The film was directed by Andy Tennant, from a screenplay by C Jay Cox (with story credit going to Douglas J Epoch), and it tells the story of Melanie Smooter, a woman who left her home in Alabama for New York City. When the movie got to like 13 to 14 years later, I started thinking where they would all be. Lucas: There wasn't much heat on the movie, we didn't have the premiere at a glitzy theater, but what happened there is to this day one of the strangest experiences of my life. 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. After he orders her out of his house, Melanie empties Jake's checking account, hoping to spur him into ending the marriage. 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. That would hardly have played well in 2002, and itd be a fair bet itd knock even more progressive audiences today pretty much off their feet. If youd like to support our attempts to make a non-clickbaity movie website: Follow Film Stories on Twitterhere, and on Facebookhere. Fred Ward's character is racist, says Tennant. I had never done anything at that scale before. Ronnie and I were sitting there, and he kept saying, 'play that again'. Lucas has built an impressive career that includes movies like "Hulk," "Glory Road," and "Ford v Ferrari." Charlize Theron was attached to play the lead role before Reese Witherspoon. My producing partner and my editor, who are both women, were in the edit room with me. 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. Feb 27, 2003. * Sales figures based on certification alone. See production, box office & company info, Reese Witherspoon sweet performance makes this work. Imagine if the credits had rolled at just that point. [11] The lyrics to "Sweet Home Alabama" include the following lines: Well, I heard Mister Young sing about herWell, I heard ol' Neil put her downWell, I hope Neil Young will rememberA Southern man don't need him around anyhow, In Young's 2012 autobiography Waging Heavy Peace, he commented on his song: "My own song 'Alabama' richly deserved the shot Lynyrd Skynyrd gave me with their great record. There were moments where I felt it was an incredible blessing and other times, like that paparazzi incident, were terrifying. We would have lunch every year or so. Where are those four characters now: Melanie, Jake, Andrew, and Melanie Lynskey's character, Lurlynn? Journalist Al Swenson argues that the song is more complex than many believe and is not an endorsement of Wallace. Song listed in our famous tablatures. Andrew is engaged to a girl named Erin Vanderbilt. Its evenly balanced. I thought I bombed so badly that I called my agent at the time afterward and was like, "Listen, please tell them I'm so sorry but I deserve another chance, let me go back in and do it again correctly." Since "Sweet Home Alabama" opened in theaters Tennant made another rom-com hit, "Hitch," starring Will Smith and Eva Mendes. The supporting cast includes Fred Ward, Mary Kay Place, Jean Smart, Candice Bergen, Ethan Embry, and Melanie Lynskey. We went to Aliceville and we just talked to people who would invite us onto their porch for some sweet tea. Sweet home Alabama, oh, sweet home baby I thought it was funny and silly and weird. 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. It received a mixed critical reception[2] but was a success at the box office.[1]. In the movie's most dramatic scene, Melanie goes to see the gravesite of her old dog Bear. You can be a stranger in a strange land if you're not from the South. Weekend Song. [6] For a decade, the film would hold this record until 2012 when Hotel Transylvania took it. It's a joke.". It did free me. But he spoke for the common man of the South. Download Sweet Home Alabama stock photos. Then he says, "Long live Felony Melanie" and Melanie, who was just playing dead, gives him a kiss. when she dreams. You can see tucked into the top of her left boot the battery pack for her microphone and the wires going up her skirt. Nonetheless, Clayton was persuaded to take the job, to "let the music be [her] protest. Lynyrd Skynyrd and Neil Young: Friends or Foes? The streets and storefronts of Crawfordville, Georgia, were used as the backdrop for the Catfish Festival and other downtown scenes. 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. If the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree, what is Melanie's daughter like? "The audience loved the movie up until that shot." There, she became a socialite, but after nearly a decade away, she needs to come back home to secure a divorce from her husband. Addresses are not passed on to any third party, and are used solely for direct communication from this site. Everyone was pretty much in the same zone, said Lucas in an interview with IGN. I don't like my words when I listen to it. The cat had cancer and Melanie wanted it to die a "humane" death. Jake and Melanie do this as a practical joke. (c) universal music publishing, inc. Reese Witherspoon terrific heartfelt performance makes this movie work. Andy told me there would be an honesty to it. Buena Vista Pictures; Alyssa Powell/Insider, TIMOTHY WHITE/TOUCHSTONE/KOBAL/SHUTTERSTOCK. Filming in New York City. Melanie confesses that she still loves Jake and cancels the wedding. Show 1 more