movie review stars fell on alabama

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Movie Review: Stars Fell on Alabama (2021)

• Natasha Alvar
• Movie Reviews
• --> February 3, 2021

The romantic comedy is my favorite genre, and because I have watched so many, I have developed quite a discerning eye for what’s good or bad in the rom-com world. So where does director V.W. Scheich’s Stars Fell on Alabama fall? Well, it’s not an absolute train wreck, but it’s not exactly good either. James Maslow (“Love Exclusively”) is Bryce Dixon, a Hollywood agent who returns home to Alabama for his high school reunion. His friends corner him about his date, which compels him to lie that he will be bringing Madison Belle (Ciara Hanna, “The Call”), who is actually one of his clients. Bryce has a thing for Madison, but has never done anything about it because he’s so professional. He’s also a workaholic.

The friends are excited and unable to keep secrets, and news of this spreads quickly, which prompts Bryce to ask Madison to do him a favor and come home with him, and pretend that they’re dating. Madison is initially reluctant, until she realizes that she needs the escape from her on again/off again boyfriend Zane Thomas (Zebedee Row, “Ghost in the Graveyard”), so off they go to Alabama. The pair basically do everything that you would stereotypically associate with the setting — indulge in barbecue ribs and fried food, participate in line dancing, and play a friendly game of flag football.

Of these clichéd scenarios, I enjoyed the line dancing segment somewhat, since everyone was grooving to Taylor Hicks performing “Gives You Hell.” I had always wondered what happened to that guy after he won American Idol, and now I know — he’s in this movie. The rest of Stars Fell on Alabama crawls by, with none of the charm that is necessary for this romancer to tread water. Maslow and Hanna have no chemistry together. They are both very good looking, but their relationship is flat and unbelievable. Maslow’s Bryce has more of a connection with his high school ex-girlfriend Rachel (Lesa Wilson, “The Baby Proposal”) than his supposed love interest. It is strange, since Maslow has a funny bone, as those of us would know if we grew up listening to “Big Time Rush” and watching the series on Nickelodeon, but it isn’t really on display here.

There are also running gags that are just not funny either, like Bryce being constantly pestered by his English teacher to read her script, or his inability to use “y’all” like every Alabamian. In this genre, it is standard to create obstacles for the main couple to overcome, but the impediments created here are not organic and so contrived. These obstacles should be a natural thing in the process of the relationship, not, as an example, the mayor’s wife trying to stir up trouble with a make-out session at a car park. And whenever there is a complication, the other person mopes for a few and soon thereafter gets over it without skipping a beat. Thus, when they do eventually get together (as is usually the case with a rom-com), it doesn’t feel earned.

At the end, I didn’t believe Bryce when he spoke about having roots in his hometown — the dude looked beyond happy to be leaving soon. Me? I was happy that the movie was over, so I could move on from the hour-and-a-half I spent on this that I would never get back. The soundtrack was good though; lots of country music from indie groups to aurally entertain. Otherwise, there weren’t many stars in Stars Fell on Alabama for me to be dazzled by.

Tagged: agent , Alabama , dating , Hollywood , relationships , reunion

Natasha is an English Literature teacher. She believes that stories are the essence of being human, and loves sharing this world with her students. One day, she hopes to break into the literary world with an offering of her own, but for now, she finds enjoyment in writing plays for her students as well as penning content for The Critical Movie Critics. She also writes for moviebabblereviews.com in her spare time. You can follow her @litmysoul on Instagram, if you want.

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Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Stars Fell on Alabama’ On Hulu, A Rom-Com In The Style Of All Those Hallmark Christmas Movies

Where to stream:.

• Stars Fell on Alabama
• Stream It Or Skip It

Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Toxic Harmony’ on Tubi, a Music-Biz Thriller

Stream it or skip it: ‘heretic’ on vod, an idea-driven horror-thriller in which hugh grant shows his dark side, stream it or skip it: ‘was i a sex object’ on max, a documentary series about nudity on spanish tv, stream it or skip it: 'hanukkah on the rocks' on hallmark, where a newly laid-off woman finds purpose (and love) at a hanukkah bar.

Oh, the big-shot-comes-home-to-a-small-town rom-com; a staple of the genre, particularly when it comes to the lower-tier romantic comedies we’re used to seeing flood the Hallmark Channel every holiday season.  Stars Fell on Alabama , now streaming on Hulu, puts its own spin on the premise by throwing a Hollywood agent together with his star actress client and sending them to his 15-year high school reunion in Alabama. 

