Sweet Home Alabama

Name: Sweet Home Alabama
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Released: September 27, 2002
Duration: 108 min
Rating: 45
Cast: Josh Lucas, Patrick Dempsey, Reese Witherspoon

2002

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Mixed or average reviews based on 35 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 46 Ratings

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7.0	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 46 Ratings

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Movie Details & Credits

Buena Vista Pictures | Release Date: September 27, 2002 | PG-13

Starring: Josh Lucas, Patrick Dempsey, Reese Witherspoon

Summary: Bound and determined to end their contentious relationship once and for all, newly-engaged New Yorker Melanie (Witherspoon) sneaks back home to Alabama to confront her past (including her redneck husband), only to discover that you can take the girl out of the South, but you can never take the South out of the girl. (Touchstone Pictures)

Director: Andy Tennant

Genre(s): Comedy, Romance

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 108 min

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Critic Reviews

Roger Ebert

It is a fantasy, a sweet, light-hearted fairy tale with Reese Witherspoon at its center. She is as lovable as Doris Day would have been in this role (in fact, Doris Day was in this role, in "Please Don't Eat the Daisies"). Read full review

Carrie Rickey

If you can tolerate the redneck-versus-blueblood cliches that the film trades in, Sweet Home Alabama is diverting in the manner of Jeff Foxworthy's stand-up act. Read full review

Ann Hornaday

At the movie's thoroughly expected conclusion, a visual joke has a bedraggled cat licking at the icing on a wedding cake, but it's really Melanie who gets to have it and eat it, too.

Kim Morgan

Too sugary to be funny or offensive or even offensively funny, though any kind of funny would be welcome here.

J.R. Jones

This is the usual cartoon of hound dogs, roadhouses, antebellum mansions, and Civil War reenactments. Aside from that, it's not a bad date movie. Read full review

Laura Sinagra

The clunky yee-haw script full of tired bitch/angel oppositions and Witherspoon's school-play petulance cranks the twang to a blare. Read full review

Hazel-Dawn Dumpert

To call the film contrived would imply that some sort of effort had been made, when Sweet Home Alabama is nothing but dead lazy and slow — y'all. Read full review

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User Reviews

Meth-dude

Jan 28, 2017

It was a very predictable, cliché and stupid movie, but it was pretty entertaining, the acting was good and the cinematography was very good. Overall, it's a pretty standard romantic comedy.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

cameronmorewood

Nov 12, 2012

A sweet light-hearted and lovable romp with Witherspoon at its center to seal the deal.

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AmyM.

Feb 27, 2003

Sweet Home Alabama was a good movie but something you would only want to see once. It's a rather predictable romance that has a couple of twists and turns but nothing that keeps you on the edge of your seat. It's a movie you'll forget you ever saw. It is , however, a good Sweet Home Alabama was a good movie but something you would only want to see once. It's a rather predictable romance that has a couple of twists and turns but nothing that keeps you on the edge of your seat. It's a movie you'll forget you ever saw. It is , however, a good movie to watch if you're planning to do something with the family. It's got pretty good morals. She does end up getting engaged to a man while she is still married to another... Several charactors are noted as being gay and the main character admits to getting marries just because she was pregnant. Compared to many other movies, I'd say this PG-13 romantic comedy is a good choice for a family outing.… Expand

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kyle20ellis

Mar 28, 2022

"Sweet Home Alabama" was a nice pleasant romantic comedy. What made this film I think was the performance of Resse Witherspoon, her character starts off unlikeable, but in the latter half of the film we see a change of heart to her being more sympathetic. Witherspoon played her very"Sweet Home Alabama" was a nice pleasant romantic comedy. What made this film I think was the performance of Resse Witherspoon, her character starts off unlikeable, but in the latter half of the film we see a change of heart to her being more sympathetic. Witherspoon played her very convincingly, being her usual likable self, and she is amiably supported by Patrick Dempsey, Candice Bergen and Josh Lucas. There is also a nice soundtrack, good direction, beautiful scenery and good cinematography. While essentially a pleasant film, the film is let down by some sluggish pacing and a slow and sometimes predictable story that meanders at the end. Also one or two characters are a little clichéd. In conclusion, this is not perfect by all means but it is worth watching and pleasant. 6/10 Bethany Cox… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

Spielberg00

Sep 10, 2011

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. For a romantic comedy, SWEET HOME ALABAMA was quite an enjoyable film. Starring Reese Witherspoon, Josh Lucas, and Patrick Dempsey, it tells the tale of a northerner who meets a man and immediately falls in love. The problem is she's married to a "redneck" down in Alabama already, so she goes down south to divorce him. There, another problem arises: her husband refuses to sign the papers. It seemed in this film that there was no consistent plot, and it was always just problem after problem after problem coming up. Also, this is quite unoriginal, and it was intended as a comedy, but I didn't see much that was funny in it (or even really aimed at humor). In fact, I saw it more as a romantic drama than a "romcom". Either way, it was a chick flick, and even though I don't usually enjoy that type of film, I found it to be a cute movie, and it was somewhat worth seeing.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Vorch

Apr 17, 2022

This movie was bad when I first watched it almost 15 years ago. Watching it in 2022 now, and it's even worse. Besides the cringe worthy plot (southern folks have to go to new York to be successful?) and the casual celebration of the antebellum south, this is a Hallmark movie paying homage toThis movie was bad when I first watched it almost 15 years ago. Watching it in 2022 now, and it's even worse. Besides the cringe worthy plot (southern folks have to go to new York to be successful?) and the casual celebration of the antebellum south, this is a Hallmark movie paying homage to worst parts of Gone with the wind.… Expand

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