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I'd probably go with some movie set in the South like Steel Magnolias, Fried Green Tomatoes, Remember the Titans, My Cousin Vinny or Driving Miss Daisy. All of the movies based on John Grisham novels tend to paint a colorful picture of Southern society too.
A Bronx Tale is probably the best "New York" film, imo, since it was based on Calogero ("Chazz") Palmenteri's life.
Philadelphia with Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington could have been called "Chicago" and it would have been the same exact movie.
One movie that shows unique aspects of Chicago culture is Love Jones with Nia Long and Larenz Tate. Though the city of Chicago is not crucial to the story, the director goes out of his way to include some very interesting things about Chicago. The movie makes Chicago seem like a cool place to live.
What's with all the gang movies listed for Los Angeles? There are a plethora of films that take place in Los Angeles that have nothing to do with gangs.
In saying this, I can't wait for Straight Outta Compton to be released. There are billboards all over South Central. I will definitely be seeing that in theaters.
I agree when someone said Boyz 'N' the Hood is accurate, in terms of gang activity back in the 80's/90's. Friday, while humorous, is pretty accurate as well, in terms of gang activity.
NYC should win this poll easily, it really cannot be disputed that NYC is one of the most recognized cities in the world and a big part of this is attributed to heavy media exposure for centuries, not just films/movies but TV shows, live televised events, music videos, etc...
No offense, but I am a huge BB fan, and I've never felt the setting of the show was particularly important. The best reason for setting it in the Southwest, imo, was the connection to the Mexican cartel and all that went down in Mexico with Tuco, the Salamanca Twins, Gus and Don Eladio. That could not have been pulled off had the show been set in the Bronx. Otherwise, it wouldn't have made any difference to me if the show had been set in Tampa rather than ABQ. Same goes for the Walking Dead too (and Fear the Walking Dead).
Well, that's your opinion. But, if the show's creator, who was also the lead writer for most episodes of the show, says that it was, then it was, IMO.
Well, that's your opinion. But, if the show's creator, who was also the lead writer for most episodes of the show, says that it was, then it was, IMO.
But the setting of the show is not important. What would have changed had Gilligan set it in the Inland Empire (which he originally planned to do) rather than New Mexico? Nothing, really. Sure, there may have been different cinematographic choices, but the story would still be about a high school chemistry teacher who goes into the meth business to pay for his chemotherapy. The show doesn't have to be set in New Mexico to tell that story. It's the same way The Walking Dead doesn't have to be set in Georgia. The setting is almost irrelevant.
But the setting of the show is not important. What would have changed had Gilligan set it in the Inland Empire (which he originally planned to do) rather than New Mexico? Nothing, really. Sure, there may have been different cinematographic choices, but the story would still be about a high school chemistry teacher who goes into the meth business to pay for his chemotherapy. The show doesn't have to be set in New Mexico to tell that story. It's the same way The Walking Dead doesn't have to be set in Georgia. The setting is almost irrelevant.
The setting wasn't irrelevant to Breaking Bad though. As the show went on, the New Mexico setting was definitely a major part of it. There's a weird mix in Albuquerque of sort of old Route 66 stuff, faux-adobe architecture and newer Sunbelt sprawl that goes up to the edge of the desert and then abruptly ends. There's a real sort of slow, quiet feeling to a lot of it and once you get out in the desert it's really eerie in how empty in parts it is.
It wouldn't have been the same show if it was set in the Inland Empire, it might be similar but not the same--that's basically LA suburbs in the desert, but Albuquerque is sort of quirkier in a way. In a way you can imagine Walter White getting away with what he's doing for so long, because Albuquerque is sort of a minor league city. Either way though, the show wouldn't be the same if it wasn't set in the Southwest. And Albuqueque is arguably the most purely Southwestern city in feel.
The setting wasn't irrelevant to Breaking Bad though. As the show went on, the New Mexico setting was definitely a major part of it. There's a weird mix in Albuquerque of sort of old Route 66 stuff, faux-adobe architecture and newer Sunbelt sprawl that goes up to the edge of the desert and then abruptly ends. There's a real sort of slow, quiet feeling to a lot of it and once you get out in the desert it's really eerie in how empty in parts it is.
