Let me ask you this -- Would you rather be in a light and fun situation or a heavy and depressing one. I think that most people would choose the former. OK, so why do so many cinephiles blast romantic-comedies which only want to be light and funny and show us a good time? Is there anything inherently wrong with that? Do all movies really have to be serious and contain a deep message, whether it be hidden or on the surface? I'll be the first to admit that I've been one of those people who question movies which exist only to entertain. But, I think I'd rather have than a movie like Sweet Home Alabama which doesn't know what it wants to be.

Despite the title, Sweet Home Alabama opens in New York City, where we meet fashion designer Melanie Carmichael (Reese Witherspoon). Everything appears to be going great for Melanie. She's just had her first fashion show and she's just gotten engaged to Andrew Hennings (Patrick Dempsey), who just happens to be the mayor's son. But, before Melanie can proceed with any wedding plans, she has some business to which she must attend. She flies to her small hometown in Alabama, where she confronts Jake Perry (Josh Lucas). Melanie and Jake were high-school sweethearts who get married young. Melanie has been asking Jake for a divorce, but he's refused. Obviously, she can't marry Andrew until she's divorced, but Jake is very coy about the whole thing. Determined to stay in town until Jake relents, Melanie is reunited with her parents (Fred Ward and Mary Kay Place), as well as some old friends. As she urges Jake to sign the papers, she begins to take a closer look at his life and realizes that he has changed and that her old feelings for him may still be there.

Sweet Home Alabama was Reese Witherspoon's Hollywood follow up to her hit film Legally Blonde. (She also appeared in the British romp The Importance of Being Ernest during that period.) One can assume that the goal was to ride the coat-tails of Elle Woods and position Witherspoon as the next big rom-com star. However, Sweet Home Alabama may not have been the best project for that move, as the movie is seriously conflicted on its tone, message, and political correctness.

The comedy aspect gets lost somewhere in Sweet Home Alabama and other than a line concerning the proper place to take a child, the laughs are few and far between here. Oh, the movie wants to have comedic elements, they simply don't work. This has a lot to with the targets of the jokes. I'm not sure Sweet Home Alabama thought its target audience was, but the "humor" is squarely aimed at the lowest common denominator. Melanie's effeminate male friend is clearly being made light of, as is an old, confused man.

However, much of the “jokes” have to do with the “backwards” views and activities of the residents of Melanie’s hometown. The “rednecks” are the butts of most of the jokes here. Melanie’s father gets the brunt of this, as he has to show off his recliner to everyone and he’s a civil war re-enacter. Hilarious! We also get a closeted homosexual and jokes about the fact that hound-dogs love to bark. Screenwriter C. Jay Cox really thought outside the box on this one. Of course, Andrew’s mother (played by Candice Bergen) looks down her nose at these hillbillies. The problem with Sweet Home Alabama is that the locals are never redeemed. Unlike movies like Doc Hollywood or My Cousin Vinny the Southerners are never redeemed. The movie never winks at us and says, “These people are actually smart. It was all just a joke.” Yes, it is revealed that Jake is more than he seems to be on the surface, but this doesn’t make up for the fact that the movie is just as elitist as some of the characters.

The movie also backfires in its balance of comedy and drama. As noted above, the movie isn’t particularly funny, but it wants to be. However, the movie keeps throwing one downbeat scene after another at us. This culminates in a moment about half-way through the movie when a dark secret from Melanie’s past is revealed. At that point, any sane viewer will think, “What kind of movie is this?” Sure, most movies of this ilk have there more serious moments, but Sweet Home Alabama can’t reconcile the light from the dark. Director Andy Tennant did a great job with Ever After, but he lost his way with Sweet Home Alabama.

Despite some ups and downs, Reese Witherspoon has had a good career, winning an Oscar and sporting a diverse resume. And yet, while it is shown on cable every now and then, Sweet Home Alabama isn’t mentioned very much. Seeing it again, I’m reminded as to why. While it boasts a great cast, the script and tone fail miserably, leaving the viewer bewildered.

Sweet Home Alabama does teach a valuable science lesson Blu-ray Disc courtesy of Touchstone Home Entertainment. The film has been letterboxed at 2.35:1 and the Disc contains an AVC 1080p HD transfer which runs at an average of 28 Mbps. The image is fairly sharp and clear, but it does show notable grain at times. However, there aren’t any obvious defects from the source material. The colors look good and the image is never overly dark or bright. The level of detail is acceptable, as is the depth, but some interior scenes look somewhat flat. The Disc carries a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track which runs at 48 kHz and an average of 4.2 Mbps. The track provides clear dialogue and sound effects. The film’s music sounds good, as it fills the front and rear channels. The bar scene also provides some noticeable stereo and surround effects. Otherwise, we get the standard rom-com audio track, with nicely done dialogue and sound effects which don’t overpower those who are speaking.

The Sweet Home Alabama Blu-ray Disc contains a few extras. We begin with an AUDIO COMMENTARY from Director Andy Tennant. "Off the Cutting Room Floor" is a series of eight DELETED SCENES which run about 18 minutes, including introductions by Tennant. It's actually surprising how many scenes and sub-plots were but from this movie, so there is certainly some new material here. We also get an ALTERNATE ENDING (3 minutes), which also has an intro by Tennant. This isn't really an "alternate", as it has the same meaning, but it's simply longer and sillier. The final extra is the MUSIC VIDEO for the song "Mine All Mine" by SheDaisy.