It was the first motion picture to be shot in New York City after the 11 September 2001 attack on the World Trade Center, with filming taking place in the second week of October 2001.
Jake's aeroplane lands on Lake Peachtree in Peachtree City, Georgia. Landing an aeroplane on Lake Peachtree is unlawful, and the Peachtree City Police fined the production company $300.
The glass presented as "Deep South Glass" is in fact hand-blown glass made by Simon Pearce, a Vermont-based firm named after Simon Pearce, who emigrated to the United States from Waterford, Ireland.
Keni Thomas: the lead vocalist of the band Cornbread, who perform in the fair sequence. He is a real-life survivor of Task Force Ranger and is portrayed in the film Black Hawk Down (2001) as the trooper with an inhaler.
Charlize Theron had originally been cast as Melanie Carmichael. Owing to the actors' strike, she moved onto a film that was ready to shoot, 24 Hours (2002). Reese Witherspoon was cast the same weekend her previous film, Legally Blonde (2001), opened.
During the end credits it is revealed that Andrew is engaged to a woman called Erin Vanderbilt. The character originally appeared in a handful of scenes; she worked for Melanie and secretly harboured feelings for Andrew. At test screenings, some viewers mistakenly assumed Andrew and Erin were having an affair. To avoid any confusion, the filmmakers decided to cut her scenes.
The coon-dog cemetery shown in the film is an actual place in Tuscumbia, Alabama. The town in northern Alabama was the childhood home of Helen Keller, whose life was portrayed in the 1962 film The Miracle Worker.
The two dogs mentioned in the film, "Bear" and "Bryant", are a nod to the legendary head coach of the University of Alabama's American football team, Paul "Bear" Bryant.
When Melanie announces her engagement, Earl asks Pearl to fetch the bologna cake from the freezer. The cake, a blend of bologna, cream cheese and horseradish, was given to a screenwriter by his fiancée from Indiana.
Oak Hill, the actual name of the house Melanie pretends belongs to her family, is roughly a 45‑minute drive from the motorway and is difficult to reach. To guide the cast and crew to the location, yellow signs reading "SWA" with arrows indicating the correct route were put up. Some Berry College students later took those signs as souvenirs.
Dakota Fanning shared her first kiss whilst filming this picture; she was seven years old.
In reality, the house Melanie passes off as her own is located on the campus of Berry College in Mount Berry, Georgia. The property, Oak Hill, is a recognised historic landmark of Georgia. It served as the original residence of Martha Berry, the college's founder. The town-centre scenes were shot in Crawfordville (population: 572), the county town of Taliaferro County (pronounced "TOLL-ih-ver"), the least populous county in Georgia.
Jake's glass-blowing workshop was filmed in Fayette County, Georgia, at an old mill known as Starr's Mill. The exterior was given a fresh coat of paint and the porch was rebuilt for the film. The bridges were later swept away by a flood.
Although the term is never used, the film strongly implies that Melanie suffered a miscarriage at 18, after becoming pregnant with Jake's child following her leaving secondary school.
While filming at Starr's Mill in Fayette County, Georgia, the Starr's Mill High School marching band were asked to refrain from practising outdoors because their playing carried all the way to the Mill.
Numerous Berry College students were employed as background extras portraying guests in the wedding scene. No short blondes were cast.
At the time, Melanie's engagement ring was a relatively new Lucida diamond and setting from Tiffany & Co.
Producer Stokely Chaffin devised the concept for the film and approached screenwriter C. Jay Cox to pen it. Chaffin, now Senior Vice-President of Production at New Line Cinema, was raised in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Like Reese Witherspoon's character, she changed her name after leaving the South (Stokely is her middle name; in childhood friends and family called her by her first name, Caroline). Chaffin insisted that Cox travel to Alabama before he began drafting the screenplay.
Patrick Dempsey and Courtney Gains both feature in the film Can't Buy Me Love (1987).
Mayor Kate Hennings, Andrew Hennings' mother, and Stella Perry, Jake Perry's mother, both reproach their sons for bearing too close a resemblance to their respective fathers.
Reese Witherspoon and Josh Lucas have both appeared in the film American Psycho (2000).
Jake pilots a De Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver seaplane.
During the ground-breaking ceremony, the teenager who asks Andrew for his autograph is wearing a letter jacket from North Gwinnett High School in Gwinnett County, Georgia.
Shortly before he proposes, Andrew asks Melanie whether she's made up her mind about spending Christmas in Ireland with him; she replies, "That's four months away." That would place the film's events in mid-to-late August, yet many characters are seen wearing jackets and long sleeves and numerous trees appear bare — details that are inconsistent with the story being set in Alabama.
