# List of films for learning an Alabama accent. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 1, 2008, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-films-for-learning-an-alabama-accent/443548 "2008-04-01T16:44:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2008, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-films-for-learning-an-alabama-accent/443548/1 "2008-04-01T16:44:47Z")
Dear Folks: The title says much of it. I’m doing a piece(“Regina”, based on Lillian Hellman’s “Little Foxes”. set in small town Alabama circa 1900. None of our Americans nor Canadians are from there, nor have they been there for long enough to work on it. So, I’m trying to make up a list of Hollywood films where the actors’ accents are either genuine, or so well done that they would pass for a Southerner. Even if only one actor nails it, that’s useful. Any Alabama linguists are welcome to give their opinions, also. Best wishes, Le Ministre ---
**Author:** ![Sauron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@Sauron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sauron)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2008, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-films-for-learning-an-alabama-accent/443548/2 "2008-04-01T16:54:13Z")
I know there ought to be some, but at the moment I’m drawing a blank. **Sampiro** might be of some help. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2008, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-films-for-learning-an-alabama-accent/443548/3 "2008-04-01T16:57:57Z")
Does someone who might know know how close any of the characters in the movie To Kill A Mockingbird were? ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2008, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-films-for-learning-an-alabama-accent/443548/4 "2008-04-01T17:04:26Z")
How about _Sling Blade_? Although I can’t remember right at the moment in which state that movie is set. ---
**Author:** ![Wee\_Bairn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90db22/32.png) [@Wee\_Bairn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wee_Bairn)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2008, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-films-for-learning-an-alabama-accent/443548/5 "2008-04-01T17:08:40Z")
From Wikipedia: Forest Gump Big Fish Sweet Home Alabama, natch Fried Green Tomatoes To Kill A Mockingbird The Long Walk Home My Cousin Vinny The Phenix City Story ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2008, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-films-for-learning-an-alabama-accent/443548/6 "2008-04-01T17:23:48Z")
[QUOTE=teela brown] How about _Sling Blade_? Although I can’t remember right at the moment in which state that movie is set. [/QUOTE] That was Arkansas. And please, for the love of God, ignore **Wee Bairn** ’s list. Not a knock on **Wee Bairn** , but none of those movies have anything resembling an authentic Alabama accent, or even a remotely authentic Southern accent (maybe “The Phenix City Story”. I haven’t seen that one.) The Southern accent is routinely mangled and distorted to the point that everybody thinks that a wildly exaggerated Virginia Tidewater accent is spoken throughout the Southeast. Pet peeve of mine. Sorry. I’ll try to come up with a movie with a decent Southern accent, but it might take me a while. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2008, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-films-for-learning-an-alabama-accent/443548/7 "2008-04-01T17:26:58Z")
[QUOTE=Equipoise] Does someone who might know know how close any of the characters in the movie To Kill A Mockingbird were? [/QUOTE] Not very, which is unfortunate. Mary Badham is from Birmingham, AL, so should have had a great accent, but I believe she was forced by “accent coaches” to broaden her accent. The result is a mess that’s hard for me to listen to, and IMHO, is a real stain on an otherwise great movie. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2008, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-films-for-learning-an-alabama-accent/443548/8 "2008-04-01T17:30:53Z")
[QUOTE=teela brown] How about _Sling Blade_? Although I can’t remember right at the moment in which state that movie is set. [/QUOTE] To continue my string of disjointed posts, come to think of it, _Sling Blade_ isn’t bad. I seem to recall that Dwight Yoakam (of course!) has a pretty good accent. And to the OP: kudos for trying to get it right, rather than settle for the easy _Steel Magnolias_ way out. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2008, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-films-for-learning-an-alabama-accent/443548/9 "2008-04-01T17:45:45Z")
_Sling Blade_ has the most authentic Southern accents of any Hollywood film. (Yeah, it’s set in Arkansas, but there’s not a nickel’s worth of difference between the accents in that film and the ones you’ll hear in Alabama). In particular listen to the accent of Natalie Canerday, who plays the mother. Her accent is the genuine article. Seek out her other movies, too. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2008, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-films-for-learning-an-alabama-accent/443548/10 "2008-04-01T18:00:53Z")
