In the present day, Melanie is a successful New York fashion designer who has adopted the surname "Carmichael" to hide her poor Southern roots. 5:02. We needed someone who looked like Reese, and Dakota was 40 years old when she was 10. Separate from membership, this is to get updates about mistakes in recent releases. raywest. You can unsubscribe at any time. George Watters II. I really broke my accent years ago. ", 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. 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. Bloodhounds are the most amazing dogs, but they aren't good film dogs. I've done two movies with her, I did "Ever After" and this. "I don't care about your past, all I want to know is if there's a place for me in your future.". 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 . Feb 27, 2003. And she said, "I made this movie nobody is going to see. 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. When the movie got to like 13 to 14 years later, I started thinking where they would all be. Andy told me there would be an honesty to 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 general public didn't notice the words 'Boo! 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. I was a bit terrified, to say the least. Turns out this incredibly dark turn was intended in the original script as a joke, though. We shot it at the actual Tiffany's in New York City. In the original draft of Sweet Home Alabama there was a character with an entire subplot named Erin Vanderbilt. Sweet Home Alabama Lyrics . 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 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. Tennant: I wrote a treatment and a lot of it has to do with Reese's character and Melanie Lynskey's character taking their kids on a college tour. It was only humane from Melanie's skewed, immature-at-the-time perspective, believing the cat would be killed instantly. I thought it was funny and silly and weird. AmyM. That part was eventually cut out of the movie. ), Lucas: I frankly haven't run into Reese since making the movie. Sweet Home Alabama is a romantic comedy film that was directed by Andy Tennant. Alabama Crimson Tide "Sweet Home Alabama" Iron Bowl Alabama vs. Auburn 2012 Vinyl Records, CDs, and More from pop. When Melanie announces her engagement, her father Earl asks her mother, Pearl, to pull the bologna cake out of the freezer. In Sweet Home Alabama, she's a poor Southern lass who reinvents herself as a Big Apple socialitethen finds it almost impossible to go home again. And it was cold out that night. beatles mono cd box set fake. Tennant recalled taking a trip to the South before rewriting the movie, and that helped cement its southern feel. It going as spoiler light as I can (spoilers start shortly) follows a fairly predictable three act approach, ending roughly where most of us expected it to end. Pet cemeteries, just like human, have sturdy stone headstones to withstand the elements, not plastic. If youd like to support our attempts to make a non-clickbaity movie website: Follow Film Stories on Twitterhere, and on Facebookhere. 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. And hardly anyone in America noticed. "[4] "We thought Neil was shooting all the ducks in order to kill one or two," said Ronnie Van Zant at the time. And thats just what the movie-going audience was looking for back in 2002. I think he was a stock-car driver. I was not someone who yearned to be famous and there was a point where I did see a shift. During the end credits some photos are shown with the cast. Tagged: Sweet Home Alabama, First Love. My producing partner and my editor, who are both women, were in the edit room with me. Sign up for notifications from Insider! 7. Charlize Theron was considered for the lead role before Reese Witherspoon was cast. Melanie realizes Jake is the artist and that he owns the resort. "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. 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. The ending was reshot because test audiences thought Reese Witherspoon's character died. Melanie Carmichael: The truth is I gave my heart away a long time ago, my whole heart, and I never really got it back. Pet cemeteries, just like human, have sturdy stone headstones to withstand the elements, not plastic. Intimidated by the city and her success, he returned home to make something of himself first. For its used as a device to announce that Melanie under her old surname is dead, and Melanie under her new surname is alive. [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. [3], Roger Ebert, critic for the Chicago Sun Times, awarded it three-out-of-four stars, commenting, "It is a fantasy, a sweet, light-hearted fairy tale with Reese Witherspoon at its center. The coonhound cemetery was on Moore Street in Crawfordville and the bar was located at Heavy's Barbecue near the town. 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. I knew Reese because I had done a TV movie with her when she was 15. When I did the rewrite with Rick, I don't think she was a fan and so everybody parted ways. Nonetheless, Clayton was persuaded to take the job, to "let the music be [her] protest. "[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]. That Jake would have mid-life issues and that there are differences where Jake and Melanie landed. . Melanie finds Jake at the beach planting lightning rods in the sand during a rainstorm to create more glass sculptures. 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. The supporting cast includes Fred Ward, Mary Kay Place, Jean Smart, Candice Bergen, Ethan Embry, and Melanie Lynskey. It wouldn't be appropriate. Although the film takes place primarily in the fictional town of Pigeon Creek, near a fictional Greenville, Alabama, it was mostly shot in Georgia. 