The pen presented to Melanie for signing the divorce papers is a Kilometrico.
The film's original ending, which appears on the DVD release, features the jazz group The Clock Tower Jazz Ensemble from Rome, Georgia, conducted by Sam Baltzer. The singer on the recording is Lillie Huddleston, who is from Atlanta.
In Barsaat, a Bollywood remake of the film, the genders of the characters are swapped — Priyanka Chopra Jonas assumes the part that was Jake Perry's in the original.
Rhona Mitra and Candice Bergen both featured in the television series 'Boston Legal'.
Reese Witherspoon and Dakota Fanning each made guest-star appearances on the 1994 television sitcom Friends.
Candace Bergen’s character mentions that the wedding should take place at the Plaza in June. It’s also suggested she arranges much of the wedding in Alabama. Later Bergen appears in Bride Wars as a wedding planner, where the main characters are organising weddings at the Plaza in June.
Mary Lynn Rajskub and Fred Ward both had earlier roles in the 2000 film Road Trip.
This film marks the debut of Sarah Baker.
When Melanie flips the papers over and notices that Jake has signed the divorce papers, she finds them open to the page where Melanie's signature is still required. That is the very page the solicitor, after interrupting the wedding ceremony, says Melanie did not sign.
Melanie (Reese Witherspoon) says "Daddy" in exactly the same way she did when portraying Mel in the 1998 film Twilight.
Reese Witherspoon appears as Melanie — often known as "Mel". She likewise portrayed "Mel" in the 1998 film Twilight.
Reese Witherspoon and Ethan Embry had both appeared in 'A Far Off Place' nine years previously.
When Mayor Hennings is talking about her son's previous relationship with a woman from California, she refers to all those electoral votes, which is a subtle indication that she may be contemplating a future presidential campaign.
Candice Bergen, as Mayor Kate Hennings, reacts in disbelief to her son Andrew [Patrick Dempsey], exclaiming "You're engaged?!" She delivers the same line while portraying Judge Sharon in the film The Book Club: The Next Chapter.
Patrick Dempsey (Andrew Hennings), Fred Ward (Earl Smooter) and Mary Kay Place (Pearl Smooter) each appeared in Grey's Anatomy (2005).
Reese Witherspoon and Candice Bergen featured alongside one another in the film Home Again.
In the closing wedding scene, the Mayor's face is covered in mosquito bites — a clear sign she never acclimatised to the South.
The sequence at the 49-minute mark was filmed early on in production. Reese Witherspoon was down with the flu at the time, but the film-makers chose to carry on because the scene is meant to occur after a hangover.
The filmmakers engaged in lengthy discussions about the South and the re-enactments. After spending a great deal of time in the South, they ultimately opted to embrace it.
The scene of Kate Hennings stepping out of the limousine was filmed in the first week of shooting. Candice Bergen was Andy Tennant's first choice to play Kate Hennings.
Originally, the kiss between Melanie and Andrew in the limousine was a touch more risqué and flirtatious than in the final cut. It would have included a moment where she slipped her hand down his trousers.
Nathan Lee Graham had the film-makers laughing from his audition and was subsequently cast.
The line "You married your cousin" provoked considerable laughter from audiences during test screenings.
The film-makers chose to keep the take in which Reese Witherspoon trips over a dolly track while running towards Patrick Dempsey, as they wanted her to lose all composure and appear utterly bereft of dignity.
On his first day of filming, Fred Ward performed the trumpet part in a Civil War re-enactment scene. Andy Tennant asked him whether he could ride a horse, and Ward borrowed a soldier's horse.
The Tiffany's proposal scene turned out to be truly memorable. The filmmakers were effectively given their instructions: Andy Tennant's wife recounted that another man had proposed to her at Tiffany's and she declined. The shop was entirely genuine and staffed by real employees. It was also the first day of shooting.
In the original screenplay, no signatures were added to the documents until the close of Act Two.
For Reese Witherspoon, pretending she's intoxicated proved difficult.
The character Barrett was modelled on the dog of Andy Tennant's co-writer — a dog that can swim along the bottom of a pool for twenty seconds.
A puppet head stood in for the dog in certain swimming shots.
The original house belonging to Bobby Ray was filmed at a historic house on the Barry College campus in Atlanta over a two-week period.
For the anvil-tossing scene, the production team carried out research into Alabama. They went for a drive and took along a book about anvil-tossing and the Union Army.
Reese Witherspoon was quite content to be the target of the joke.
The sequence showing Melanie's arrival at the Catfish Festival was filmed roughly five minutes before a downpour and straight after Thanksgiving. Crawfordville redecorated the location to stand in for the festival.