Foghorn Leghorn does a mean Georgia accent… But, no, spoke is right, the woman in Sling Blade has an authentic southern accent, and Dwight Yoakam has a slight one, but as far south as Alabama, it’s usually a little thicker than that. (Dwight’s) ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2008, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-films-for-learning-an-alabama-accent/443548/11 "2008-04-01T18:03:22Z")
You can hear authentic Alabama (and other) accents here: [http://web.ku.edu/idea/northamerica/usa/alabama/alabama.htm](http://web.ku.edu/idea/northamerica/usa/alabama/alabama.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2008, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-films-for-learning-an-alabama-accent/443548/12 "2008-04-01T18:13:13Z")
[QUOTE=Liberal] You can hear authentic Alabama (and other) accents here: [http://web.ku.edu/idea/northamerica/usa/alabama/alabama.htm](http://web.ku.edu/idea/northamerica/usa/alabama/alabama.htm) [/QUOTE] Wow, that’s an awesome site. ---
**Author:** ![Sunrazor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sunrazor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunrazor)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2008, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-films-for-learning-an-alabama-accent/443548/13 "2008-04-01T18:15:44Z")
I understand Tom Hanks (or his coach, or both) patterned his Forrest Gump accent after that of young a boy he heard speaking in Alabama. May be urban legend, I dunno. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2008, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-films-for-learning-an-alabama-accent/443548/14 "2008-04-01T18:19:52Z")
And one other resource: The Oxford American has an annual Southern Movie issue, which includes a DVD with all kinds of samples, interviews, etc. It’s well worth the time to check out (and the Oxford American is a fantastic magazine anyway.) Back issues can be ordered [here](http://www.oxfordamericanmag.com/oastore.cfm?Category=Back%20Issues%2031%2D60). ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2008, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-films-for-learning-an-alabama-accent/443548/15 "2008-04-01T18:23:33Z")
[QUOTE=Sunrazor] I understand Tom Hanks (or his coach, or both) patterned his Forrest Gump accent after that of young a boy he heard speaking in Alabama. May be urban legend, I dunno. [/QUOTE] Gah! Tom Hanks is the single worst actor in Hollywood at doing Southern accents. And yet, inexplicably, he keeps getting roles that call for Southern accents. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2008, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-films-for-learning-an-alabama-accent/443548/16 "2008-04-01T18:23:56Z")
[QUOTE=Ogre] Wow, that’s an awesome site. [/QUOTE] Thanks! 🙂 Speaking of _Sling Blade_, by the way, Lucas Black is in that movie, and his accent is authentic Alabama. He sounds a lot like Alabama #7 from the IDEA site. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2008, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-films-for-learning-an-alabama-accent/443548/17 "2008-04-01T18:28:30Z")
[QUOTE=spoke-] Gah! Tom Hanks is the single worst actor in Hollywood at doing Southern accents. And yet, inexplicably, he keeps getting roles that call for Southern accents. [/QUOTE] Absolute truth. > [@](#): > > Thanks! Speaking of Sling Blade, by the way, Luckas Black is in that movie, and his accent is authentic Alabama. He sounds a lot like Alabama #7 from the IDEA site. True, but his accent is not what I’d call an “average” Alabama accent. It’s very (very!) thick and broad. Most folks here don’t really sound like that. I find “Alabama 10”, the woman from Lanett, to be much more representative of a white Alabama accent as you’d hear it in the grocery store. ---
**Author:** ![cruel\_butterfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5daacb/32.png) [@cruel\_butterfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cruel_butterfly)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2008, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-films-for-learning-an-alabama-accent/443548/18 "2008-04-01T18:29:25Z")
Never mind… :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2008, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-films-for-learning-an-alabama-accent/443548/19 "2008-04-01T18:32:28Z")
[QUOTE=Ogre] I find “Alabama 10”, the woman from Lanett, to be much more representative of a white Alabama accent as you’d hear it in the grocery store. [/QUOTE] Oh, that’s smooth. A delicious sound. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2008, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-films-for-learning-an-alabama-accent/443548/20 "2008-04-01T18:36:56Z")
Yeah, she has a pretty voice. 🙂 Re: _Big Fish_: Ewan MacGregor’s accent is awful, awful, awful. Albert Finney’s is a bit better (I think Finney is a genius anyway), but it’s still pretty Hollywoodized. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-films-for-learning-an-alabama-accent/443548.md?page=2)