Melanie Carlyle, the fancy-schmancy fashion designer from New York, is not Melanie Carlyle. She is not yet famous, though respected in her field, and to date, celebrity has eluded her.
Andrew Hennings, son of the mayor of New York City, doesn’t care. He is madly in love with none other than Melanie. There’s not enough glitter in Tiffany’s to truly express his love, but he will try. Mama Mayor is grooming him for the presidency. Melanie, therefore, is about to be under investigation.
In a scene suitable for a fairy tale, Drew pops the question and Melanie accepts—with normal hesitation. But, why any hesitation at all, when the catch of the decade is kneeling before her?
Melanie has a little problem—her past. Mama Mayor will have a field day if she ever finds out about it.
It’s time to hurry home to Alabama—Pigeon Creek to be exact, to straighten out a few things.
Enter Jake Perry, who is a little unfinished business back home. You see, Jake was Melanie’s first kiss, at age ten. As the years went by, Jake became Melanie’s first everything.
Melanie must do one very important thing in Pigeon Creek. I’ll give you a little hint. One should not get married again without a divorce from one’s previous spouse. Get it?
Seven years ago, Melanie ran out on Jake to gain fame and fortune in the city that never sleeps. She just pulled up stakes and said very few goodbyes. She even dashed out without bidding farewell to their two coon dogs, Bear and Bryant. Big mistake. A lot of bridges burned behind her.
Jake never forgets and he’s not in a forgiving mood. Divorce papers can wait for his signature as far as he is concerned—maybe for a long time.
Melanie declares war. Jake is about to pay a big price for his stubbornness. If he still wants a wife, then Melanie will play the game and be that wife, be sickening sweet and be part owner, once again, of their joint bank account that has grown considerably. That’ll get his attention!
You can take the country out of the girl and Melanie is out to prove it. "Sign here when you’ve had enough", she is saying with her actions, "so I can get back to the Big Apple."
I tabbed Reese Witherspoon for special stardom when I saw her first major film years ago—"The Man In The Moon". She continues to make me look good, especially with her recent hit, "Legally Blonde". As Melanie, "Sweet Home Alabama" can only add to her star quality.
Patrick Dempsey does a fitting portrayal of the very political and proper Drew Hennings. Josh Lucas is great as Jake, the husband who never really got a fighting chance. One of these two gets the girl and the trip to their success is hokey and hilarious. Witherspoon fills the screen in a way that adequately makes up for the predictability and worn out sight gags that often accompany such boy-girl battles.
Nice performances are turned in by Fred Ward, Mary Kay Place and Candice Bergen as Her Honor, the mayor.
Who gets Melanie Smooter? You heard me. The name alone is enough to freeze frame a high class suitor from New York, but does it?
Take a trip down south and find out, but remember—"sometimes what you’re looking for is right where you left it."
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