answer. I dont know why we thought that was really funny, director Andy Tennant told Insider. Tennant: Even Reese's lawyer loved the treatment. In the scene where Jake is driving Andrew to find Melanie, he tells the story about the cat. I think he was a stock-car driver. And I was like, "I cut six frames out of his close up." There's this motto: Act like a movie star and people will treat you like a movie star. It was also covered by The Jacquie Young Band, Alabama, Wild Junkers, Chihiro Onitsuka and other artists. Thanks to the on-screen chemistry between Witherspoon and Lucas that fuels the movie along with the great supporting cast that included Fred Ward, Jean Smart, Melanie Lynskey, Ethan Embry, Mary Kay Place, and a very young Dakota Fanning "Sweet Home Alabama" has become a beloved rom-com classic. Jake announces, "Melanie Carmichael is dead" but then a few seconds later he says, "Long live Felony Melanie." From Reese Witherspoon to Josh Lucas. Tennant: Charlize and her production company were the original principals behind the project. 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. I don't know if anybody else wanted me, and I mean Disney (which released the movie by its then theatrical distribution arm, Buena Vista Pictures) and everyone from the power positions. On a beach in the fictional town of Pigeon Creek, Alabama, 10-year-old Jake Perry and Melanie Smooter inspect the result of lightning striking sand. I still like the plaque that hangs here in my office that says I'm an honorary member of the Alabama State Militiasigned personally by George C. Sure, the man had his flaws. We were just catching up and I asked, "What have you been up to?" Melanie is engaged, but her past holds secrets in Alabama. Reese Witherspoon was at the height of her box office powers when she decided to take the lead in Sweet Home Alabama. Courtesy of Songs Of Universal, Inc. on behalf of itself, and EMI Longitude Music, Universal Music Corp. on behalf of itself and EMI Full Keel Music Official Licensed Product. tab. So, its hard for me to get it back. Hell, maybe Jake now lives in a trailer park while Melanie had built this perfect life. YOU'VE REACHED YOUR MONTHLY ARTICLE LIMIT. Trivia. Zero. The film cost some $30m, and would gross $127m in the US alone, off the back of a massive $35m opening in September of that year. Cast Of Sweet Home Alabama: How Much Are They Worth Now? And it was cold out that night. A list about the best ships in the DR franchise so far!Enjoy!Sources: thetoptensMusic: Despair Searching - Remix Cover (Danganronpa V3: . "[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]. In the two decades since it was made, "Sweet Home Alabama" went from an unwanted script to a surprise box-office hit to a rom-com classic. Sweet Home Alabama was the first film allowed to shoot in New York City after the September 11, 2001 attacks. She tells him they are still married, they return to what would have been Melanie and Andrew's reception, and finally, have their first dance as husband and wife. I agree with TheWrap's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy and provide my consent to receive marketing communications from them. Sweet Home Alabama is a romantic comedy film that was directed by Andy Tennant. Reese brings that in the scene and I think I do too. 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. ". Learn more about the full cast of Sweet Home Alabama with news, photos, videos and more at TV Guide . So at the premiere, I took my mom and had some of my friends and there was a party afterwards. 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. Does your conscience bother you? It held the record for best September opening for a decade. Sweet Home Alabama was a good movie but something you would only want to see once. When you get slapped and it's cold, it's a lot worse. ", Tennant has written a treatment for a sequel to "Sweet Home Alabama.". ), Lucas: I frankly haven't run into Reese since making the movie. Sweet Home Alabama is a 2002 American romantic comedy film directed by Andy Tennant. Lucas: I know Andy has written something but I've never read it. 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. She ends up marrying him instead of her fiance. I'm in many ways a lot like him. Get it? Earl Smooter: You can't ride two horses with one ass, sugarbean. 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? Being from Illinois and I live in New York, I was fascinated by the history and I was always surprised by how generous, kind, and friendly the people in the South were. ", Lucas: I remember the audition so well because I don't know if there's a handful of auditions that I've ever had that I felt worse about. Nobody had told me beforehand this movie is going to be a big success. The coonhound cemetery was on Moore Street in Crawfordville and the bar was located at Heavy's Barbecue near the town. Tennant: Yeah. "[4] "We thought Neil was shooting all the ducks in order to kill one or two," said Ronnie Van Zant at the time. People still revisit it not as a guilty pleasure but more as a soothing pleasure. And I was like, "I've known her since she was 15. What happens next undermines that ending, though, as her husband seemingly carries the corpse of Melanie back into the wedding reception and announces that shes dead. It was a Civil War reenactment going on eight or 10 miles away. For its used as a device to announce that Melanie under her old surname is dead, and Melanie under her new surname is alive. And that turned out to be "Legally Blonde." 