As The University of Alabama welcomes its class of 2028, new students may be looking for ways to feel excited about their new school. Here are five movies set in Alabama, some of which even take place on the University’s campus.

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006)

This film takes place in the town of Talladega, home to the world’s largest NASCAR track. Will Ferrell hilariously portrays the character Ricky Bobby, an accomplished NASCAR driver in his prime.

Ricky is at the top of his game until he meets French racecar driver Jean Girard, played by Sacha Baron Cohen, an actor widely known for his “Borat” comedy franchise. Cohen delivers many of the film’s funniest lines, but none can top Ferrell’s recurring quote, “If you ain’t first, you’re last.” Ricky is forced to put his passion and talent to the test against Jean for the title of top driver. 

For fans of comedy, this is a great watch that feels like it passes in an instant. 

My Cousin Vinny (1992)

After stopping at a gas station in a rural Alabama town on their way to New York City, two college students are stopped by the police. Believing that they had accidentally shoplifted a can of tuna, the students plead guilty before being told their actual charges. The actual charges were related to a murder that had happened the same day the students had stopped at the gas station. With no attorney, one of the students, played by Ralph Macchio, must call his cousin Vinny, a lawyer from New York played by Joe Pesci. Vinny has never tried a case and attempted the bar exam five times before finally passing and becoming a lawyer.

In this fish-out-of-water comedy, Vinny must learn how to try a case to save his cousin from incarceration, all while adjusting to rural life in Alabama. As a stranger to Southern manners and with little knowledge of his own profession, Vinny faces comically frustrating obstacles in what is possibly the funniest performance of Pesci’s career.

Forrest Gump (1994)

In the fictional town of Greenbow, Alabama, Forrest Gump is a character with a low IQ who somehow finds success in nearly every area of life. Not only does Forrest – played by award-winning actor Tom Hanks – live in Alabama, but he grows up to play for The University of Alabama’s football team. The accidental nature of Forrest’s success is the source of the character’s charm, as the film comedically inserts him into multiple historical events, implying that he is an integral part of history.

While Gump accomplishes remarkable things in many different settings, Alabama remains home for Gump, as he visits his hometown throughout the film before ultimately moving back into his childhood house.

Sweet Home Alabama (2002)

In this romantic comedy, Reese Witherspoon plays Melanie Carmichael, a fashion designer who finds success in New York City after leaving her Alabama upbringing behind. Before she left Alabama she had married her childhood best friend, but she departed to New York without getting a divorce. After a life-changing event in New York, she must sneak to Alabama to cut her ties with her husband once and for all.

Having found success in a much faster-paced city, Melanie looks down on the town locals to whom she once felt close. After she criticizes their informal mannerisms and lack of wealth, Melanie examines her own arrogance and begins to remember how she loved her hometown for its character and hospitality. In the process, she rekindles her love with her first husband.

This film stands out in the romantic comedy category because of its meaningful insight into class differences while showcasing a captivating love.

Crisis: Behind a Presidential Commitment (1963)

This documentary follows President John F. Kennedy and other powerful government officials as they fight for desegregation at The University of Alabama. The task proves to be daunting when Governor George Wallace threatens to stand in the schoolhouse door of the University, attempting to prohibit the Black students, James Hood and Vivian Malone, from entering the school. Wallace stands in the doorway of Foster Auditorium, blocking the building in which the students were required to enroll.

As the officials are operating in a divisive time, they face the challenge of being watched by the press and finding a balance between a gentle and a forceful approach. Any use of force risks depicting the government as violent, which could lead to the victimization of Wallace, a segregationist. UA students can get a surreal feeling as they watch inspiring history take place on the very same campus that they walk on every day.