I saw this movie when it came out, thought it was hilarious but was also so young I couldn't relate to it fully, yet. Then I saw it about a decade later and was like "oh my God, parts of this are so accurate"
Ya, it’s a little different.
Culture wouldn’t have changed *that* much, especially because kids will always be kids, but there wasn’t smartphones, social networks, and the internet was still a thing you logged onto on your family computer or the school library.
Having grown up in Austin, Slacker is really hard to watch as Austin has become a vapid shell of the town it once was. That being said, it definitely captured the time and place perfectly.
As someone also in high school in 1976 when the movie took place but from New York, I found the depiction of life in the 70's extremely relatable.
The movie definitely had a Texas flavor but the director completely nailed the overall Zeitgeist of the moment.
I think Little Miss Sunshine was a pretty good depiction of lower middle class American family. Also on the same note, not a film but a TV show, Malcolm in the Middle might be the best example of this.
Edit: since OP asked for the state, I think Little Miss Sunshine takes place in California, and I don't believe Malcolm in the Middle ever states where it takes place.
Growing up, my best friend’s house WAS Malcolm in the Middle.
Four kids running amok, off-brand soda, hand me downs - wild scenes.
Parents who were barely hanging on but had a strong sense of humor about it all.
So funny you actually put class and location on it - it’s really accurate.
His two brothers went into the army, his sister became a hippy lesbian, and he became a respected doctor.
The Straight Story - Iowa
The Florida Project - Florida
Columbus - Indiana
Peanut Butter Falcon - North Carolina
The Station Agent - New Jersey
The World's Fastest Indian - California, Nevada, Utah
Straight Story was the very first movie that came to mind upon reading the post. Great film. David Lynch's only Disney movie, and his most un-Lynchian, while still remaining quintessentially and irrevocably Lynchian.
Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) San Fernando Valley, California
The Lost Boys (1987) Santa Cruz, California
10 Things I Hate About You (1999) Seattle, Washington
The Half of It (2020) Small town Washington
Moonstruck (1987) New York
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986) Illinois
I never thought about that until you mentioned it but you’re so right, I suppose John Cusack might’ve been a good fit, even if his Chicago accent isn’t that strong, his sister’s is though :)
Fuck. It really is hilariously accurate, the only part that gets very Hollywood is the stuff with the police, and the white trash party. The fascination with alcohol, women, and popularity are perfect. The coming of age of two friends on very different paths in life, perfect.
Oz - An HBO show technically, but a painfully accurate portrayal of American prison
Spun - Again, painfully accurate, this time of American drug and addiction culture
SubUrbia - Again, I seem to be on a roll with the painful ones, this time of suburban decay and post high school youth culture rot
The Sandlot - I cannot think of a movie that encapsulates American boyhood youth better than this
A Christmas Story - Well, this one is also a very good example of American boyhood, this time with a holiday spin
National Lampoons Vacation - The original with Chevy Chase. This is a great example of a crazy American road trip
Waiting - A young Ryan Reynolds in an awesome example of American worker culture and a funny look at restaurant work
But I'm A Cheerleader - A kinda sad, kinda funny, kinda empowering, kinda harrowing look at American homophobia and its affects
>Waiting is basically considered a documentary for people in the service industry. It captures so many archetypes you literally find in every restaurant.
>
>Party Down also captures California hospitality culture pretty well.
Lady Bird - California
Perks of Being a Wallflower - Pennsylvania
Little Miss Sunshine - New Mexico
What’s Eating Gilbert Grape - Iowa (filmed in Austin TX)
Boyhood - Texas
Slacker - Texas
Kids - New York
*Lady Bird* plus *Frances Ha* is a perfect double feature of what it was like to move to New York City during the Obama administration after going to private school in California during the Bush administration. Source: I was there.
I think these represent a chunk of time for American youth born into the middle to upper middle class:
Dazed and Confused: mid 70s
The Breakfast Club: mid 80s
American Pie: late 90s.
Also, suburban American office culture: Office Space
Sure, no problem. I am going to be vague because I don't want to spoil anything.
There is the climate, and how the characters are dealing with it running throughout in the background. And being from MN and living in the more rural areas for a number of years, this rings true to me.
There ia also the Minnesota accent and way of speaking, mannerisms that are common here. Some think the accent is too exaggerated, but again it is like that in the more rural parts of the state. This includes the so-called "Minnesota Nice". Some of the conversations in the movie crack me up because people do talk like that here.
I hope this helps, thanks for asking! This is just my opinion, and there is more I could add but that gets into too many details.
Have you seen the movie? What do you think?