STARS FELL ON ALABAMA : STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

The Gist: Bryce (James Maslow) is a successful Hollywood agent. When we first meet him, he’s setting up quite the scene (literally) with his client Madison Belle (Ciara Hanna), an actress he is pushing hard to be the lead of a studio’s summer tentpole. Despite a stunt including pretend young fans and a green screen, the studio needs the weekend to think about it, and the two go on their merry way. While drunk at a premiere later that night, Bryce – who is  very  adamant about keeping things professional with his clients – accidentally lies that he’s dating Madison to some old high school friends over FaceTime. With Bryce heading home for his 15-year high school reunion tomorrow, he’s backed into a corner; he asks Madison (who is trying to avoid some drama of her own) nicely to accompany him back to Alabama, and she agrees.

Alabama inevitably brings the two closer together, even if they are lying to all the people Bryce (affectionately nicknamed “Dixie”) grew up with. With the paparazzi snooping, small town drama brewing, and a big movie deal in the mix, Bryce and Madison’s burgeoning romance may have more than a few obstacles to face.

What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: Stars Fell on Alabama  is basically like if the Hallmark big shot-goes-home-to-a-small-town Christmas movies had a baby with Sweet Home Alabama .

Performance Worth Watching: Ciara Hanna is genuinely good as movie star Madison Belle; she seems totally at ease on camera, grounding some of the film’s more silly and cliché moments. She’s charming in all the ways the leading lady of this kind of rom-com should be. (Hanna also looks like the lovechild of Blake Lively and a Parent Trap -era Elaine Hendrix, which is an added bonus.)

Memorable Dialogue: Most of the dialogue in  Stars Fell on Alabama  is pretty cringeworthy, but I chuckled at the title of the Facebook invite for Bryce’s 15-year reunion: “Join us as we welcome successful Hollywood agent Bryce Dixon and his surprise famous girlfriend!”

Sex and Skin: There’s some swimming in undies and some very tasteful making out (and implied sex) that cuts to the morning after, but not much else.

Our Take:  Stars Fell on Alabama  kicks off with a song that includes the lyrics “I’m goin’ to California, gonna live the life, sippin’ on tequila night after night” as a montage of Hollywood landmarks flashes on the screen. And that pretty much (unfortunately) sets the scene for the rest of the film. I am all for a good culture clash, big shot-returns-home-to-small-town mid-tier rom-com, but  Stars Fell on Alabama  is really all over the place. This isn’t to say that your mom (or mine, who watches Hallmark Christmas rom-coms religiously every year) won’t enjoy it, but for the casual genre lover or super-fan, it’s unlikely that  Stars Fell on Alabama  will check many boxes.

I’ll admit I was tickled by the Hollywood caricatures – the sleazy dude who asks “take her to dinner and a breakfast yet?” was truly ridiculous – as well as the Southern townies who (mostly) welcome Bryce back with open arms. And that mayor with major youth pastor energy! There are truly some characters in this one. But Stars Fell on Alabama  tries so hard to juggle so many things (why the unnecessary musician boyfriend?) that it loses sight of the sweet – if familiar – romance scenario at its center. It’s a shame, too, because the leads are genuinely likable, and who doesn’t love a line dance set to a country rendition of The All-American Rejects’ “Gives You Hell” sung by Taylor Hicks?! But alas.

Stars Fell on Alabama  culminates with a truly terrible rendition of its titular song, and I can’t think of a more appropriate way to sum it all up. You’re better off going with  Sweet Home Alabama  or revisiting some Nicholas Sparks favorites this time around.

Our Call: SKIP IT. Overlong, overplayed, and underwhelming,  Stars Fell on Alabama  isn’t worth the spot in your queue – despite its likable cast and positive vibes.

Should you stream or skip the rom-com #StarsFellOnAlabama on @hulu ? #SIOSI — Decider (@decider) April 13, 2021

Jade Budowski is a freelance writer with a knack for ruining punchlines, hogging the mic at karaoke, and thirst-tweeting. Follow her on Twitter: @jadebudowski .

Watch Stars Fell on Alabama  on Hulu

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• Cast & crew

User reviews

Stars Fell on Alabama

Exactly what i thought it would be.

