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For my film review of the South, I
picked the movie Sweet Home Alabama starring
Reese Witherspoon, Patrick Dempsey, and Josh Lucas. The film follows Melanie
Carmichael, a southern belle turned Yankee, as she attempts to break away from
her small-town Alabama lifestyle as a leading fashion designer in New York
City. After accepting a marriage proposal from New York royalty Andrew
Hennings, she returns home to confront her husband Jake Perry, who never really
signed the divorce papers from the get go. So as not to spoil the ending for
those of you haven’t seen it, it is a typical chick flick in which a woman
finds herself, love, and happiness. Obviously, that just means she chooses her
Southern guy over the Yankee.
The movie addresses the South (specifically, Alabama) as an old-fashioned, slower world by comparing it to the modern, faster world of the North. For instance, within the first five minutes of the film, Melanie’s southern accent is pointed out and, subsequently, mocked by her co-workers. This, in turn, leads the audience into believing that a Southern gal is out of place in the big city. In fact, Melanie even says that she “needs a passport to get out of here (Alabama).” Later, Andrew’s mother makes it clear that Melanie’s southern roots are what keep her from understanding the lifestyle of New York City elite. The mayor, upon examining the two regions, states, “We’re not better. We’re not worse. We’re different.” Her town implies that Melanie’s southern background limits her understanding of social discourse and propriety that would be necessary as Andrew’s wife in a bustling city.
The movie further explains the South as out-of-date by the quick visual images that flash across the screen when Melanie initially returns to her home state. First, her parents’ home and lifestyle are stuck in the past: her father drives a beat up truck, they live in an old house with a dirty porch, and they have an old recliner proudly displayed in their living room. Meanwhile, in the north, families have modern appliances and furniture and keep a clean house, both literally and figuratively. Furthermore, southerners are constantly concerned about money. These images propose that all southerners lack the necessary funds to build them up financially or southerners are too simple minded to explore the options given to them through modern advances. Later, the town itself shows a lack of progression with a rusted, poorly maintained water tower. The women in the town wear clothes and do their hair and make-up as if they are still in the 80s. This is especially evident with Melanie’s fashion forward style of new, modern woman. A northern woman is concerned with the latest trends and is on top of the “who’s who” list, while a southern woman, isn’t. When Melanie first comes to the bank looking for an ATM the clerk states that an ATM would mean “losing personal contact with the customers.” The north has ATMs, thereby, allowing people to focus on other, more important tasks.
Finally, we can compare the two male leads: Jake, a good ole boy from the South, and Andrew, the man of prestige. Jake is a man who lives life by his own rules; so, he is wild and free. Andrew, meanwhile, does what society dictates without taking the initiative. Jake owns a dog, has plenty of beer in the fridge, speaks his mind, and wears dirty jeans with plaid shirts. Andrew, well, he doesn’t. He drinks champagne, follows a script, and wears suits. Jake gives the impression of the south as an untamed place of mischief. Likewise, Andrew symbolizes the “do good, be good” mentality of the north.
Based on my observations of the movie, I will conclude that Sweet Home Alabama depicts the South as a place steeped so heavily in tradition and so focused on its past accomplishments that it cannot move forward. - Corinne Beckinger
The movie addresses the South (specifically, Alabama) as an old-fashioned, slower world by comparing it to the modern, faster world of the North. For instance, within the first five minutes of the film, Melanie’s southern accent is pointed out and, subsequently, mocked by her co-workers. This, in turn, leads the audience into believing that a Southern gal is out of place in the big city. In fact, Melanie even says that she “needs a passport to get out of here (Alabama).” Later, Andrew’s mother makes it clear that Melanie’s southern roots are what keep her from understanding the lifestyle of New York City elite. The mayor, upon examining the two regions, states, “We’re not better. We’re not worse. We’re different.” Her town implies that Melanie’s southern background limits her understanding of social discourse and propriety that would be necessary as Andrew’s wife in a bustling city.
The movie further explains the South as out-of-date by the quick visual images that flash across the screen when Melanie initially returns to her home state. First, her parents’ home and lifestyle are stuck in the past: her father drives a beat up truck, they live in an old house with a dirty porch, and they have an old recliner proudly displayed in their living room. Meanwhile, in the north, families have modern appliances and furniture and keep a clean house, both literally and figuratively. Furthermore, southerners are constantly concerned about money. These images propose that all southerners lack the necessary funds to build them up financially or southerners are too simple minded to explore the options given to them through modern advances. Later, the town itself shows a lack of progression with a rusted, poorly maintained water tower. The women in the town wear clothes and do their hair and make-up as if they are still in the 80s. This is especially evident with Melanie’s fashion forward style of new, modern woman. A northern woman is concerned with the latest trends and is on top of the “who’s who” list, while a southern woman, isn’t. When Melanie first comes to the bank looking for an ATM the clerk states that an ATM would mean “losing personal contact with the customers.” The north has ATMs, thereby, allowing people to focus on other, more important tasks.
Finally, we can compare the two male leads: Jake, a good ole boy from the South, and Andrew, the man of prestige. Jake is a man who lives life by his own rules; so, he is wild and free. Andrew, meanwhile, does what society dictates without taking the initiative. Jake owns a dog, has plenty of beer in the fridge, speaks his mind, and wears dirty jeans with plaid shirts. Andrew, well, he doesn’t. He drinks champagne, follows a script, and wears suits. Jake gives the impression of the south as an untamed place of mischief. Likewise, Andrew symbolizes the “do good, be good” mentality of the north.
Based on my observations of the movie, I will conclude that Sweet Home Alabama depicts the South as a place steeped so heavily in tradition and so focused on its past accomplishments that it cannot move forward. - Corinne Beckinger
