Melanie Carmichael’s (Reese Witherspoon) career as a New York fashion designer is taking off and her high profile boyfriend (the mayor’s son) just proposed to her. And what a proposal it was! Things couldn’t be more perfect, right? Wrong!

When Melanie came to New York she reinvented herself.  She changed her name and made up a story to suggest that she comes from southern money. She also left out the very important fact that she is technically still married to her childhood sweetheart, Jake (Josh Lucas), back in Alabama.  Of course Melanie doesn’t want her fiancée, Andrew (Patrick Dempsey), to know about her small town background or her marriage, so she insists that she has to tell her parents about their engagement in person and alone.

As soon as she arrives in her hometown, Melanie makes her way to Jake’s to get him to sign the divorce papers. Naturally, he refuses. So, Melanie is stuck in the town she ran away from until she can convince Jake to sign those papers. Meanwhile, Andrew’s mother, Mayor Kate Hennings (Candice Bergen), is not a big fan of Melanie’s and is determined to dig up some dirt on her. Time is running out. Melanie’s real identity might be revealed before she has the chance to explain.

On top of all that, the longer Melanie stays in town the more confused she gets. Andrew is perfect in every way and he absolutely adores her. And who wouldn’t enjoy being a New York socialite? But then there’s Jake. Melanie has known and loved him since she was ten years old. What about all her old friends and all the crazy hometown customs? Will Melanie marry Andrew and forget about the small town life once and for all? Or will Melanie realize that home is where the heart is and choose Jake?

This movie has grown on me. The first time I saw it I didn’t like it at all. Now I can say that I actually kind of like it. There are some scenes that I still find just plain ridiculous and unnecessary. And the movie probably would’ve been better without those scenes, but I still end up watching this movie all the way through when I catch it on TV. The more I watch it, the more I enjoy Candice Bergen’s character. Also, the bickering between Witherspoon and Lucas is highly entertaining. To sum it up, there’s a sweet and homey feel to this film. No pun intended. Watch it and see for yourself!