Alabama Isn't Reality But It Sure Is Sweet!

6 Pages 1478 Words

Alabama Sure Ain’t Reality…But it is Sweet


Reese Witherspoon takes another successful jab at romance in her new flick Sweet Home Alabama. Witherspoon, one of Hollywood’s newest sweethearts, plays up and coming NYC designer, Melanie Carmichael, with one really big thorn in her side; her worse than humble Southern past. After her A-list New York boyfriend, Andrew, (Patrick Dempsey) whisks her into Tiffany’s late one night, and proposes amidst thousands of little blue boxes (not to mention the diamonds that go with them), she accepts. Ok, so where’s the problem? Well, that’s where Alabama comes in.
In New York, she has the perfect life, the perfect boyfriend, and the perfect career. But (and there’s always a but), she has a past that she would just as soon forget, and almost successfully has for seven years. Light years from 5th Avenue, she arrives in Pigeon Creek, Alabama determined to divorce the hometown husband she left behind.
Not surprisingly the entire movie theater was filled with young adult females. It is obvious that Sweet Home Alabama will be referred to as a ‘chick flick’. There is a clear absence of the typical guy movie elements of blood, guts, and gore. Instead the movie is tailored around fashion, true love, and finding prince charming. And girls, you won’t be disappointed. It delivers all of those elements neatly packaged so that you will walk out of the movie theater wondering where your ruggedly handsome hometown prince is.
Yes, there is room for criticism in Alabama, but it doesn’t overshadow the many positive aspects of the movie. To a feminist the superficiality (especially the Tiffany’s scene) may be gag-worthy. To me, it makes the film more of a fairy tale and a lovable one at that. Also, the story line in Sweet Home Alabama isn’t exactly what one would call unique, and it’s pretty predictable. The plot has definitely “been done” and probably done better...