I mean, truly attacked. [13] Van Zant said: "Wallace and I have very little in common. I would do everything and anything to work with Melanie Lynskey again. That led to me going to "director jail." It works because of the talents of those two actors. AmyM. Tennant: I didn't realize how funny that line would be, but when Melanie [Lynskey] does her whole thing about Jaclyn Smith and the designer, she is just brilliant and can make anything work. And I think there was a lot of fear on her part about me and what I was going to bring because she couldn't look at any past work of mine and understand why I was cast. Tennant: I may have had Reese slap him a few more times just to fuck with him. They put in the script a dog who dives for a bone feeling it was a good example of small-town America but the movie dog never wanted to go in the water. A bologna cake consists of bologna, cream cheese and horseradish. Add to favorites. Melanie Carmichael: The truth is I gave my heart away a long time ago, my whole heart, and I never really got it back. So the funny negotiation of it all is they called me up and said, "Disney doesn't want you to do this movie, nobody wants you to do this movie except Andy, so they're offering you nothing, so take it or leave it." Lucas: We were in it. More trivia for Sweet Home Alabama. What is humane about blowing it up and if it was gonna die of cancer all those years ago why is it still roaming around town? But even in Witherspoon's most optimistic moments, she probably didn't imagine that teaming up with filmmaker Andy Tennant, who just a year earlier helmed a movie that performed so poorly he was thrown in "director jail," and starring opposite an unknown leading man by the name of Josh Lucas would lead to enormous success. of them Melanie's parents are "scared" by a punk with a pierced tongue, Josh came in from New York and we had several women producers and casting directors say he was gorgeous, great, charming, and had a great voice. I had remembered it being a decent rom com with some heart, but as I watched it, I realized that it followed the exact same pattern of a Hallmark Christmas movie: 1. Mel's co-worker from the beginning of the movie, who comments on her accent Where the skies are so blue and the governor's true, The choice of Birmingham in connection with the governor (rather than the capital of Montgomery) is significant because it was the site of civil rights activism and violence in the 1960s. A mid-credits sequence shows that they have a baby daughter, Melanie continues to thrive as a designer, and Jake opens a "Deep South Glass" franchise in New York. Boo!' 1 Comments. The scene cuts to Fred Ward, playing Melanie's father, giving a snarky look as the two talk. It was also covered by The Jacquie Young Band, Alabama, Wild Junkers, Chihiro Onitsuka and other artists. We all talked about accents and stuff in terms of toning ithaving a gentle, subtle, quiet element to it. But the main thing that happened when we were down there was we were having lunch and we heard these booms in the distance and it was like, "What the fuck is that?" Melanie realises she didn't sign the divorce papers at the altar so she is still married to Jake. * Sales figures based on certification alone. It's silly but it was really fun to make." So I think there was an intensity to the work experience that I think in some ways Andy was able to utilize. Trivia: During the film's original outdoor reception Jake carries Melanie, who feigns death after having supposedly been struck by a lightening bolt, towards the wedding guests. "When we showed it to a test audience the whole room was just like, 'What the fuck!'" he said. It was a real surprise that my life and career were going to change over this. Cast Of Sweet Home Alabama: How Much Are They Worth Now? "[4] "We thought Neil was shooting all the ducks in order to kill one or two," said Ronnie Van Zant at the time. And then I went off to make "Anna and the King" (starring Jodie Foster and Chow Yun-fat, the 1999 movie received mixed reviews and stirred up controversy when the Thai government deemed it historically inaccurate). Andrew Hennings , Sweet Home Alabama. Despite the cognitive dissonance that Jewel's glossy cover of Skynryd's title track causes, it's actually not a bad reworking of the Southern rock classic into an adult alternative single. But Melanie's past holds many secrets, including Jake (Josh Lucas), the . I was in no way established or had any real career to back that up. "[4] Andrew Sarris, critic for the New