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. It stars Reese Witherspoon, who plays an Alabama-born fashion designer living in NYC. Then he auditioned to play the male lead, Jake, in "Sweet Home Alabama. But in a parallel universe somewhere, the alternative version went out. In the original ending of the movie, Melanie leaves her wedding and races to the beach to reconcile with Jake. Free Sweet home Alabama tab for the acoustic guitar. Ridley Scott discusses The Last Duel box office failure, superhero films, Revisiting the 1970s films of Michael Caine: Pulp (1972), The 1950s movie that became the most expensive comedy ever, Revisiting Bandslam, and how it sets itself apart as a teen musical, Quiz Answers: 2nd September 2022 (Inside Number 10), Podcast: in conversation with Aline Brosh McKenna, Remembering The Outsiders: a video Film Stories, By continuing you accept the privacy policy. Although the film takes place primarily in the fictional town of Pigeon Creek, near a fictional Greenville, Alabama, it was mostly shot in Georgia. Lynyrd Skynyrd, Second Helping , 1974, 4/4, 98bpm. He would see me and just walk the other way. I would say in some ways we pushed each other to try, I think, to find truth. She would be great." Apparently, the clincher was the moment when the parents were looking at their dead daughter didnt get any laughs. (01:08:15), Continuity mistake: At the end of the movie, when Melanie is on the beach with Jake and she goes to kiss him she has her hands on his face, but in the next shot her arms are stretched out and she wraps them around his neck. 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. I think we all got to be precise with each other. She and Jake have a heart-to-heart, and Melanie realises why he never signed their divorce papers. 7. I would love to do a "Sweet Home Alabama 2.". ", The only reason "Sweet Home Alabama" was made was because of "Legally Blonde. 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. She begins to cry, but about much more than the loss of her dog. It works because of the talents of those two actors. Melanie follows and gets drunk, insults her old school friends, and outs her longtime friend, Bobby Ray. It was only humane from Melanie's skewed, immature-at-the-time perspective, believing the cat would be killed instantly. "Southern Comforts: 25 Best Songs About the South", "Unfurling 'Sweet Home Alabama,' A Tapestry Of Southern Discomfort", "The 25 Greatest Lynyrd Skynyrd Songs of All Time", Cash Box Top 100 Singles, October 19, 1974, "Lynyrd Skynyrd Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)", Cash Box Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles, December 28, 1974, "Danish single certifications Lynyrd Skynyrd Sweet Home Alabama", "Italian single certifications Lynyrd Skynyrd Sweet Home Alabama", "British single certifications Lynyrd Skynyrd Sweet Home Alabama", "American single certifications Lynyrd Skynyrd Sweet Home Alabama", Recording Industry Association of America, "Lynyrd Skynyrd Song Turns Alabama Tourist Theme", State's New License Plates Feature Beach Scene and 'Sweet Home Alabama', "Dave Mustaine wrote a Metallica song ripping off "Sweet Home Alabama". I felt that I had become a star overnight and I had zero anticipation of that. Reese and I were in this relationship in a sense, not in a real-life one, but in terms of the characters they were in this thing. [6][7][8][9], None of the three writers of the song were from Alabama; Ronnie Van Zant and Gary Rossington were both born in Jacksonville, Florida, while Ed King was from Glendale, California. At the end of that scene, where I say, "Go home," originally we shot it where Reese slaps me and then walks away. He tells everyone "Melanie Carmichael is dead." They then go and dance as the Lynyrd Skynyrd song "Sweet Home Alabama" plays. Tennant: "Sweet Home Alabama" is on all the time. They were laying on the limousine as we drove away. I regularly have that happen. That's not who I am, and maybe that's why I was right for Jake and have a connection to him. 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. Angry, Jake leaves to meet some friends at a local bar without signing the papers. Freestylers. Stay up to date with what you want to know. Always Be My Maybe. Copyright 2000-2023 Dreamstime. Padahal, Bobby Ray merupakan sosok yang selalu mendukung impian-impian Melanie sejak kecil. The general public didn't notice the words 'Boo! I was pretty uncomfortable, so that doesn't make the person working across from you comfortable. 5:02. 2 Credits. Tennant: I may have had Reese slap him a few more times just to fuck with him. Welcome to Sweet Home Alabama Road Sign in Alabama USA, Entering Sweet Home Alabama Road Highway Welcome Sign, Sweet home alabama welcome sign at rest area stop off highway, Welcome Sign to Sweet Home Alabama Road along Interstate 10 Photo Image, Aerial photo Welcome to Sweet Home Alabama USA, Alabama We Dare Defend Our Rights State Motto, George Wallace Plaque Alabama Visitors Center, Old used ticket for the concert of Lynyrd Skynyrd at Shoreline Amphitheatre. Reese got me good every single time. 