Sweet
Home Alabama
by
Lovell Mahan-Moutaw
Sometimes the titling gods should take a rest. I suppose
if a movie is mostly based in Alabama, the Lynyrd Skynyrd song should
be played, maybe once - or even twice. But then again, Lynyrd Skynyrd
should actually be singing the song, not some unknown group, and definitely
not Jewel. But to name the film after the song? Bad choice. It would
have been better just titled Reese Witherspoon's Next Movie.
Witherspoon plays Melanie Carmichael, an up-and-coming fashion designer
in New York City who may be good or may be bad, but her stuff to me
looked straight from Express. Melanie is in love with Andrew (Patrick
Dempsey), the good looking, thoughtful son of the mayor of NYC, Kate
(Candice Bergen). To Kate's distress, Andrew pulls off the movie proposal
of a lifetime and asks Melanie to marry him. She accepts, but then has
to rush home to Alabama to get a divorce from her husband, Jake (Josh
Lucas).
Melanie
hasn't been home in seven years and the big city has changed her. Mainly,
I think we are supposed to think she is a raving, selfish bitch. However,
instead, she comes off as a dreamer who went to the big city and made
good, but is still trying to prove herself at home regardless of the
fact that there is nothing to prove. She left, she succeeded, life goes
on, and went on at home without her. No one seemed to suffer except
Jake, who has been trying to win her back but not telling her he intended
to do so.
Anyhoo,
Jake doesn't want to divorce her, even though he and Melanie can do
practically nothing but yell at each other and have zero chemistry.
Then, after Melanie makes a fool of herself and a friend during a drunken
game of pool, he signs on the dotted line. But does this make her happy
or sad? Melanie now has to choose - Jake, the good-for-nothing (or is
he?), good ole boy, or Andrew, the sweet, Yankee rich kid? Hmmm...
Yadda,
yadda, yadda...I'm really not sure what to say about this movie. First
of all, Dempsey's character is a nice guy, and it was difficult to decide
who Melanie should be with, because both Jake and Andrew are worthy.
But Witherspoon has no spark with either of them. Second, Candice Bergen's
Kate is a flaming shrew for no good reason. Andrew and Melanie have
enough to worry about without a bitchy mother to contend with. I just
didn't get the point of Bergen's character. Third, I identify with Melanie
wanting to get the hell out of Dodge to see that big bad world out there.
And I understand the frustration when loved ones stay rooted and don't
want to share in your discoveries, or more importantly, your successes.
Fourth, many of these themes play out well, making us squirm when Melanie
betrays a friend, or cry when she says goodbye to her dog, or sad when
she says farewell to the one who won't do.
But
last, all this mish mash of this's and that's make this movie less charming
than it should have been. Too many unanswered questions (what was the
deal with Melanie's mother?) too many points to make (true love, you
can have your cake and eat it too), too many stereotypes mixed with
contemporary political correctness (the gay redneck getting outed and
then accepted by friends within days) without enough charm or chemistry
between characters to bind them all together.
Although this isn't a ringing endorsement for the film
(which has many good points, but alas -Witherspoon's wardrobe is not
one of them), it isn't a warning against it either. Certainly not worthy
of full admission; perhaps a matinee is in order. Beware of Jewel singing
"Sweet Home Alabama" at the end though. Blech.
©2002 Lovell Mahan-Moutaw
CineScene