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. It was something I had never experienced before or since. And my memory is on the second or third day, Andy came up to me and said, "Disney absolutely loves what you're doing, we're free." He made her feel things she didn't want to feel anymore and it erupted. 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. Trivia: Erin Vanderbilt, the woman that Andrew is shown marrying at the end originally had a bigger part, but test audiences misunderstood her relationship with Andrew before breaking up with Melanie, so all of Erin's scenes were cut except for that small bit over the credits. And that turned out to be "Legally Blonde." sweet home alabama ending credits pictures. Melanie doesn't know this. I would do everything and anything to work with Melanie Lynskey again. She would be great." Sweet Home Alabama was a good movie but something you would only want to see once. 3:58. And Sweet Home Alabama, on the surface a pretty frothy romantic comedy, would cement her place as a hugely successful leading actor. Then he says, "Long live Felony Melanie" and Melanie, who was just playing dead, gives him a kiss. 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 home that Melanie tries to pass off as her childhood home, the Carmichael Plantation, is actually the Oak Hill Berry Museum, which is a historic landmark in Georgia. I originally had my doubts about seeing this one but I bought the DVD and I highly enjoyed the movie. Mary H. Ellis. It was a real surprise that my life and career were going to change over this. I think what we were going for was she's slapping him because she's embarrassed that she suddenly showed some vulnerability. Charlize Theron was attached to play the lead role before Reese Witherspoon. The loss of their kid, the loss of their dreams, the loss of innocence, all that stuff. 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. In addition, Dakota Fanning and Thomas Curtis appear briefly as the childhood versions of Melanie and Jake, respectively. About as unconventional as you can get for the end of whats effectively a fairy tale romantic comedy. Literally, Nina Jacobson, head of Buena Vista Pictures, walked up the aisle before the lights had even come up and said to me, Were reshooting the ending., Lucas told Insider that he liked the original ending I thought it was funny and silly and weird, he remembered and was worrid when word came down that they were reshooting it. I said, 'Clydie, are you serious? I felt that I had become a star overnight and I had zero anticipation of that. Frankly, I don't think you could make "Sweet Home Alabama" today. 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. It's a riddle to me. Use them in commercial designs under lifetime, perpetual & worldwide rights. [1], Sweet Home Alabama (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), the film soundtrack, includes thirteen songs by different artists. Jake and Melanie do this as a practical joke. Arthur Bremer may or may not have been a yankee but he sure destroyed whatever chance Wallace had to be president. Andrew Hennings , Sweet Home Alabama. 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." 15. The clips shown in the credits of the movie; is the child featured in their now happy lives, Witherspoons' daughter Ava? "[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. From Reese Witherspoon to Josh Lucas. The film takes its title . The interviews have been condensed and edited for clarity. 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) It's just a thing. The cat had cancer and Melanie wanted it to die a "humane" death. Copyright 2000-2023 Dreamstime. The hit led to two television rock show offers that the band declined. I would love to do a "Sweet Home Alabama 2.". Thank you for visiting! 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. Boo! Yet a different denouement was filmed that would have seen the pair embracing only to be promptly struck by lightning. This film received mostly mixed reviews from critics. Jake announces, "Melanie Carmichael is dead" but then a few seconds later he says, "Long live Felony Melanie." [13] Van Zant said: "Wallace and I have very little in common. 29. The romantic comedy originally ended with a fake-out that Reese Witherspoons character was dead. Take a look at the cast of Sweet Home Alabama. In order to depict two people from Alabama, they had to practice their Southern drawl. 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. Tennant: What happened was Reese's daughter, Ava, went to school with my son, so I would see Reese on occasion. Journalist Al Swenson argues that the song is more complex than many believe and is not an endorsement of Wallace. 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! It's the "almost" part that makes the movie work. Trivia. And I was like, "Hell, yeah, let's take it.". It was an eye-opening experience. But he spoke for the common man of the South. Jake and Melanie do this as a practical joke. Lucas: I know Andy has written something but I've never read it. Freestylers. It's now been 15 years since the film was released, so here's a look back at 7 things you probably didn't know about Sweet Home Alabama! (Witherspoon's rep told Insider she was unavailable to be interviewed for this story. Reese brings that in the scene and I think I do too. Does your conscience bother you? I said, Youre the girl from Man in the Moon. 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. She was just jokin around. There are only two hitches. "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".