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." I originally had my doubts about seeing this one but I bought the DVD and I highly enjoyed the movie. paul pion cantor net worth. Melanie , Jake , Sweet Home Alabama. The ending was reshot because test audiences thought Reese Witherspoon's character died. 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. 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. Danganronpa has little in the way of straight-up romance, but boy do the creators love teasing the hell out of some ships, especially ones that end in . It was funny on paper and then when we shot it, when Josh says Melanie Carmichael is dead and you cut to Mary Kay with that reaction that her daughter is dead it was just like, Who thought this was funny? Apparently, I did., Tennant continued, When we showed it to a test audience the whole room was just like, What the fk! The audience loved the movie up until that shot. 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. Josh has that kind of charisma and star power that's rare. Question: In the scene where Jake is driving Andrew to find Melanie, he tells the story about the cat. Josh Lucas was the first to admit in his interview with IGN that hes not the best at comedy, so he relied on his co-star, Reese Witherspoon for help. Director Andy Tennant did test the ending too, ultimately conceding that no one though it was funny. At the end of the movie, when Melanie is on the beach with Jake and she goes to kiss him she has her hands on his face, but in the next shot her arms are stretched out and she wraps them around his neck. 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. 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). The two return to what should have been Melanie and Andrews reception and have their first dance. We needed someone who looked like Reese, and Dakota was 40 years old when she was 10. Tennant: I was given the script; it wasn't very good. They were watching the Deep South Glass scene where there's a close up of Josh walking down the stairs, and I think I cut maybe six frames and they both noticed. Jake scolds her and takes her home, preventing her from driving drunk, and Melanie wakes to find the signed divorce papers on her bed. How come it took this long? They were developing it for Charlize to star. Jake's glassblowing shop was filmed at an old mill named Starr's Mill, in Fayette County, Georgia. You can unsubscribe at any time. Now Watergate does not bother me Free or royalty-free photos and images. When Melanie announces her engagement, her father Earl asks her mother, Pearl, to pull the bologna cake out of the freezer. "[2] At Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 45 out of 100 based on 35 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". It's the little picking part and I kept playing it over and over when we were waiting on everyone to arrive for rehearsal. Pet cemeteries, just like human, have sturdy stone headstones to withstand the elements, not plastic. Sweet Home Alabama was the first film allowed to shoot in New York City after the September 11, 2001 attacks. Use them in commercial designs under lifetime, perpetual & worldwide rights. The Reese Witherspoon-headlined romcom Sweet Home Alabama nearly took a bit of a dark turn. Jake and Melanie do this as a practical joke. of them Melanie's parents are "scared" by a punk with a pierced tongue, It's the "almost" part that makes the movie work. There was an intensity of pain and past and history. Lucas: Reese was very unsure of me and had no reason not to be. During the end credits some photos are shown with the cast. Tennant: What happened was Reese's daughter, Ava, went to school with my son, so I would see Reese on occasion. Jake announces, "Melanie Carmichael is dead" but then a few seconds later he says, "Long live Felony Melanie." For Reese, her accent came very quickly. Tennant: The studio felt the movie needed a better opening. Jake announces, "Melanie Carmichael is dead" but then a few seconds later he says, "Long live Felony Melanie." ", Josh Lucas began acting at 19 and found work through his 20s on TV shows and movies; he even a did a TV series in Australia. This left the door open for Reese Witherspoon, who was cast the same weekend that Legally Blonde hit the box office. Melanie realises she didn't sign the divorce papers at the altar so she is still married to Jake. Bloodhounds are the most amazing dogs, but they aren't good film dogs. Jake walks in holding Melanie in his arms who looks unconscious. Watch Sweet Home Alabama: 10th Anniversary Edition. "Sweet Home Alabama" was written in answer to two songs by Neil Young, "Southern Man" and "Alabama", because the songs "took the entire South to task for the bloody history of slavery and its aftermath. My kids were going through college so it got me thinking about a new generation of kids going to school and young love and what that would do to parents when they see their kids being real grown-ups.
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