A scene set in a post office, in which Laura Lynn delivers a speech to Melanie, was cut because the filmmakers felt it dragged on for too long.
At the 53-minute mark the scene was shot on a warm day. Two weeks later, when they filmed the wedding scene, it was freezing — 35 degrees.
The wardrobe sequence was filmed on a purpose-built set. Reese Witherspoon found it very difficult to complete the sequence without catching sight of Barry and bursting into laughter.
Andy Tennant's favourite scene is when Melanie visits the Coon Dog Cemetery. The filmmakers had read about the real cemetery and felt it was an ideal moment for Melanie's monologue about her dead dog and her miscarriage. The sequence was shot on a chilly night on a vacant lot, and the art department reconstructed the cemetery from actual photographs. In an earlier cut, Jake tells Melanie to go home and she slaps him — Josh Lucas was slapped 30 times that night.
In the sequence where 'Sweet Home Alabama' is performed, the musicians had 3 weeks of rehearsals, yet not a single member of the cast can dance.
Andy Tennant learnt a great deal from the music supervisors and from those charged with sourcing new songs and artists for the filmmakers.
Mary Kay Place is prone to fluffing her lines on the set of The Sweetest Thing (2002).
The night-time shot of the Catfish Festival was filmed from atop an Aquila crane.
Composer George Fenton recounted to Andy Tennant a true tale about a wedding he and his friends arrived at so late that the groom fainted and was sick on the bride; she went on to the reception while the groom slept it off, and the episode was used as inspiration for the awkward wedding dialogue.
Originally, the mosquito gag was a recurring joke that also referred to DDT.
The Simon Pierce shop was originally intended to be filmed in a real shop, but a building in Atlanta was refurbished to make it look like a Simon Pierce shop. All the glass was sourced from an actual Simon Pierce shop.
The sequence in which Mary Kay was slicing peaches was shot over four takes. On the second take she sliced her finger and subsequently applied a plaster. Reese Witherspoon wagered her fee from Legally Blonde 2 with Andy Tennant that the scene would be cut.
The airport shown in the film is a set.
The editors and Andy Tennant were pleased that, in the film, Reese Witherspoon's character takes pride in her father.
Film-makers attended an actual Civil War re-enactment in Alabama to research the sequence. There was debate over whether the sequence should be cut, but it was retained in the trailer and the re-enactors loved it.
The film-makers were unable to close all the streets in Crawfordville.
Every cloud visible at the ninety-minute mark is entirely computer-generated (CGI).
The film-makers organised a focus group that included a Q&A.
The wedding celebration in the very final scene was shot in July 2002, after production had wrapped, and was regarded as a reunion.
The beach sequence at the end, filmed in Florida, was shot over two separate nights in January — Thursday for Josh Lucas's close-ups and Friday for Reese Witherspoon's. The clouds and thunder were computer-generated. Griffith Park was used for the areas beyond the beach.
Andy Tennant admired Patrick Dempsey's quick-witted humour and assured poise.
The bulk of the picture was filmed in Atlanta, in the US state of Georgia.
Rhona Mitra was introduced to Andy Tennant by a film producer who had been a long-standing friend of hers. After her audition, the screenplay was reworked to better suit her.
The exterior of Melanie's New York flat was reused in another Andy Tennant film, It Takes Two.
The film-makers were told by contacts in the fashion industry that fashion designers seldom get much sleep.
Andy Tennant was keen to cast Reese Witherspoon because she largely embodied the image of a young, trendy designer while also possessing a Type A personality, creative instincts and a sense of humour. Being from the South herself, she felt a particular affinity with the role.
The opening sequence was filmed on Captiva Island in Florida. The clouds visible on screen were computer-generated because filming took place on a sunny day, and the beach was actually quite crowded with sunbathers. It was also the final day of shooting.
The lightning storyline was inspired by a letter Don Tennant wrote to his son Andy. Andy had not realised that lightning could actually strike on a beach.
The interior of Melanie's block of flats was a set erected in Atlanta. Anyone who stepped inside, before they realised it was a set, wanted it.
At the time of filming, Reese Witherspoon had her young daughter Ava with her, while Patrick Dempsey's wife was expecting; the two women seemed very at ease in each other's company.
The 6-minute mark was filmed the day before the crew went off for their Christmas break.
The sequence depicting Melanie entering Pigeon Creek was shot in December 2001 in Crawfordville, Georgia, United States.
One of the film's challenges is that Reese Witherspoon performs opposite two good-looking actors.
The shoot at Lincoln Center was bitterly cold. The particular shot of Melanie and Andrew walking with the paparazzi was filmed at around 4:30 or 5:00 am. Reese was absolutely freezing because she was wearing a skimpy dress.