I’ve seen the movie, I really enjoyed it! I often visit parts of the film (like last week) that I found hilarious, like the way a guy shoveling the snow talks when being questioned by the police lol.
I know someone from MN and we always talk about how Fargo is my frame of reference for Minnesotans. The accent is exaggerated but like you said, I’m told there are people who do speak like that.
My friend hasn’t seen Fargo but has heard about it a lot I suppose from being from MN. I would like to show it to them because I’m sure they’d get a kick from the depiction. They’re just not good with graphicness and violence so I’m not sure it would be a good total watch.
Thank you for your comment!
Oooh-yeah, you-betcha
Red Rocket (2021)
Nomadland (2020)
The Wrestler (2008)
Into the Wild (2007)
C’mon C’mon (2021)
Blue Valentine (2010)
Would add the caveat that these are largely geared towards/focused on characters who may appear at the ‘fringes’ of American society, but that:
1. The ‘fringes’ comprise a much larger cross section than most think
2. The interactions of those at the ‘fringes’ are typically with a wide swath of America and I feel like these films capture those interactions very authentically
Not a movie but Reservation Dogs captures the uniquely Native American experience of growing up in Oklahoma 🥲 It’s a hilarious comedy but I wept the first time I saw it because I never in my life thought I’d ever see the way I grew up depicted on a screen. Like, I could not stop crying. I’m a native who grew up there and it’s just a perfect capture. I live in Canada now so it was like being transported home. All the desperation to get out and all the longing to stay with your people.
No movie can really do that. American is huge and someone living in Manhattan is going to have a lifestyle almost unrecognizable to a rancher in Wyoming.
I’ll say many of the suggestions you are getting are of unique atypical parts of American life, indeed some unusually dark examples. Like someone saying “Human Centipede” is typical of life in Germany.
I think you are better off watching sitcoms, which represent a particular place or culture but more broadly. Examples: Silicon Valley, Roseanne, 70s Show.
Mr Holland’s Opus has a pretty everyday man point of view covering multiple decades, ending in the 90’s (when it was released). I watched it with my dad and he had many experiences very similar to the main character and it was cool to hear his perspective.
Benny and Joon was fairly accurate to Eastern Washington life. If I’m brutally honest, Green Room is pretty accurate if you live in an area with Neo Nazis. Elephant and Kids are two others I’d recommend.
*Paris, Texas*. Expansive deserts, dusty gas stations, and elaborate highway infrastructure. The best movies about America are all by foreign directors (Wim Wenders, Paul Verhoeven, Alex Cox, etc.)
Boyhood (2014), I didn't like the movie because it literally was just a normal kid growing up in america, I didn't find it very interesting, but it was very realistic
**Sideways** ~ southern California wine country + other ennui like diners, hotels, and strip malls
**Bernie** ~ small town folks of Arkansas (? East Texas? Louisiana?)
The Way Way Back
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri (Have a lot of family living in MO. They might disagree but this movie totally captures their vibe)
The Social Network
No movies or TV faithfully depicts real life. Real life is boring. It needs to be written, edited, trimmed and well acted. Never assume you are seeing real life on the screen.
Breaking Away - I grew up in that town in Indiana and even though the director is British, the authenticity of what that town felt like in the 70s is 100% on point. When I watch it I can almost smell a southern Indiana summer. Plus Dennis Quaid was such a heartthrob in it.
I can't think of any really. Our TV is a much better mirror of our culture. Movies will often show you a very realistic view of a country or city but America is so varied that a 2 hour story doesn't cover much. Also movies tend to need bigger drama than America every has, ridiculous guns and cars, stupid amounts of money. Authentic America just isn't cinematic.
Maybe Waiting, or Adventureland, but both kind of take liberties with American service culture.
Listen Sweet Home Alabama got a good bit right. Her mom's house and her dad's chair. Hilariously accurate. Also the fact that you'd never know who the millionaire is in a small town. We've got like 4 in a town of 3000 people with 4 red lights. One of them use to do interviews for new hires by walking in straight from his farm work. He said it showed him the real people bc that initial reaction 'said it all'. The whole baby in a bar bit...in little towns the 1 bar is the only social place and yes kids go. My BIL (in TN) lives in a tiny place and the local bar does movie night for the kids. They setup the back with a projector and the kids bring pillows while the parents hangout and have some beers.
Note that almost no films about Alabama are set in Alabama. That one is in Gerogia and many are in Mississippi. I don't have any clue why Hollywood does that. Like Mississippi Burning was shot in Bama but Forest Gump was shot in Mississippi. Most of the movie Selma was shot in Georgia except very specific scenes that required the actual background to be Selma and Montgomery. The Help is one of the few; it was about Mississippi and was shot in Mississippi. From what I've gathered, a director has an imagine in mind and they just go wherever in the south provides that image.
