Sweet Home Alabama

REVIEW
"People need a passport to come down here" New York designer Melanie (Witherspoon) chirps, commenting on the disparity between the North and the South. It's actually one of the funnier lines in the film (in context), said to underscore how much Melanie -- born and raised in the small Alabama town she is visiting -- feels disconnected to her roots. However, the premise to get her back home, and its comic follow-through, is so counterfeit the U.S. Treasury should investigate. As engagingly played by Witherspoon, who rises leaps and bounds above the material, Melanie is a throwback to the '30s screwball heroine. Charming, kooky but smart when she needs to be, Melanie is engaged to the most eligible bachelor in NYC. Only her hunky husband back home stands in her way, so she sets south to finalize the divorce. Of course, seven years later, he still pines for her, and refuses to sign hoping to win her back. Gee, ya think he will? There's precious little that's funny in this implausible romantic comedy, which mistakes caricature and cliché for depth. But Witherspoon still manages to delight, and Embry is memorable as the gay best friend.