Barnes & Noble

Who ever said that you can’t go home again? If you have a cell phone, a Saab convertible, and the innate charm of Reese Witherspoon, you can go anywhere you like. Such is the case with Melanie Carmichael (Witherspoon), who seems to have it all -- she’s a famous fashion designer living in Manhattan with chic friends and a doting beau (Patrick Dempsey), whose mom (Candice Bergen) happens to be the mayor. We soon learn, however, that Melanie has a little too much -- namely a husband (Josh Lucas), who has refused to grant her a divorce. So she decides to fly back home to Pigeon Creek, Alabama, to get the papers signed before the Big Apple learns of her big secret. If movies have taught us anything, it’s that once people leave the cynical, soul-stealing Sodom-and-Gomorrah that is the big city, it's only a matter of time before they reembrace the goodness of small-town America. So during Melanie's attempt to get her ex to set her free, it's no shock that she reexamines her feelings for both the world and the man she left behind. Sure, southern stereotypes keep popping up: a dad (Fred Ward) who spends weekends as a Civil War reenactor and a ma (Mary Kay Place) who makes "the best preserves in three counties." But director Andy Tennant (Fools Rush In), manages to skirt them by keeping the plot moving. Not surprisingly, this is Witherspoon’s showcase, and she glows with the mix of comedic chops and tough exterior that enlivened both Election and Legally Blonde. Supplemental features include deleted scenes and an alternate ending. Peter Marchand

All Movie Guide

After establishing herself as a bankable star with the fish out of water comedy Legally Blonde, Reese Witherspoon returns in what could be described as a "fish back in water" comedy. Melanie Carmichael (Witherspoon) is a successful New York fashion designer who is dating Andrew Hennings (Patrick Dempsey), a wealthy socialite whose mother, Katherine Hennings (Candice Bergen), is the Big Apple's mayor. One day, Andrew pops the big question and asks Melanie to marry him; Melanie is overjoyed, but unknown to Andrew, Melanie has some unfinished business to take care of first. Despite her polished uptown image, Melanie grew up poor in the deep South, and as a teenager she married her high school sweetheart Jake Perry (Josh Lucas). Things went sour and Melanie moved East, reinventing herself along the way, but Jake never bothered to legally end their marriage. Now Melanie has to return to her hometown of Pigeon Creek, AL, to tell her parents (Fred Ward and Mary Kay Place) the news and convince Jake to grant her a divorce; however, the more time she spends with her old flame, the more she feels sparks flying between them again, while she also learns her Eastern affectations don't fly with everyone back home. Mark Deming

Chicago Sun-Times

It is a fantasy, a sweet, light-hearted fairy tale with Reese Witherspoon at its center. She is as lovable as Doris Day would have been in this role. Roger Ebert

Product Details

• UPC: 786936208030
• Source: WALT DISNEY VIDEO
• Region Code: 1
• Aspect Ratio: Cinemascope (2.35:1)
• Presentation: Wide Screen
• Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
• Language: English, Français
• Time: 1:49:00
• Sales Rank: 1,258

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