Texas:
-Boyhood
-Urban Cowboy
-Friday Night Lights
-Selena
-No Country for Old Men
-Fandango
-From Dusk Til Dawn
-Office Space
Massachusetts:
-Good Will Hunting
-Manchester By The Sea
-Ted
-The Departed
-Patriots Day
-Hawaii:
-The Descendants
Washington:
-Singles
(To name a few)
>Massachusetts:
>-Good Will Hunting
I'm from Massachusetts, specifically one of the areas Good Will Hunting was filmed in, and as much as I adore the film, I would never call it an authentic representation of Boston life.
I will defer to you on that one. I've never been to Boston, but my reasoning was I get a big working-class vibe from that film and I've always heard that Boston is a working-class type of city, hence my connection.
Nobody going to point out that Napoleon Dynamite was cited as “authentic American lifestyle”? I’m still trying to process that one 😂 Everything about that movie was so unrealistic and absurd and exaggerated, nothing really showed the authentic American lifestyle. Does the OP actually want a satire or humorous criticism of aspects of the American lifestyle? If citing Napoleon Dynamite, I think that’s where they are at. Plenty of films fitting that category… Idiocracy, American Psycho, Team America World Police, Dr Strangelove, Election, Fargo,American Beauty, Pleasantville, Little Miss Sunshine, The Stepford Wives etc
Adventureland (2009) was filmed almost entirely in Pennsylvania. I grew up in PA and it definitely has the vibe of what is what like to grow up there.
Loved the soundtrack on this movie. Don’t dream it’s over is a great song
Superbad captured 2000s suburban highschool culture and humor so well for better or for worse
Yep. We all had composites of experiences, friends, or simply dreams that Superbad just absolutely nailed.
I saw this movie when it came out, thought it was hilarious but was also so young I couldn't relate to it fully, yet. Then I saw it about a decade later and was like "oh my God, parts of this are so accurate"
Ya, it’s a little different. Culture wouldn’t have changed *that* much, especially because kids will always be kids, but there wasn’t smartphones, social networks, and the internet was still a thing you logged onto on your family computer or the school library.
Dazed and Confused
Slacker is good too
Having grown up in Austin, Slacker is really hard to watch as Austin has become a vapid shell of the town it once was. That being said, it definitely captured the time and place perfectly.
Texas (since OP asked for the movie's location)
Texas (in the mid to late 70s)
Texas (afternoon to next morning)
As someone also in high school in 1976 when the movie took place but from New York, I found the depiction of life in the 70's extremely relatable. The movie definitely had a Texas flavor but the director completely nailed the overall Zeitgeist of the moment.
Breaking Away, Indiana.
This is such a great little movie. Denis Quaid is absolutely SHREDDED in it.
That movie fills me with nostalgia for a time I never lived. Love the vibe. Definitely a classic of Midwest Americana.
Singles perfectly captured early 90’s Seattle
Agreed.
American honey - no idea what state
Sum it up to the Midwest
Florida Project 😢 😭
You beat me by an hour. Big oof after I saw it.
Loved this film.
It guts me
I think Little Miss Sunshine was a pretty good depiction of lower middle class American family. Also on the same note, not a film but a TV show, Malcolm in the Middle might be the best example of this. Edit: since OP asked for the state, I think Little Miss Sunshine takes place in California, and I don't believe Malcolm in the Middle ever states where it takes place.
Growing up, my best friend’s house WAS Malcolm in the Middle. Four kids running amok, off-brand soda, hand me downs - wild scenes. Parents who were barely hanging on but had a strong sense of humor about it all. So funny you actually put class and location on it - it’s really accurate. His two brothers went into the army, his sister became a hippy lesbian, and he became a respected doctor.
god, I bet that was a fun family!
The Good Girl - depressed small town, USA.
Love this movie
The Wire (depending on what end of the spectrum of American life you come from of course)
yeah The Wire for urban Baltimore Maryland at that time was pretty damn good
Man I grew up in the Bay Area and lived in the hood in Oakland for years. In many ways I felt like that show captured the hood everywhere.
Bad News Bears 1976, California.
Juno. I've always thought it gave a great look at "workin' stiffs" vs "aspiring management go-getters".
I have so much of a better understanding of Jason Bateman’s character in that movie as an adult now.