York Observer, said that the movie "Would be an unendurable viewing experience for this ultra-provincial New Yorker if 26-year-old Reese Witherspoon were not on hand to inject her pure fantasy character, Melanie Carmichael, with a massive infusion of old-fashioned Hollywood magic. For its used as a device to announce that Melanie under her old surname is dead, and Melanie under her new surname is alive. The early stuff in the movie, Melanie coming to Jake's house with the divorce papers for him to sign, we rehearsed that and there's a friction in the relationship and a real sense of love and passion underneath the surface. "The audience loved the movie up until that shot." It is still roaming town because it somehow survived the attempt to blow it up and it either never had cancer or has gone into remission. Glass that forms when lightning hits sand, as in the film, is called fulgurite. [6] For a decade, the film would hold this record until 2012 when Hotel Transylvania took it. Reese Witherspoon was just coming off the success of "Legally Blonde" when she agreed to play the southern troublemaker turned New York City fashion designer Melanie Carmichael. The film takes its title . Sound/Sound Designer 1 Credit. Like Melanie and Jake in "Sweet Home Alabama," Sasha (Ali Wong) and Marcus (Randall Park) are childhood best friends, growing up next door to each other in . [10], Last edited on 25 February 2023, at 05:08, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Various - Sweet Home Alabama (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) on Apple Music", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sweet_Home_Alabama_(film)&oldid=1141461745, Hollywood Makeup Artist and Hair Stylist Guild Award, Gary Rossington, Ronnie Van Zant, Edward King, Avril Lavigne, David Alspach, Lauren Christy, Graham Edwards, Matt Cantor, Pete Chill, Aston Harvey, Tenor Fly, "Felony Melanie - Sweet Home Alabama Suite (Score)", This page was last edited on 25 February 2023, at 05:08. I was a bit terrified, to say the least. Tennant: Rick and I drove around Alabama. It's a movie you'll forget you ever saw. She and Jake have a heart-to-heart, and Melanie realises why he never signed their divorce papers. Jake walks in holding an unconscious Melanie and announces to the room, Melanie Carmichael is dead. The guests are gobsmacked, then he says, Long live Felony Melanie and Witherspoons character pulls a Harry Potter, jolts awake and gives him a kiss. Written by C. Jay Cox, it stars Reese Witherspoon, Josh Lucas and Patrick Dempsey. Engaged to Andrew, the son of New York City's mayor, Melanie knows she has to go home to Pigeon Creek, Ala., and face her past before her . She is cornered there by Kate's assistant, sent to gather information on Melanie's background. D In Birmingham they C love the G Gov'nor F Boo C hoo D hoo ! That's exactly what happened, though. Check out the mistake & trivia books, on Kindle and in paperback. Although centered in a fictional version of the town of Pigeon Creek, near a fictional version of Greenville, Alabama, the film was mostly shot in Georgia. I originally had my doubts about seeing this one but I bought the DVD and I highly enjoyed the movie. [5], The song remains a staple in southern and classic rock, and is arguably the band's signature song. Josh and I continue to lobby Reese, but she's busy. A young woman who has reinvented herself as a New York City socialite must return home to Alabama to obtain a divorce from her husband after seven years of separation.A young woman who has reinvented herself as a New York City socialite must return home to Alabama to obtain a divorce from her husband after seven years of separation.A young woman who has reinvented herself as a New York City socialite must return home to Alabama to obtain a divorce from her husband after seven years of separation. The stuff she does in every take is wonderful. Melanie is engaged, but her past holds secrets in Alabama. Written by C. Jay Cox, it stars Reese Witherspoon, Josh Lucas and Patrick Dempsey. The loss of their kid, the loss of their dreams, the loss of innocence, all that stuff. It's not US going "boo" it's what the Southern man hears the Northern man say every time the Southern man'd say "In Birmingham we love the gov'nor". Sweet Home Alabama is a 2002 American romantic comedy film directed by Andy Tennant. Meanwhile, Kate Hennings, Andrew's mother and the Mayor of New York City, doubts Melanie's suitability to wed her son, whom she is grooming to run for President of the United