Apr 22, 2014

Review A to Z - Sweet Home Alabama (2002)

Here we are! With another guest post for my little blog. This time I have got a movie review from Kajal Kapur. 
I first got to know Kajal when she did a story for Ultimate Blog Challenge. While I was writing (read struggling and failing) a story too, she did a wonderful story with right surprises and perfect end. 
I have been a regular visitor to her blog Rainbow hues since then.
A few weeks ago I saw that her blog wasn't doing A to Z and requested her to be a guest blogger, and I got to know that she was doing the challenge through her other blog Movie Masala
Here is her review of Sweet Home Alabama


Sweet Home Alabama 


Cast: Reese Witherspoon, Josh Lucas, Patrick Dempsey, Candice Bergen
Director: Andy Tennant
Music: George Fenton


There are romantic movies and there are comedies and then there are some movies that fall in both these categories and yet stand on their own. This one, for sure (for me) falls in that category.  I fell in love…and then I fell in love with this movie. And this stays as one of my all time favorite movies. In spite of how clichéd this movie seems, it is very close to my heart and shall stay for a very long time, I believe.


Melanie Smooter (Reese Witherspoon) and Jake Perry (Josh Lucas) are childhood sweethearts and are married but Melanie takes off to New York City to fulfill her dream of becoming a fashion designer. She changes her last name to Carmichael and also gets engaged to the mayor’s son Andrew (Patrick Dempsey) and does not tell him that she is still married to Jake back home. She takes off to meet her parents with the intention of finally getting a divorce from Jake back in Alabama, which he has been evading since the last seven years. Jake refuses to sign the papers and suggests her to spend some time with her parents.


Melanie spends some time with her family and friends and feels that she has only moved away from the place physically but her heart still connects with the local people and her old friends.  She begins to understand how well she is still rooted to her hometown. In the mean time, the mayor Kate Hennings (Candice Bergen) sends her assistant to check the family background of Melanie. While Melanie is at her friend Bobby Ray’s place, where she had gone to apologize for her misbehavior with him, the mayor’s assistant discovers her. She lies to him that the plantation belongs to her family.



Simultaneously Jake, upset with her behavior with their mutual friends, signs the divorce papers for her. Melanie learns from a friend that Jake had once gone to New York to meet her because he was still in love with her. She finds her heart melting and confesses this to her dead dog when she goes to the cemetery. Jake and Melanie chat for a while and Melanie on realizing that she still loves Jake and tries to kiss him. Andrew also follows Melanie to her town and discovers that she is already married to Jake. Melanie’s father explains the situation to Andrew and he agrees to get married to her in Alabama. On the day of her wedding, Melanie realizes that she cannot marry Andrew since she still loves Jake and follows her to the same beach where they used to play as kids and had promised to be married to each other. Jake and Melanie finally kiss and make up.

As I said before, the movie is highly clichéd and hence on the surface looks too easy. Indeed it is but it has moments that melt your heart and dialogues that live with me even today. Yes, like some of my favorite rom-coms, I have seen this one multiple times as well and remember the dialogues even now. Here I reprise some of the moments:

Melanie: The truth is I gave my heart away a long time ago, my whole heart, and I never really got it back.

Melanie: You're the first boy I ever kissed, Jake, and I want you to be the last.


Jake: Since when does it have to be one or the other? You can have roots and wings, Mel.

Jake: Nobody finds their soul mate when they're ten. I mean, where's the fun in that, right?

Young Melanie: What do you want to marry me for anyhow?
Young Jake: So I can kiss you anytime I want.

Melanie: And don't even pretend like you missed me.
Jake: Oh, I missed you all right, but at this range, my aim is bound to improve.

Stella: You know for someone whose been holding onto something for so long, you're pretty quick to let it go.
Jake: I can't control her, any more than I can control the weather.

Lurlynn: It's funny how things don't turn out...
Melanie: ...It's funny how they do.

Jake: C'mon, I wanna show you something.
Melanie: I can't.
Jake: Can't? Or won't?
Melanie: Both.
Jake: The girl I knew used to be fearless.
Melanie: The girl you knew didn't have a life.
Jake: Guess you better get on with it then.


Well, for someone who’s taken away to the big city chasing her dreams while her heart stays back, I made a connect with this one immediately. Also the tag line  “Sometimes What You're Looking For Is Right Where You Left It ” did it for me totally. You gotto check it out for sure. Here’s why: 



19 comments:

  1. Such a sweet review. I haven't seen this movie but if the movie is too sugary or cliched, I don't like it. With rom coms, it either works or it doesn't. I will catch it if it comes on telly.

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  2. Ah Kajal superb review again. I love this movie, cliché or not it still seems as fresh to me whenever I see it! :)

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  3. I loved this movie - particularly the ending. I thought that was real sweet. Kajal as always your reviews are superb.

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    1. I agree with you, Kajal's movie reviews are superb...

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  4. This one's a favourite of mine. Especially because of Reese Witherspoon. I so wish, Patrick Dempsey had played the other role, though ;)

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  5. Oh Kajal is here... I love this movie I must say and I loved the review...I really love watching such movies ...happiness guranteed!

    S for Safe-Random Thoughts Naba

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  6. I watched this movie many times . One of my favs. That is an apt review!

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  7. Good to see you here, Kajal. I am definitely watching this one. Loved the dialogues you shared here!! :)

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    1. Shilpa even I am really happy to have Kajal on my blog :)

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  8. seems like a sweet movie... guess a hindi remake was also made starring Akshay Kumar. As always love your reviews Kajal.

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  9. Great review. Nice to meet and connect through atozchallenge. http://aimingforapublishingdeal.blogspot.co.uk/

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  10. I think I will watch this movie, very nice review.

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