Ever hear of the story of crying "wolf?" Most of the extra forceful reviews of "Sweet Home Alabama" are the professional and amateur reviewers that try to tell us, "stay away, this is a waste of your time, do not see it." Bull-dinkey! They are just crying "wolf" for some unknown reason. This is a fine, funny movie that relies more on an ensemble cast than just on Reese Witherspoon. The writing is smart and funny, the directing fits the comedic mood of the story, and the acting is just right. Although it is a quite different film from "Legally Blonde" and "Election", I enjoyed it just as much, and will enjoy it upon repeat viewings.
no SPOILERS here...
Critic Ebert has a good summary of the story so I won't repeat any of it here. For those who may see the film and wonder how much the small town life is exaggerated, let me tell you "not much!" I grew up in a very small southern town, and I go back on occasions for high school reunions. What is depicted in this film is pretty darned close to reality, with some license taken for making the story a bit more interesting. Pay special attention to the story with the cat, and its burned tail, and watch closely at the end. :-)
The DVD is fine but the picture is not "reference" quality. The sound is Dolby 5.1 but surround channels are not very dynamic. The "extras" has several deleted scenes, and also includes the original ending that was scrapped after comments from test screenings. They had to re-shoot and I think the eventual ending is very appropriate. The first and last scenes complement each other very well.
"Sweet Home Alabama" - a fine movie for those who enjoy a good comedy, and especially those who like Reese Witherspoon.
