What movie perfectly captures the feel of an American city to you? (2013, credit)
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"Pickleball-Free American"
(set 7 days ago)
Location: St Simons Island, GA
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Vertigo, Dirty Harry films = San Francisco Midnight In The Garden of Good and Evil = Savannah The Big Easy = New Orleans Top Gun = San Diego Laurel Canyon = Los Angeles My Best Friend's Wedding = Chicago Urban Cowboy = Houston Hannah and Her Sisters = New York Mystic River = Boston Rocky = Philadelphia Hairspray = Baltimore Driving Miss Daisy = Atlanta Singles, Sleepless In Seattle = Seattle
Vertigo, Dirty Harry films = San Francisco Midnight In The Garden of Good and Evil = Savannah The Big Easy = New Orleans Top Gun = San Diego Laurel Canyon = Los Angeles My Best Friend's Wedding = Chicago Urban Cowboy = Houston Hannah and Her Sisters = New York Mystic River = Boston Rocky = Philadelphia Hairspray = Baltimore Driving Miss Daisy = Atlanta Singles, Sleepless In Seattle = Seattle
My uncle plays a part in The Big Easy - LOL! I almost put it but in my mind Love Song for Bobby Long captures New Orleans PERFECTLY.
I totally agree about Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil and Savannah. Good one.
I also almost mentioned Mystic River for Boston - that's a good call.
Personally, I don't really think that Driving Miss Daisy gives off an Atlanta vibe.
I thought of another one! The Deer Hunter - Pittsburg.
Status:
"Pickleball-Free American"
(set 7 days ago)
Location: St Simons Island, GA
23,466 posts, read 44,115,130 times
Reputation: 16866
Quote:
Originally Posted by KathrynAragon
Personally, I don't really think that Driving Miss Daisy gives off an Atlanta vibe.
Not present-day Atlanta. Many of the scenes were filmed in nearby Griffin, GA to try and capture a post WWII vibe.
I grew up in Druid Hills in the 60's and thought they captured the feel of the neighborhood quite well.
DISCLAIMER- I TYPED THIS RESPONSE BEFORE READING THE THREAD TITLE AGAIN & UNDERSTANDING THE EXACT PURPOSE- MY RESPONSE WENT A DIFFERENT DIRECTION
Believe it or not- The Sandlot, now the movie was made in 1993, but the time period in the movie is 1962.
There are multiple scenes in the movie that I could point out, but there are (2) that stand out for different reasons and they're-
1- The "team" is about to play a night game on the 4th of July. It's a huge neighborhood cook-out, fireworks, etc...They have fun, ride rides, try chew for the 1st time, etc... The reason this reminds me of "America" is simply because this scene low-key represented freedom, community, etc...
2- Near the end of the movie, "Smalls" goes to get the ball from the owner of the dreaded monster dog. Turns out the dog is super great, etc... But here is why this scene stands out to me: "Smalls" is a young white kid, "Mertle" turns out to be a former professional baseball player, who played with Babe Ruth, oh yeah and he's African American. This is a huge deal, because in the movie this meant that Mertle played ball in 1927, this is before Jackie Robinson, and the big movement, so being an african-american playing baseball at that time, and still in 1962 being African american wasn't a stroll in the park. Also of significance, in 1962 (year the movie is set), John "Buck" O'Neil became the first African-American coach in Major League baseball after joining the staff of the Chicago Cubs. I'm not trying to focus solely on a racial story in the movie, but to me there was purpose/significance behind this part.
Sorry for the rant, and technically off-topic. But I had enough typed to say screw it and post anyway
My uncle plays a part in The Big Easy - LOL! I almost put it but in my mind Love Song for Bobby Long captures New Orleans PERFECTLY.
I totally agree about Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil and Savannah. Good one.
I also almost mentioned Mystic River for Boston - that's a good call.
Personally, I don't really think that Driving Miss Daisy gives off an Atlanta vibe.
I thought of another one! The Deer Hunter - Pittsburg.
Most of the Deer Hunter was shot in Cleveland (Tremont/Industrial Valley), with some scenes shot in small steel towns in Ohio/West Virginia.
But more I think about it, that's pretty common. Kill the Irishman about Cleveland labor leader/mobster Danny Green was shot in Detroit. Then White Boy Rick, about Detroit drug dealer Rick Wershe Jr., was shot in Cleveland.
