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Created Jul 03, 2013 05:11AM PST • Edited Jul 03, 2013 05:11AM PST

1. Quality

2. Summary

   Very Good 3.5

   Melanie Carmichael has it all: she is a rising star in the New York fashion industry, she attends parties with the rich and famous, and she’s engaged to the New York mayor’s son, Andrew Hennings – what could possibly go wrong in her perfect life? Maybe the fact that even though she’s due to be married to Andrew, she is actually already married to Jake – her childhood sweetheart from her home state of Alabama – and he has been refusing to sign the divorce papers. The clock is ticking, and the only way for Mel to resolve this discreetly is to go home to Alabama and cut all ties with her previous life once and for all. Whilst there, she begins to realise that the seemingly perfect life she has in New York is nothing compared to the life she left in Alabama. However, when Andrew turns up in Alabama to surprise Mel, she is forced to make the decision that she never thought she’d have to make. Will she be able to decide between her head and her heart before she says ‘I do’?

4. Acting

   Very Good 3.5

   With her Academy Award tucked firmly under her belt from her performance as June Carter Cash in ‘Walk the Line’, everyone knows that Reese Witherspoon can act, yet everyone also knows that chick-flicks limit your acting potential. Reese Witherspoon provides a fine chick-flick performance, and better still, we can finally hear her southern twang fly free. Patrick Dempsey and Josh Lucas (the two men in the love triangle) do very well at drawing the audience in so even the audience finds themselves questioning, ‘If I were in her shoes, would I choose Andrew or Jake?’. With a supporting cast including Candice Bergen and Melanie Lynskey, it’s hard not to love it. Yes, their performances are certainly not Oscar worthy, but the cast ensemble have all done their bit to create one of the best rom-coms of our generation.

5. Male Stars Good 3.0

6. Female Stars Great 4.0

7. Female Costars Good 3.0

8. Male Costars Good 3.0

10. Film

    Good 3.0

    This film doesn’t have a massively complicated storyline, but has a storyline which will make you laugh and maybe shed a tear (if you’re at all sentimental about animals), which makes the film perfect for a night in with a tub of ice cream and wine. Don’t expect anything amazing, but just sit back and enjoy the film.

11. Direction Good 3.0

12. Play Good 3.0

13. Music Great 4.0

    The music, though often missed in films like this, is great. In the scenes set in New York, they opt for pop with No Doubt’s ‘Hella Good’, whereas in Alabama, the musical choices lie with songs from Dolly Parton, The Charlie Daniels Band, Sheryl Crowe and of course, ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ performed by both Cornbread (in the movie) and Jewel (during the credits).

14. Visuals Very Good 3.5

    Any true rom-com fan will, of course, recognise the famous scene of the floatplane skimming across the beautiful lake.

15. Content

16. Edge

    Tame 1.2

    If you want to call a performance of the Confederates battling the Yankees by the locals in Greenville violent, then don’t – it’s not – it just adds to the charm of the film. There’s a few euphemisms, and a punch thrown, other than that, it’s very tame.

17. Sex Innocent 1.0

18. Violence Gentle 1.0

19. Rudeness Salty 1.6

    A few innuendos here and there, and some mild swearing that is nothing compared to other rom-coms such as ‘Bridget Jones’, ‘The Ugly Truth’ and ‘Bridesmaids’. Along the scale of the innocence of ‘The Father of the Bride’ to these films mentioned, it definitely falls closer to ‘The Father of the Bride’… though not as innocent, it’s pretty harmless.

21. Reality

    Glib 1.3

    It’s a fairytale that many women would like to experience – being able to choose between two handsome men, one of whom is very rich, charming and loves her, and the other who is handsome, rugged and loves her. However, the film does go beyond reality slightly – though all possible in real life – most of the dramas that unfold would probably never happen, especially not all to one person… however much the girls of this generation would love to choose between Patrick Dempsey and Josh Lucas.

22. Circumstantial Glib 2.0

23. Biological Natural 1.0

24. Physical Natural 1.0