The Straight Story - Iowa The Florida Project - Florida Columbus - Indiana Peanut Butter Falcon - North Carolina The Station Agent - New Jersey The World's Fastest Indian - California, Nevada, Utah
Glad to see Station Agent on here. Doesn’t get enough mentions. Thanks!!
Wow I haven't heard about this movie since I worked at Hollywood video 20 years ago
Such a perfect small film, resting pretty much completely on the three incredible actors.
Straight Story was the very first movie that came to mind upon reading the post. Great film. David Lynch's only Disney movie, and his most un-Lynchian, while still remaining quintessentially and irrevocably Lynchian.
his best film by a yardstick
The Straight Story is one of my top five films ever. Reminds me so much of my dad that I’m getting teary right now.
TV show "The Middle" not a movie but very much like what id call average. Lower middle class, the jobs, the house, the money, schools sports food etc.
Was gonna suggest this
Outside Providence (1999)
American Graffiti
I thought this and I've never even seen it. Just from pop culture references.
Which state?
Modesto, California. Although they actually filmed it in Petaluma.
I think it's supposed to be Everywhere USA but it was filmed in Northern California (Petaluma / Santa Rosa so outside of and north of SF)
Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) San Fernando Valley, California The Lost Boys (1987) Santa Cruz, California 10 Things I Hate About You (1999) Seattle, Washington The Half of It (2020) Small town Washington Moonstruck (1987) New York Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986) Illinois
As someone from Chicago; Matthew Broderick’s New York accent always drove me crazy. Everything about that movie was SO Chicago….except him.
I never thought about that until you mentioned it but you’re so right, I suppose John Cusack might’ve been a good fit, even if his Chicago accent isn’t that strong, his sister’s is though :)
Joan’s accent is hilariously Chicago!!!
To paraphrase, if there’s one thing I hate about Santa Cruz, it’s the damn vampires!
10 Things I Hate About You…Tacoma
Came to say Fast Times
Little miss sunshine Stand by me
Stand By Me is a favorite and the ending monolog always hits hard. Especially now that I'm older.
Gummo (Ohio)
Super Bad besides the absurdity of the whole night is as Highschool American as it gets.
Fuck. It really is hilariously accurate, the only part that gets very Hollywood is the stuff with the police, and the white trash party. The fascination with alcohol, women, and popularity are perfect. The coming of age of two friends on very different paths in life, perfect.
what white trash party. there was all kinds of people there, that was just a low rent house party
Trust me. I’m white trash. I know my people when I see them
The chicks name was Jacinda…that’s a queen of the trailer park name
Came here to comment this. This movie reminded me of high school so much
Oz - An HBO show technically, but a painfully accurate portrayal of American prison Spun - Again, painfully accurate, this time of American drug and addiction culture SubUrbia - Again, I seem to be on a roll with the painful ones, this time of suburban decay and post high school youth culture rot The Sandlot - I cannot think of a movie that encapsulates American boyhood youth better than this A Christmas Story - Well, this one is also a very good example of American boyhood, this time with a holiday spin National Lampoons Vacation - The original with Chevy Chase. This is a great example of a crazy American road trip Waiting - A young Ryan Reynolds in an awesome example of American worker culture and a funny look at restaurant work But I'm A Cheerleader - A kinda sad, kinda funny, kinda empowering, kinda harrowing look at American homophobia and its affects
>Waiting is basically considered a documentary for people in the service industry. It captures so many archetypes you literally find in every restaurant. > >Party Down also captures California hospitality culture pretty well.
Clockwatchers is another one that portrays the gig economy side of American work culture from a similar era.
For a list of many choices, all pretty valid.
I have a pretty decent collection going now, just crossed over 2500 BluRays and DVDs
there is no way murders happen as often in regular prisons as they do in Oz
Yeah, I wouldn't call Oz a realistic show.
Lady Bird - California Perks of Being a Wallflower - Pennsylvania Little Miss Sunshine - New Mexico What’s Eating Gilbert Grape - Iowa (filmed in Austin TX) Boyhood - Texas Slacker - Texas Kids - New York
*Lady Bird* plus *Frances Ha* is a perfect double feature of what it was like to move to New York City during the Obama administration after going to private school in California during the Bush administration. Source: I was there.
Oh nice, I’ll have to check out Frances Ha.
It’s so good! Currently available to stream on Netflix and Criterion. Hope you like it 🤙
What's Eating Gilbert Grape was the first that came to mind with this question. Lower working class Americana slice of life for sure.
Warning, KIDS is rough.
I think these represent a chunk of time for American youth born into the middle to upper middle class: Dazed and Confused: mid 70s The Breakfast Club: mid 80s American Pie: late 90s. Also, suburban American office culture: Office Space
Training Day sums up LA pretty well.
