Sweet Home Alabama

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5304851417233161809

I chose this clip from the movie Sweet Home Alabama because it's the perfect example of what a romantic story should be. The movie starts off with Reese Witherspoon (the main character) dreaming about her and her childhood lover. She's portrayed as an adorable innocent little girl while he's portrayed as an equally adorable young boy. The two are seen running through the woods out into a meadow on a stormy day. Then the two see lightning hit the ground only yards away. So they run up the spot because lightning never strikes the same spot twice...right? As they're analyzing the ground the young boy says something along the lines of; "I want to marry you someday, so I can kiss you anytime I want." Then, just as the two young lovers are about to kiss, lightning strikes the both of them and Reese wakes up from her dream.

Now what is it that makes this opening scene so attractive to the viewers? Well for one it's something that most of us would never get the chance to do, run wild with our childhood lover during a lightning storm. It's very romantic in the sense that it's a rarity, not only the scenery but also the fact that they're two childhood lovers. Many of us don't have a memory like this so it's easy to want it, and this scene makes it a reality for us. The other thing that I think really makes this so attractive is the fact that the young boy is able to come up with a set of words that is so appealing and smart for his age. It just makes the audience go "Awww!'. I mean, I don't think I've ever met an 8 year old that can formulate such a sentence! It's adorable, it's romantic, it's risky it's everything we as humans want in a love story.

The scene is making the audience just eat all of this up. With the incredible scenery, the adorable young lovers, and the words that come out of their mouths, even the southern accents make your heart melt. Also, what I found interesting, was the contrast between the darkness of the weather/surrounding area and the lightness of the music and sweetness between the two kids. I think it sets a tone to the story of the two lovers. It shows that there's something unique about the two, unique that they're so young and in love, or in "love", unique that they're running through a storm, and most of all unique that the lightning strikes the same place twice. All of these things makes this a memory that we all wish we had. The scene makes us fall in love with them falling in love! It's the perfect mix!