I have such a high opinion of the book from which this was made that I should've been better prepared to be disappointed with any film version, but it seems my guard was down. It's not a BAD movie, actually is pretty entertaining while maintaining the high points of the book. The book, however, is both funnier and more touching. The Eudora Welty-ish family central to the story is much more clearly described in the book, and seems comparatively flavorless in the movie. Writing with any depth and substance is hard to translate to film, but is has been done; see the Jessica Tandy version of Truman Capote's "A Christmas Memory." If you haven't read the book you'll probably like this just fine. If you're a fan of the book, be forewarned that the film is not going to be the same experience.
Review of Crazy in Alabama
