I caught some of "Sweet Home Alabama" on tv the other day. The ending was reshot because test audiences thought Reese Witherspoon's character died. There was a silence on the phone for quite a while. You can see tucked into the top of her left boot the battery pack for her microphone and the wires going up her skirt. During Melanie and Andrew's wedding at the Carmichael estate, a lawyer arrives and halts the ceremony. That's exactly what happened, though. Unheard of. 12. Tennant: Even Reese's lawyer loved the treatment. I would say in some ways we pushed each other to try, I think, to find truth. There were moments where I felt it was an incredible blessing and other times, like that paparazzi incident, were terrifying. ", Lucas: I think that was true for Andy. And my agent said, "We spoke to them and they thought you were great and they are going to bring you back." Lucas: I did think the ending would work. 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. And on top of that Josh's character comes in and says he's really happy for her. ", Tennant: I have done two movies with Josh, I love Josh. She was just jokin around. I would love to do a "Sweet Home Alabama 2.". Jake's glassblowing shop was filmed at an old mill named Starr's Mill, in Fayette County, Georgia. Answer: It was only humane from Melanie's skewed, immature-at-the-time perspective, believing the cat would be killed instantly. But at the same time, we were also making a comedy. 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) You can see tucked into the top of her left boot the battery pack for her microphone and the wires going up her skirt. Literally, Nina Jacobson, head of Buena Vista Pictures, walked up the aisle before the lights had even come up and said to me, "We're reshooting the ending.". Since "All Summer Long"'s release, the original song has also charted at number 44 on the UK Singles Chart. In the original draft of Sweet Home Alabama there was a character with an entire subplot named Erin Vanderbilt. Buena Vista Pictures; Alyssa Powell/Insider, TIMOTHY WHITE/TOUCHSTONE/KOBAL/SHUTTERSTOCK. A bologna cake consists of bologna, cream cheese and horseradish. Tennant: When we showed it to a test audience the whole room was just like, "What the fuck!" Tennant: The studio felt the movie needed a better opening. I really was. Free Sweet home Alabama tab for the acoustic guitar. The scene cuts to Fred Ward, playing Melanie's father, giving a snarky look as the two talk. And I think that was her first on-camera kiss. sweet home alabama road sign - sweet home alabama stock pictures, royalty-free photos & images dog days of summer - sweet home alabama stock pictures, royalty-free photos & images Reese Witherspoon attends the world premiere of Touchstone Pictures' 'Sweet Home Alabama' at the Chelsea West Cinema September 23, 2002 in New York. Melanie Carmichael: The truth is I gave my heart away a long time ago, my whole heart, and I never really got it back. When Melanie's mom says stuff like, "Go get them Yankees," and we play it for laughs, I don't know. We shot it at the actual Tiffany's in New York City. Answer: Mayor of New York. All this stuff boiling. I was so uncomfortable and felt it wasn't working. Tennant: I think what happens is you get the cast you deserve Reese was coming off a huge hit with "Legally Blonde," Patrick Dempsey had done movies before but he was the '80s heartthrob and this was his start as a leading man, and then Josh was unknown so I think if there was any kind of nervousness on Josh's part he should have seen what it was like in my head. 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. With this film, Witherspoon solidified herself as a rom-com queen. Zero. Lucas: It never bodes well when you hear you're doing a major reshoot, but it worked out. I think we all got to be precise with each other. View All Credits 1 693.6K 126. About as unconventional as you can get for the end of whats effectively a fairy tale romantic comedy. Director Andy Tennant directed TV shows in the 1980s ("The Wonder Years," "Parker Lewis Can't Lose," "The Adventures of Brisco Country, Jr"), then moved to feature films in the mid-1990s ("It Takes Two," "Fools Rush In," "Ever After: A Cinderella Story"). Lynyrd Skynyrd wrote "Sweet Home Alabama" as a response to "Southern Man" and as a way to show rock fans that the South was . They are accusatory and condescending, not fully thought out, and too easy to misconstrue."[12]. 31 What does Andrew's mother do for a living in "Sweet Home Alabama"? The film takes its title . But poor Josh was whacked a good number of times. I don't like what he says about colored people. 