A close-up of the fountain was filmed at 8pm.
Melanie's first return to Alabama was filmed on location in Eufaula, Alabama, in May 2002.
The dog on set refused to sit or to bark. Capturing those 8 barks was a genuine miracle for the production team.
Candice Bergen filmed her scenes over the course of either nine or ten days.
The majority of the scenes taking place in Jake's house were shot in October 2002.
Candice Bergen and Kevin Sussman got on well with each other throughout the shoot.
The Mo Fishing aircraft hailed from Seattle.
While the filmmakers were walking through the set of Jake's house, Andy Tennant drew the blind and thought it would be amusing if it refused to stay down. The special effects crew rigged the blind so it acted that way, which made Reese and Josh laugh. The house set had once been a fishing cabin that the filmmakers took over and refurbished.
The sequence in which Andrew Hennings is shown with a Capital One cheque for $500,000 intended for the Bronx Children's Hospital was originally considerably longer and was due to begin with him stepping out of a limousine. The scene was filmed in Georgia.
Andy Tennant observed that Josh Lucas prefers to plan and think things through. The film-makers coined the phrase 'champagne and Scotch'. When Tennant called Lucas 'Ralph', as in Ralph Fiennes, Lucas replied 'champagne' to lighten the mood.
Josh Lucas auditioned in a room in New York, and Andy Tennant's producer told Andy "I don't think we have to look for Jake anymore." They reviewed the other auditions and decided Lucas had delivered the stronger performance, so he was offered the part.
The mayor's office was filmed on location in Wilm, Georgia.
In the original screenplay, the role of Kate Hennings was rather underdeveloped.
The man in the white T-shirt at the 24-minute mark is the B Steadicam operator. Originally he would have greeted Melanie and the police would have given chase, but they decided it would be funnier for Mel to bang her mobile against the wall.
Rear-projection was employed for the car sequences. The scene at the 25-minute mark had originally been intended to be shot on location in Crawfordville at night, but the temperature dropped sharply, so the filmmakers opted to shoot that particular car scene using rear-projection.
Andy Tennant admired Reese Witherspoon's sense of humour.
A Bologna cake is also made by the wife of Andy Tennant's co-writer, Rick Parter.
The line in which Wade recounts the night he set his bum on fire was penned after the screenwriters recalled a story from camp in which kids set their farts alight.
The film-makers were careful not to cast Mary Kay Place as a villain, yet they equally avoided making her character simplistic or entirely free of complications.
While casting, Andy Tennant had Courtney Gains audition for a different part. Initially the filmmakers envisaged the sheriff as more of a clichéd Southern lad. The writers then rewrote the sheriff to better fit Courtney's comic timing.
Andy Tennant considers the scene in which Wade reunites with Melanie to be among his favourites, since it contains some of his most cherished lines in the film.
At the 29-minute mark the scene was considerably longer and featured a speech by Kate Hennings about being a 'political animal' and about making choices. It was shortened so the film would concentrate more on Melanie.
Although Reese Witherspoon isn't keen on olives, Andy Tennant kept the shots of her eating them — the crew had a spit bucket placed just off‑camera, and they went through 15 takes.
Ethan Embry was looking forward to reuniting with Reese Witherspoon.
When Andy Tennant read the script, he realised he wanted the close-up of Jake drinking from a beer can to feel playful.
The film-makers decided to base the character Jake on Simon Pierce, inspired by his passion for glassmaking.
The anecdotes about the bank, the police and the cat were supplied by Andy Tennant's godfather, Andy Divine. The cat tale dates from 1932 in Arizona. The bank sequence was filmed on a Saturday at an actual bank in Crawfordville.
The art department, a team of 25 people, repainted Jake's house by the 33-minute mark. They also removed all the furniture and fitted the house out with new furnishings.
The film-makers transported a water tower to Crawfordville because the town did not have one, and erected it on the very spot where the former tower had stood.
Stella's Roadhouse stood 4 miles from Crawfordville.
The pub scene proved difficult for Reese Witherspoon because she intended to play it with a slightly edgy tone. Filming took 8 days.
The entire crew were in stitches when Reese Witherspoon began snoring after the pub scene.
A Steadicam was fastened to the man's waist for the single take in which Jake escorts Melanie out of the bar. It was the twelfth take in the film. The take immediately before that featured Reese Witherspoon grabbing and tearing the man's shirt beside the lorry. On a couple of occasions he dropped his keys.
The sequence featuring a game of pool was initially considerably racier and more aggressive. It was filmed at 9 a.m.
In earlier drafts, Melanie was portrayed as noticeably less likeable.