States. D Carry me C home to see my G kin. In this fluff ball of a fairy tale, Reese Witherspoon is Melanie Carmichael, a rising New York fashion designer from humble Southern roots who is forced to choose between two Prince Charmings. Frankly, I don't think you could make "Sweet Home Alabama" today. ", Tennant: I have done two movies with Josh, I love Josh. She is a director's dream. A young woman who has reinvented herself as a New York City socialite must return home to Alabama to obtain a divorce from her husband after seven years of separation. It reached number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1974, becoming the . In 1975, Van Zant said: "The lyrics about the governor of Alabama were misunderstood. I think he was a stock-car driver. He claimed that the song was originally intended as the unabashed defense of Alabama, and even Wallace, that the song appears to be: {{blockquote|I can understand where the "boo boo boo" would be misunderstood. Jake's glassblowing shop was filmed at an old mill named Starr's Mill, in Fayette County, Georgia. There are only two hitches. 7 biggest mistakes in Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens, The 20 biggest mistakes in The Wizard of Oz, 40 biggest mistakes in The Big Bang Theory, 6 Cool things you've never noticed in movies, The biggest mistakes in the Harry Potter movies, 25 mistakes you never noticed in great movies, 7 mistakes in Beetlejuice you never spotted, More questions & answers from Sweet Home Alabama. I said, Youre the girl from Man in the Moon. Since "Sweet Home Alabama" opened in theaters Tennant made another rom-com hit, "Hitch," starring Will Smith and Eva Mendes. She and Andrew wish each other well, though Kate berates Andrew and insults Melanie, her family, and the entire town, for which Melanie punches her in the face. Answer: It was only humane from Melanie's skewed, immature-at-the-time perspective, believing the cat would be killed instantly. It's a joke.". Tagged: Sweet Home Alabama, First Love. Witherspoon landed the lead role ahead of Charlize Theron, who was also considered, and the movie which co-stars Josh Lucas and Patrick Dempsey then plays out as something of a fairy tale. It wouldn't be appropriate. Lucas has built an impressive career that includes movies like "Hulk," "Glory Road," and "Ford v Ferrari." It has come and gone ever since and I'm now way further beyond that where I don't give it much credence either way. Toward the end of the movie, Melanie's gay Black friend Frederick (Nathan Lee Graham) is in her mother's (Mary Kay Place) trailer talking about her decorative spoon collection. Melanie visits Jake, who has repeatedly refused to sign divorce papers over the years since she left for New York. Tennant: When I hear people still holding it dear to their heart I end up calling Josh and going, "God, I wish we were making Sweet Home Alabama 2." Tennant has written a treatment for a sequel to "Sweet Home Alabama." Tennant: What happened was Reese's daughter, Ava, went to school with my son, so I would see Reese on occasion. "Sweet Home Alabama" was a major chart hit for a band whose previous singles had "lazily sauntered out into release with no particular intent." The ending was included on the DVD of the film, and itd be fair to say that at first, its something of a shock. Cue tissues. The reaction of Melanie's mother at the supposed death of her daughter apparently upset the test audiences so much, that the production crew reshot the whole reception scene, minus the practical joke. There were moments where I felt it was an incredible blessing and other times, like that paparazzi incident, were terrifying. There was this scene late in shooting where we were in the bar and we were playing pool and I had done something, I don't even remember what I did, but Andy turned to me and was like, "My God, when did you become funny? Melanie's New York friends arrive for the event. I really broke my accent years ago. SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE DAILY NEWSLETTER, FIRST TAKE, Worry, Darling: September Box Office Plummets to Worst Levels in 25 Years, The Munsters Review: Rob Zombie Loves These Misfit Monsters but Fails to Make Them Funny. So we were talking to a waitress and we got into this whole conversation with some of the locals about how this is what it must have felt like back during the Civil War hearing those cannons not too far from where you were. The cat had cancer and Melanie wanted it to die a "humane" death. During that time, he was offered "Sweet