• Feb 19, 2021

cute but cliche

• aintnick-04589
• Jan 10, 2021

Class Project

• gatorgrad-57793
• Jan 16, 2021

Hallmark Type Movie

• bshpx-01456
• May 3, 2021

Friendly cute entertainment

• Apr 15, 2022

Never mix business and pleasure

• nogodnomasters
• Jan 19, 2021

This Is Our Country!

• levanshakulashvili
• Sep 3, 2021

So. Cringe.

• Feb 2, 2021

Not bad at all

• Feb 16, 2022

IM EMBARRASSED FOR MY STATE

• "This is my LA living. Lower Alabama." SIR, Im from Lower Alabama and this is not it. AND then y'all wanna mess up the "Holy Trinity of Bama" and say it's God, Country and Football? Figure it out, it's God, Family and Football but y'all tried. Try again.
• OH AND HE HAD THE AUDACITY TO RIP AN AUBURN FLAG DOWN? HOW DARE YOU.
• And when I say y'all ruined my ENTIRE night by allowing those tone deaf yahoos to ruin the I C O N I C song by Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald?!?!? WHO TF YALL THINK YALL ARE???? AND THEN YOU WANNA ACT LIKE YALL GAVE THAT MAN AN AWARD FOR THAT? DISRESPECTFUL!!!!!!
• And how are y'all gonna have James from Big Time Rush and not even have him sing Boyfriend when he's doing his stupid little unnecessary speech???
• OH and Taylor Hicks???? Singing All American Rejects and they're line dancing to it??? WHAT??? Cmon Taylor you know better wtf.
• tittlecourtney
• Apr 12, 2021
• jallison-44414
• Jul 30, 2021

Watched it twice.

• Mar 10, 2021

Don't do what I did

• leiannwright
• Jan 2, 2023

Hollywood hates Southerners

• RichmondBread
• Nov 19, 2022

Alabama Born and Raised

• Jul 16, 2021

Not as bad as the reviews

• Feb 4, 2023
• karaferguson
• Jul 5, 2023

Stop me if you've heard this one....

• Apr 20, 2021

Just advertising iphone mobile phones!!!

• ghasemineda
• Feb 13, 2021

Below average

Delightfui rom-com, perfect couples movie.

• sludgemeister
• Jan 9, 2021

Release of album?

• Aug 15, 2021

The most ridiculous representation of Alabama ever. And that's saying a lot

• Feb 8, 2022

Horrible acting, plot, and lines!

• anakhan-45479
• Jun 16, 2021

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Stars Fell on Alabama Reviews

Overlong, overplayed, and underwhelming, Stars Fell on Alabama isn't worth the spot in your queue - despite its likable cast and positive vibes.

Full Review | Apr 15, 2021

...there weren't many stars in Stars Fell on Alabama for me to be dazzled by.

Full Review | Feb 4, 2021

It is a predictable romcom but still a pleasure to watch. Plus we get to answer the question - whatever happened to Taylor Hicks?

Full Review | Original Score: 6/10 | Jan 13, 2021

This is a perfectly affable, well-produced, well-acted, and wholly familiar romantic comedy.

Full Review | Jan 12, 2021

Inauthentic, felt like a rom-com from the '90s, in which pretty men & women, supposedly from Alabama, exist only to help their returning friend hook up with a movie star. Oy.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Jan 12, 2021

Stars Fell on Alabama is for the hometown Alabama crowd. It has its issues, but it's a cute Friday-night movie if you're looking for something light and fun.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/5 | Jan 11, 2021

tars Fell on Alabama is a feel-good movie with a familiar plot with some seemingly awkward characters, although not all that impressionable.

Full Review | Original Score: 6/10 | Jan 9, 2021

The likable cast can't quite overcome the script's glaring cliches

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Jan 9, 2021

Boozy "culture clash" romcom has innuendo, implied sex.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Jan 8, 2021

Eager to perpetuate regional stereotypes and genre tropes, this far-fetched romantic comedy combines familiar ideas about stardom and millennial gossip to mediocre effect.

Full Review | Jan 8, 2021

Stars Fell on Alabama is as gentle and likable as the romantic country song that gives this modest, charming film its title.... downright enchanting.

Stars Fell on Alabama largely plays within genre rules without straying far if at all.

Full Review | Jan 7, 2021

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Parent reviews of, stars fell on alabama.

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