It wouldn't have been the same show if it was set in the Inland Empire, it might be similar but not the same--that's basically LA suburbs in the desert, but Albuquerque is sort of quirkier in a way. In a way you can imagine Walter White getting away with what he's doing for so long, because Albuquerque is sort of a minor league city. Either way though, the show wouldn't be the same if it wasn't set in the Southwest. And Albuqueque is arguably the most purely Southwestern city in feel.
We'll just agree to disagree on that one. You could easily set BB in the Inland Empire and have the same show. It's Walt's character arc that makes the show: the falling out with Gretchen and Elliott and his ensuing nastiness and bitterness towards them, the reluctant killing of Crazy 8s, the act of omission in watching Jane choke on her own vomit, the decision to kill Gale and poison Brock, etc., etc. The setting of the show is not integral to his character arc at all. I'm not sure why you think Walt could not have transformed into the same Kingpin in San Bernardino with the same drama going down with Skylar, Hank, Jesse, Marie, Gus and Mike.
The Color Purple, a movie I mentioned earlier, is different. It's a movie about Black women in the American South, so you just can't put it in California and have anything close to resembling the same story. You would rob it of all the context that actually makes the movie what it is.
The driving force behind setting Breaking Bad in New Mexico was tax credits.
Quote:
Vince Gilligan, the creator of "Breaking Bad" said he is glad he picked Albuquerque as the setting of his show, but it wasn’t done for artistic reasons.
Gilligan, in an interview with the New York Times, said he decided to film in New Mexico because of the tax incentives offered by the state.
It's the same reason AMC decided to shoot The Walking Dead in Georgia. Sure, when they're there, they make the surroundings work. That's what talented writers/directors do. But these were shows that could have been set in a lot of different places.
We'll just agree to disagree on that one. You could easily set BB in the Inland Empire and have the same show. It's Walt's character arc that makes the show: the falling out with Gretchen and Elliott and his ensuing nastiness and bitterness towards them, the reluctant killing of Crazy 8s, the act of omission in watching Jane choke on her own vomit, the decision to kill Gale and poison Brock, etc., etc. The setting of the show is not integral to his character arc at all. I'm not sure why you think Walt could not have transformed into the same Kingpin in San Bernardino with the same drama going down with Skylar, Hank, Jesse, Marie, Gus and Mike.
The Color Purple, a movie I mentioned earlier, is different. It's a movie about Black women in the American South, so you just can't put it in California and have anything close to resembling the same story. You would rob it of all the context that actually makes the movie what it is.
But it's like saying you could put the Color Purple anywhere in The South and it wouldn't make a difference. Actually where in The South was the film set? I have no idea... The South is a big region.
Not every plotline was specific to being in Albuquerque, but that's sort of a moot point. New Mexico as a setting became an important part of the show. It's one thing I'll always remember about the show. Even if a lot of of it was just the looks, the looks influenced the mood of the show. The Inland Empire looks different, it's California, there's palm trees and everything looks more Mediterranean, New Mexico just feels more western, barren high desert country. You had local Native Americans playing roles in some episodes, you had references to the National Lab in Los Alamos or an episode with a trip to Santa Fe. The desert was basically a supporting character. You could set Breaking Bad in other similar Southwestern cities and it'd be essentially the same show, though there's certain things about Albuquerque that made it feel a certain way. Even if it was initially set there because of tax credits, it still became a part of the show's character.
I guess in part I always thought it was appropriate that Walter White lived in Albuquerque--both are kind of underdogs and minor league.
You can transfer almost any show or movie to a similar or not similar location and the overall plot structure will probably work out(hell, people take the plots of Shakespearean plays and transfer them to all kinds of locations). You could do the fish-out-of-water plot of My Cousin Vinny in rural Nevada or Idaho and except for a few Southern-specific references to grits and mud and accents, it'd probably work out fine. But it's the local Southern culture and the location that influences the film's feel--even if the plot is transferable.
Last edited by CanuckInPortland; 08-06-2015 at 02:43 PM..
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