Home Alabama.". Reese Witherspoon has good chemistry with both Patrick Dempsey and Josh Lucas. Andy told me there would be an honesty to it. Jake and Melanie do this as a practical joke. Another part of "Sweet Home Alabama" was also controversial in its reference to George Wallace, the governor of Alabama and supporter of racial segregation: In Birmingham, they love the governor (boo boo boo) Fred Ward's character is racist, says Tennant. This is why Reese says, "People need a passport to come down here." ", Lucas: I think that was true for Andy. qatar to toronto flight status. Witherspoon plays Melanie, a successful fashion designer who's based in New York and engaged to McDreamy. This could mean that the Sang-wook we see in the final scene is in fact Ui . During the film's original outdoor reception Jake carries Melanie, who feigns death after having supposedly been struck by a lightening bolt, towards the wedding guests. It was released in the United States on September 27, 2002, by Buena Vista Pictures. While visiting a nearby restaurant/resort with a glassblowing gallery, they admire the glass sculptures that are similar to ones they have seen in New York. There, she became a socialite, but after nearly a decade away, she needs to come back home to secure a divorce from her husband. Melanie reconciles with her friends and learns that after she split with Jake, he had followed her to New York to win her back. This was first film to shoot in New York City after the September 11, 2001 attack on the World Trade Center. But that's as close as I got. Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. They then go and dance as the Lynyrd Skynyrd song "Sweet Home Alabama" plays. Tennant: I don't know how anybody deals with fame, I really don't. I've been acting for 30 years now and I regularly have people ask me if I've ever made another movie. And they were both like, "Put it back.". Copyright 2000-2023 Dreamstime. It was written in response to Neil Young's 1970 song "Southern Man", which the band felt blamed the entire South for American slavery;[4] Young is name-checked and dissed in the lyrics. Tennant: "Sweet Home Alabama" is on all the time. Stay up to date with what you want to know. Angry, Jake leaves to meet some friends at a local bar without signing the papers. One . I was so uncomfortable and felt it wasn't working. Sweet Home Alabama is a 2002 American romantic comedy film directed by Andy Tennant.Written by C. Jay Cox, it stars Reese Witherspoon, Josh Lucas and Patrick Dempsey.The supporting cast includes Fred Ward, Mary Kay Place, Jean Smart, Candice Bergen, Ethan Embry, and Melanie Lynskey.It was released in the United States on September 27, 2002, by Buena Vista Pictures. So, its hard for me to get it back. Buena Vista Pictures; Alyssa Powell/Insider, TIMOTHY WHITE/TOUCHSTONE/KOBAL/SHUTTERSTOCK. Lynyrd Skynyrd. Now we all did what we could do Freestylers. Busy city girl comes to her rural idealic small town. I knew Reese because I had done a TV movie with her when she was 15. Sweet Home Alabama was the first film allowed to shoot in New York City after the September 11, 2001 attacks. Apparently, I did. The film takes its title from the 1974 Lynyrd Skynyrd song of the same name. Everyone had passed on it in town. She is forced to return home after becoming engaged to a man named Andrew and must procure a divorce from her childhood sweetheart and estranged husband, Jake. Journalist Al Swenson argues that the song is more complex than many believe and is not an endorsement of Wallace. But poor Josh was whacked a good number of times. Andrew arrives to surprise Melanie, but upon learning her true background and that she never told him she was married, he angrily leaves. These numbers may not look so striking now, but they were, in the context of 17 years ago, really quite something. ", The only reason "Sweet Home Alabama" was made was because of "Legally Blonde. "[13] Toward the end of the song, Van Zant adds "where the governor's true" to the chorus's "where the skies are so blue," a line seemingly contradictory to the previous lyrics. Earl Smooter: You can't ride two horses with one ass, sugarbean. Lucas: In the movie, he's my best friend but in reality, that dog was terrified of me. Padahal, Bobby Ray merupakan sosok yang selalu mendukung impian-impian Melanie sejak kecil. And she asked me what I was doing, and I was like, "We just wrote a movie, but I don't know if it's ever going to get made." The film tells the story of Melanie Smooter, a Southern girl from a