Sweet Home Alabama
Metascore
45 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 35 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 35
  2. Mixed: 23 out of 35
  3. Negative: 6 out of 35
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  1. Chicago Tribune
    Reviewed by: Mark Caro
    38
    This movie is phony, phony, phony -- from its Disneyland version of the Deep South to its pious lessons about the values of simple rural living.
  2. Miami Herald
    Reviewed by: Connie Ogle
    38
    A romantic comedy so rote, dull and predictable that it makes "You've Got Mail" seem innovative and fresh.
  3. Baltimore Sun
    Reviewed by: Michael Sragow
    38
    And Witherspoon? She does the American equivalent of a mechanical British performance: She hits every note too perfectly. There's no shadow to her smile.
  4. Charlotte Observer
    Reviewed by: Lawrence Toppman
    38
    Speaking of sounding Southern, I have to admit that the accents didn't match, and half the actors couldn't even do accents. But since we all sound alike down here, that's no big deal.
  5. L.A. Weekly
    Reviewed by: Hazel-Dawn Dumpert
    30
    To call the film contrived would imply that some sort of effort had been made, when Sweet Home Alabama is nothing but dead lazy and slow — y'all.
  6. New Times (L.A.)
    Reviewed by: Robert Wilonsky
    30
    Which leaves Witherspoon, that delicious pastry, to heave the movie on her small shoulders and carry it home. The load is light -- the movie weighs no more than a glass of flat champagne -- but even she can't withstand the burden.
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User Reviews

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User Score
7.2 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 64 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 30 out of 42
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 42
  3. Negative: 9 out of 42
  1. cameronmorewood
    7
    A sweet light-hearted and lovable romp with Witherspoon at its center to seal the deal.
  2. Spielberg00
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click full review link to view. For a romantic comedy, SWEET HOME ALABAMA was quite an enjoyable film. Starring Reese Witherspoon, Josh Lucas, and Patrick Dempsey, it tells the tale of a northerner who meets a man and immediately falls in love. The problem is she's married to a "redneck" down in Alabama already, so she goes down south to divorce him. There, another problem arises: her husband refuses to sign the papers. It seemed in this film that there was no consistent plot, and it was always just problem after problem after problem coming up. Also, this is quite unoriginal, and it was intended as a comedy, but I didn't see much that was funny in it (or even really aimed at humor). In fact, I saw it more as a romantic drama than a "romcom". Either way, it was a chick flick, and even though I don't usually enjoy that type of film, I found it to be a cute movie, and it was somewhat worth seeing.… Full Review »
  3. AmyM.
    6
    Sweet Home Alabama was a good movie but something you would only want to see once. 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. It's a movie you'll forget you ever saw. It is , however, a good movie to watch if you're planning to do something with the family. It's got pretty good morals. She does end up getting engaged to a man while she is still married to another... Several charactors are noted as being gay and the main character admits to getting marries just because she was pregnant. Compared to many other movies, I'd say this PG-13 romantic comedy is a good choice for a family outing.… Full Review »
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