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. Turns out this incredibly dark turn was intended in the original script as a joke, though. Wanneer u onze sites en apps gebruikt, gebruiken we, gebruikers authenticeren, veiligheidsmaatregelen toepassen en spam en misbruik voorkomen, en, gepersonaliseerde advertenties en content weergeven op basis van interesseprofielen, de effectiviteit meten van gepersonaliseerde advertenties en content, en, onze producten en services ontwikkelen en verbeteren. She is cornered there by Kate's assistant, sent to gather information on Melanie's background. Henry and Mattie Sweet had one son, also Henry W. Sweet (1902-1990). Why don't we do a love triangle where the love choices are between a great guy and the right guy? But it's still one of the best choices I ever made. It's not a popular opinion but Wallace stood for the average white guy in the South. And I was like, "What!?! 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. 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? (01:06:40). (c) universal music publishing, inc. The supporting cast includes Fred Ward, Mary Kay Place, Jean Smart, Candice Bergen, Ethan Embry, and Melanie Lynskey. I had lunch with her not that long before I turned in the "Sweet Home Alabama" script. 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. to get Wallace elected. ", The only reason "Sweet Home Alabama" was made was because of "Legally Blonde. The site's critics consensus reads: "Reese Witherspoon is charming enough, but the road to Alabama is well-traveled. 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. During the end credits some photos are shown with the cast. The film takes its title from the 1974 Lynyrd Skynyrd song of the same name. Starring: Reese Witherspoon, Fred Ward, Patrick Dempsey, Josh Lucas, Ethan Embry, Candice Bergen, Rhona Mitra, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Courtney Gains. "We all did what WE could do!" It was only humane from Melanie's skewed, immature-at-the-time perspective, believing the cat would be killed instantly. In the present day, Melanie is a successful New York fashion designer who has adopted the surname "Carmichael" to hide her poor Southern roots. U kunt uw keuzes te allen tijde wijzigen door te klikken op de links 'Privacydashboard' op onze sites en in onze apps. From Reese Witherspoon to Josh Lucas. The hit led to two television rock show offers that the band declined. 5:02. 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). Kepulangan Melanie ke Alabama pun berubah menjadi momen kurang mengenakkan bagi orang-orang di sekitarnya. Question: In the scene where Jake is driving Andrew to find Melanie, he tells the story about the cat. Trivia. "[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. Nonetheless, Clayton was persuaded to take the job, to "let the music be [her] protest. 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? There's this motto: Act like a movie star and people will treat you like a movie star. [1], Sweet Home Alabama (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), the film soundtrack, includes thirteen songs by different artists. It was also the first film ever allowed to film in Tiffany's . But he spoke for the common man of the South. she would say to me. Because you can leer, you know, and because people definitely have the full thing, and with that you can over do 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. Watch Sweet Home Alabama: 10th Anniversary Edition. Freestylers. All rights reserved. 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. "Sweet Home Alabama" is a song by American southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, released on the band's second album Second Helping (1974). Show 1 more answer. And then "Legally Blonde" came out, and I got a call from the studio and they were like, "What do you think of Reese Witherspoon?" After he orders her out of his house, Melanie empties Jake's checking account, hoping to spur him into ending the marriage. It was interesting because I had this moment where I was like, "Really?" 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 . The scene cuts to Fred Ward, playing Melanie's father, giving a snarky look as the two talk. I thought it was funny and silly and weird. 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 . There was an intensity of pain and past and history. 7. My memory was that Andy felt I'm the guy and then he really went to bat for me. 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. The cat had cancer and Melanie wanted it to die a "humane" death. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider Boo! Both Josh Lucas and Reese Witherspoon are from the south. Angry, Jake leaves to meet some friends at a local bar without signing the papers. Sweet Home Alabama was the first film allowed to shoot in New York City after the September 11, 2001 attacks. When you get slapped and it's cold, it's a lot worse. What I think worked for us is it was all true. In a 2013 interview, Clayton spoke at length about her decision to take the job. So we kept in touch. I totally remember you.'