Sweet Home Alabama

Theatrical Release Date: 2002 09 27 (USA)

UPC: 786936208030

Studio: Walt Disney Video

MPAA Rating: PG13   Contains:[Adult Situations, Adult Language, Suitable for Teens]

Summary: After establishing herself as a bankable star with the fish out of water comedy Legally Blonde, Reese Witherspoon returns in what could be described as a "fish back in water" comedy. Melanie Carmichael (Witherspoon) is a successful New York fashion designer who is dating Andrew Hennings (Patrick Dempsey), a wealthy socialite whose mother, Katherine Hennings (Candice Bergen), is the Big Apple's mayor. One day, Andrew pops the big question and asks Melanie to marry him; Melanie is overjoyed, but unknown to Andrew, Melanie has some unfinished business to take care of first. Despite her polished uptown image, Melanie grew up poor in the deep South, and as a teenager she married her high school sweetheart Jake Perry (Josh Lucas). Things went sour and Melanie moved East, reinventing herself along the way, but Jake never bothered to legally end their marriage. Now Melanie has to return to her hometown of Pigeon Creek, AL, to tell her parents (Fred Ward and Mary Kay Place) the news and convince Jake to grant her a divorce; however, the more time she spends with her old flame, the more she feels sparks flying between them again, while she also learns her Eastern affectations don't fly with everyone back home. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Category: Comedy

Features: cc "Off the cutting room floor"- 8 deleted scenes with introduction by director Andy Tennant
Alternate ending with commentary
Director's audio commentary
Shedaisy's "Mine All Mine" music video

Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Widescreen (2.35:1) - enhanced for 16x9 televisions
French language track

Sweet Home Alabama

Format: DVD

Release Date: 02/04/2003

Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Cinemascope

Audio: DD5.1 Dolby Digital 5.1

Runtime: 109 Minutes

Sides: 1

Number of Discs: 1

Language(s) English,French

Region: USA & territories, Canada

Chapters: Side #1 --
1. Opening Credits/Lightning Strikes
2. The Proposal
3. The Smooters
4. Redecorating the House
5. Carried Home
6. Touring the Carmichael Plantation
7. Street Fair
8. Saying Goodbye
9. Planning a Southern Wedding
10. The Wedding
11. The Right Groom
12. End Credits

Brian J. Dillard

After a string of edgy and often deliberately unsympathetic performances in such films as Freeway, American Psycho, and Election, Reese Witherspoon was probably as surprised as anyone that America was ready to let her become its latest sweetheart. But after the runaway success of Legally Blonde, the budding superstar stuck to safe, fairy-tale material with this mostly winning romantic comedy. Populated by lovable eccentrics and plain but good folks, Sweet Home Alabama's Pigeon Creek is indistinguishable from any number of other sanitized, fictional Southern towns. But Witherspoon, with her kewpie countenance and iron spine, differs just enough from the conventional leading lady to remove the aftertaste from the saccharine material. Taking her cues from the conniving Julia Roberts school of heroines rather than the blander Meg Ryan variety, she drinks, cusses, and condescends her way to a perverse likability. The more she resembles a Jerry Springer guest, the more the audience cheers her on. The film's reassuring "I'm okay, you're okay" geographic relativism may not play well to self-satisfied Manhattanites, but it sure goes down well everywhere else. Heartthrobs Ethan Embry, Patrick Dempsey, and Joshua Lucas provide the requisite broad-based sex appeal, while everyone from Candice Bergen and Jean Smart to Mary Kay Place supplies laughs and lovable stereotypes. Jewel chimes in with the inevitable Lynyrd Skynyrd cover, and boom -- something safe for everyone, like all the best blockbusters. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi

Cast and Crew: George Fenton  Composer (Music Score) 
Andy Tennant  Director 
Michael Fottrell  Executive Producer 
Stokely Chaffin  Producer 
Neal H. Moritz  Producer 
Jon Jashni  Executive Producer 
Wink Mordaunt  Executive Producer 
C. Jay Cox  Screenwriter 
Reese Witherspoon  Actor 
Josh Lucas  Actor 
Patrick Dempsey  Actor 
Candice Bergen  Actor 
Mary Kay Place  Actor 
Fred Ward  Actor 
Jean Smart  Actor 
Ethan Embry  Actor 
Melanie Lynskey  Actor 
Courtney Gains  Actor 
Mary Lynn Rajskub  Actor 
Rhona Mitra  Actor 
Nathan Lee Graham  Actor 
Dakota Fanning  Actor 
Mark Matkevich  Actor 
Ted Manson  Actor 
Ambre Lake  Actor 

Country: USA