small town who becomes estranged from her past after she moves to New York to become a fashion designer. Not long after three of the members of Lynyrd Skynyrd tragically died in a plane crash in 1977, Young performed a medley of "Alabama" and "Sweet Home Alabama" as a tribute. Tagged: Sweet Home Alabama, First Love. I don't like what he says about colored people. Thank you for visiting! Charlize Theron was originally sought out to play the lead role of Melanie Carmichael, but because there was an actors strike at the time, she had jumped to do the film Trapped. Design and text 1996 - 2023 Jon Sandys. Toward the end of the movie, Melanie's gay Black friend Frederick (Nathan Lee Graham) is in her mother's (Mary Kay Place) trailer talking about her decorative spoon collection. The film ultimately ends with Witherspoons character staying with her ex-husband, and the pair of them get married again. Download Sweet Home Alabama stock photos. Pop Market DiscogsPop culture, or popular culture, is the collection of ideas, opinions, and images popular within a culture at a given time. On the beach just before, it was dirty and wet from the storm and sand. Unheard of. It was written in response to Neil Young's 1970 song "Southern Man", which the band felt blamed the entire South for American slavery; Young is name-checked and dissed in the lyrics. "sweet home alabama" written by ronnie van zant, gary robert rossington, edward c. king. [1], Sweet Home Alabama (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), the film soundtrack, includes thirteen songs by different artists. "[14], Music historians examining the juxtaposition of invoking Richard Nixon and Watergate after Wallace and Birmingham note that one reading of the lyrics is an "attack against the liberals who were so outraged at Nixon's conduct" while others interpret it regionally: "the band was speaking for the entire South, saying to northerners, we're not judging you as ordinary citizens for the failures of your leaders in Watergate; don't judge all of us as individuals for the racial problems of southern society."[15]. There was a silence on the phone for quite a while. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider Even though theyd known each other for a while prior to working together, Reese didnt remember who he was! The script was just as bad as I thought it was before, but I thought the idea was great. Sweet home Alabama, oh, sweet home baby Lucas: Absolutely I remember that. Tennant: Even Reese's lawyer loved the treatment. The coonhound cemetery was on Moore Street in Crawfordville and the bar was located at Heavy's Barbecue near the town. Tennant said Parks had a dog who would jump in the water and fetch rocks that were at the bottom. In a sequence of them Melanie's parents are "scared" by a punk with a pierced tongue, Mel's co-worker from the beginning of the movie, who comments on her accent when she dreams. So I had to throw him off the dock and from that moment on he hated me. 12. And thats just what the movie-going audience was looking for back in 2002. Reese Witherspoon has been a part of a number of iconic movies over the years, including a short foray into rom-coms in the early '00s.The actress worked alongside Mark Ruffalo in Just Like . ". Its now been 15 years since the film was released, so heres a look back at 7 things you probably didnt know about Sweet Home Alabama! Everyone was pretty much in the same zone, said Lucas in an interview with IGN. (01:36:20), Revealing mistake: When Reese is leaving the dog cemetery, she brushes against one of the tombstones that has a stone dog on the top of it, yet as she walks past the dog begins to rock back and forth - clearly this is not a stone headstone. Although the film takes place primarily in the fictional town of Pigeon Creek, near a fictional Greenville, Alabama, it was mostly shot in Georgia. I hadn't seen it since around the time it first came out. I keep hearing that others from the movie would absolutely love to do it. Answer: She had a miscarriage. Question: In the scene where Jake is driving Andrew to find Melanie, he tells the story about the cat. I caught some of "Sweet Home Alabama" on tv the other day. With this film, Witherspoon solidified herself as a rom-com queen. 29. Witherspoon stars in the film as a successful New York fashion designer who returns to her small Alabama hometown to finalize her divorce from her husband Jake (played by Josh Lucas) and announce her engagement to a wealthy New Yorker named Andrew (played by Patrick Dempsey).