school sweetheart Jake (Josh Lucas), who has repeatedly denied her requests for a legal divorce. So she returns to the podunk Alabama town she abandoned only to find that Jake is still as stubborn as ever and that her little burg hasn’t progressed one bit since her departure.
Jake and Melanie are still as feisty as ever–there are fights, accusations and revenge plots, all done in a predictable fashion. It isn’t long before Melanie questions her choice to leave Alabama and reconsiders her relationship with her first love.
The couple has its moment of truth in the only place that makes any sense–in the coon dog cemetery. As they sit at the grave of their old mutt, the tears and emotions uncover an unseen dimension to their tenuous relationship. It might be touching if the scene were not in a coon dog cemetery, but maybe that’s just nitpicking.
Of course, let’s not forget about Andrew, Melanie’s well-healed beau from above the Mason-Dixon line. His devotion has inspired him to plan the wedding in Alabama, which will be tricky as the divorce papers have not been finalized. So what’s this conflicted rags-to-riches gal gonna do? We’ll leave the super-surprise ending for you to uncover (Hint: It’s a happy ending.)
The main sticking point with this movie is the portrayal of North and South. The New Yorkers are handsome and fashion-obsessed. The ‘Bama boys are unrefined and the women serve as wallpaper in their trailers’ living rooms. Neither side is given much credit and the characters are little more than regional caricatures.
It’s fair to say that you know whether or not you will enjoy this movie before you ever set foot in the theater. If you’ve seen the ads or read the reviews, you know what’s in store and can spend your cinema dollars accordingly.
For all that, Sweet Home Alabama isn’t too terrible. It doesn’t try to come off as deep or revolutionary, it merely wants to entertain you. As with most current films, heightened enjoyment comes with lowered expectations.