Then there is Christmas Story, which was supposed to be in Chicago, was shot in Tremont (with the Christmas Story house is still a tourist attraction). And Major League, IMO, the best sports comedy of all-time about the Cleveland Indians was mostly shot in Milwaukee (with cutaway shots of Cleveland ... and again Tremont).
Last edited by ClevelandBrown; 05-08-2019 at 10:17 AM..
Most of the Deer Hunter was shot in Cleveland (Tremont/Industrial Valley), with some scenes shot in small steel towns in Ohio/West Virginia.
But more I think about it, that's pretty common. Kill the Irishman about Cleveland labor leader/mobster Danny Green was shot in Detroit. Then White Boy Rick, about Detroit drug dealer Rick Wershe Jr., was shot in Cleveland.
Then there is Christmas Story, which was supposed to be in Chicago, was shot in Tremont (with the Christmas Story house is still a tourist attraction). And Major League, IMO, the best sports comedy of all-time about the Cleveland Indians was mostly shot in Milwaukee (with cutaway shots of Cleveland ... and again Tremont).
True!
Oh, I thought of another one that captures the place it really was filmed well - Steel Magnolias, which was filmed in Natchitoches, LA. Not only does it capture that time and place well, it's just a great movie.
Another one that always seems to capture Louisiana to me is The Divine Secrets of the YaYa Sisterhood. Not sure where it was filmed and I am too lazy to look it up but wow, it does capture the ambiance of small town Louisiana over the decades to me.
Sorry but I am sort of a Louisiana nerd. I also really liked Twelve Years a Slave, which of course I can't vouch for the era but I have been to places and plantations where it was filmed in Louisiana and I thought they did an excellent job of filming. 12 Years A Slave film locations (2013)
Even the "northern" and DC locations in the film were actually filmed in New Orleans.
The opening credits of "Major League" has a nice, representative montage of Cleveland venues. Plus, it uses Randy Newman's wonderful song "Burn On" in its entirety. The city shows up throughout the movie, but not as powerfully as in the credits.
Here are the lyrics for "Burn On" (memorializing the time the Cuyahoga River caught fire):
There's a red moon rising
On the Cuyahoga River
Rolling into Cleveland to the lake
There's a red moon rising
On the Cuyahoga River
Rolling into Cleveland to the lake
There's an oil barge winding
Down the Cuyahoga River
Rolling into Cleveland to the lake
There's an oil barge winding
Down the Cuyahoga River
Rolling into Cleveland to the lake
Cleveland city of light city of magic
Cleveland city of light you're calling me
Cleveland, even now I can remember
Cause the Cuyahoga River
Goes smokin' through my dreams
Burn on, big river, burn on
Burn on, big river, burn on
Now the Lord can make you tumble
And the Lord can make you turn
And the Lord can make you overflow
But the Lord can't make you burn
Burn on, big river, burn on
Burn on, big river, burn on
DISCLAIMER- I TYPED THIS RESPONSE BEFORE READING THE THREAD TITLE AGAIN & UNDERSTANDING THE EXACT PURPOSE- MY RESPONSE WENT A DIFFERENT DIRECTION
Believe it or not- The Sandlot, now the movie was made in 1993, but the time period in the movie is 1962.
There are multiple scenes in the movie that I could point out, but there are (2) that stand out for different reasons and they're-
1- The "team" is about to play a night game on the 4th of July. It's a huge neighborhood cook-out, fireworks, etc...They have fun, ride rides, try chew for the 1st time, etc... The reason this reminds me of "America" is simply because this scene low-key represented freedom, community, etc...
2- Near the end of the movie, "Smalls" goes to get the ball from the owner of the dreaded monster dog. Turns out the dog is super great, etc... But here is why this scene stands out to me: "Smalls" is a young white kid, "Mertle" turns out to be a former professional baseball player, who played with Babe Ruth, oh yeah and he's African American. This is a huge deal, because in the movie this meant that Mertle played ball in 1927, this is before Jackie Robinson, and the big movement, so being an african-american playing baseball at that time, and still in 1962 being African american wasn't a stroll in the park. Also of significance, in 1962 (year the movie is set), John "Buck" O'Neil became the first African-American coach in Major League baseball after joining the staff of the Chicago Cubs. I'm not trying to focus solely on a racial story in the movie, but to me there was purpose/significance behind this part.
Sorry for the rant, and technically off-topic. But I had enough typed to say screw it and post anyway
Totally get what you're saying. That movie was Americana.
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