. Pop Market DiscogsPop culture, or popular culture, is the collection of ideas, opinions, and images popular within a culture at a given time. as well as other partner offers and accept our. At the end of that scene, where I say, "Go home," originally we shot it where Reese slaps me and then walks away. Ed King, the song's cowriter, contradicted his former bandmates in a 2009 post on his website. So I had to throw him off the dock and from that moment on he hated me. I knew Reese because I had done a TV movie with her when she was 15. (Insider contacted Lynskey to be interviewed for this story but didn't get a response.) Everyone is in shock. Wij, Yahoo, maken deel uit van de Yahoo-merkenfamilie. It reached number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1974, becoming the . When the movie got to like 13 to 14 years later, I started thinking where they would all be. [13] Van Zant said: "Wallace and I have very little in common. Jake and Melanie do this as a practical joke. 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. Mary H. Ellis. And it was cold out that night. And they were both like, "Put it back.". When Jake shows up in the scene, Melanie is at her most vulnerable and they kiss. 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. 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. Mountain View, California - August 31, 1991 - Old used ticket for the concert of, Sweet Home Alabama Stock Photos, Images & Pictures. Expand. And that turned out to be "Legally Blonde." 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. I regularly have that happen. (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. There are only two hitches. 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. See production, box office & company info, Reese Witherspoon sweet performance makes this work. But neither can escape the fandom people have for "Sweet Home Alabama.". Director Andy Tennant did test the ending too, ultimately conceding that no one though it was funny. You can unsubscribe at any time. Visible crew/equipment: As Melanie is walking across the battlefield looking for her father she steps across 'dead bodies'. Humor has changed and also I think it's such a dark time right now that the divide between cultures is just not funny. After wealthy Andrew Hennings proposes, Melanie returns to Alabama to announce her engagement to her parents and finalize a divorce from her husband Jake, whom she married as a pregnant teenager and left after she miscarried their baby. Lucas would be so serious in some takes that Tennant would call him "Ralph," referring to the actor Ralph Fiennes, so he would loosen up. 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 . 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. And Sweet Home Alabama, on the surface a pretty frothy romantic comedy, would cement her place as a hugely successful leading actor. Intimidated by the city and her success, he returned home to make something of himself first. Lucas: She rung my bell a couple of times. 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. But things get complicated once Melanie comes face-to-face with Jake again. 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." Some of it was, "Josh, punch line. They were like, "What did you do?" It's just a lovely scene that has subtext, which Reese played beautifully. Lucas: In the movie, he's my best friend but in reality, that dog was terrified of me. Als u niet wilt dat wij en onze partners cookies en persoonsgegevens voor deze aanvullende doeleinden gebruiken, klik dan op 'Alles weigeren'. 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?" Separate from membership, this is to get updates about mistakes in recent releases. My producing partner and my editor, who are both women, were in the edit room with me. I was like, "Who are you?". Melanie is engaged, but her past holds secrets in Alabama. He tells everyone "Melanie Carmichael is dead." That I wasn't working. "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. Sweet home Alabama, oh, sweet home baby 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. 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. Answer: She says something to the effect of "mother nature had other plans" leading audience to believe she had a miscarriage. 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). Andrew arrives to surprise Melanie, but upon learning her true background and that she never told him she was married, he angrily leaves. It did free me. He made her feel things she didn't want to feel anymore and it erupted. Hell, maybe Jake now lives in a trailer park while Melanie had built this perfect life. 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. (01:08:15). Now we all did what we could do 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. 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. Boo!' She and Jake have a heart-to-heart, and Melanie realises why he never signed their divorce papers. 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. 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! She ends up marrying him instead of her fiance. Jake announces, "Melanie Carmichael is dead" but then a few seconds later he says, "Long live Felony Melanie."
March 11, 2023