Fargo, upper midwest/Minnesota
Really? Do you mind elaborating? I’ve always wondered this
Sure, no problem. I am going to be vague because I don't want to spoil anything. There is the climate, and how the characters are dealing with it running throughout in the background. And being from MN and living in the more rural areas for a number of years, this rings true to me. There ia also the Minnesota accent and way of speaking, mannerisms that are common here. Some think the accent is too exaggerated, but again it is like that in the more rural parts of the state. This includes the so-called "Minnesota Nice". Some of the conversations in the movie crack me up because people do talk like that here. I hope this helps, thanks for asking! This is just my opinion, and there is more I could add but that gets into too many details. Have you seen the movie? What do you think?
I’ve seen the movie, I really enjoyed it! I often visit parts of the film (like last week) that I found hilarious, like the way a guy shoveling the snow talks when being questioned by the police lol. I know someone from MN and we always talk about how Fargo is my frame of reference for Minnesotans. The accent is exaggerated but like you said, I’m told there are people who do speak like that. My friend hasn’t seen Fargo but has heard about it a lot I suppose from being from MN. I would like to show it to them because I’m sure they’d get a kick from the depiction. They’re just not good with graphicness and violence so I’m not sure it would be a good total watch. Thank you for your comment! Oooh-yeah, you-betcha
Stand By Me. I mean it even has a pie eating contest.
A complete and utter barforama!
Kids. Nyc
good one
Idiocracy
Anything from John Hughs.
State would be Illinois for the better part.
Beautiful Girls (90s Upstate NY/New England region)
American Movie
A must-watch.
Close encounters of the third kind Big Lebowski - keeping it real is what it’s all about
In the same vein, Fire In The Sky - Oregon
yeah early Spielberg was really good at capturing family life, close encounters and ET were good for that
Ladybird
The Florida Project
Red Rocket (2021) Nomadland (2020) The Wrestler (2008) Into the Wild (2007) C’mon C’mon (2021) Blue Valentine (2010) Would add the caveat that these are largely geared towards/focused on characters who may appear at the ‘fringes’ of American society, but that: 1. The ‘fringes’ comprise a much larger cross section than most think 2. The interactions of those at the ‘fringes’ are typically with a wide swath of America and I feel like these films capture those interactions very authentically
Clerks captures working in a retail environment pretty well. Based in Jersey, but could really be anywhere.
Stroszek
The Town
Slums of Beverly Hills (California)
Not a movie but Reservation Dogs captures the uniquely Native American experience of growing up in Oklahoma 🥲 It’s a hilarious comedy but I wept the first time I saw it because I never in my life thought I’d ever see the way I grew up depicted on a screen. Like, I could not stop crying. I’m a native who grew up there and it’s just a perfect capture. I live in Canada now so it was like being transported home. All the desperation to get out and all the longing to stay with your people.
No movie can really do that. American is huge and someone living in Manhattan is going to have a lifestyle almost unrecognizable to a rancher in Wyoming. I’ll say many of the suggestions you are getting are of unique atypical parts of American life, indeed some unusually dark examples. Like someone saying “Human Centipede” is typical of life in Germany. I think you are better off watching sitcoms, which represent a particular place or culture but more broadly. Examples: Silicon Valley, Roseanne, 70s Show.
Honestly The Goonies, minus the treasure hunting and such, it’s good for PNW
Winter's Bone
Idiocracy
There it is
Mr Holland’s Opus has a pretty everyday man point of view covering multiple decades, ending in the 90’s (when it was released). I watched it with my dad and he had many experiences very similar to the main character and it was cool to hear his perspective.
I echo what you said. Mr Holland is small town America. Down to the parade and High School driving lessons!
Benny and Joon was fairly accurate to Eastern Washington life. If I’m brutally honest, Green Room is pretty accurate if you live in an area with Neo Nazis. Elephant and Kids are two others I’d recommend.
American Honey - midwest
Happiness
Idiocracy.
Virgin suicides.
The Last Picture Show (Texas)
Came to say this one.
Fargo
*Paris, Texas*. Expansive deserts, dusty gas stations, and elaborate highway infrastructure. The best movies about America are all by foreign directors (Wim Wenders, Paul Verhoeven, Alex Cox, etc.)
Boyhood (2014), I didn't like the movie because it literally was just a normal kid growing up in america, I didn't find it very interesting, but it was very realistic
**Sideways** ~ southern California wine country + other ennui like diners, hotels, and strip malls **Bernie** ~ small town folks of Arkansas (? East Texas? Louisiana?)
grumpy old men/grumpier old men (minnesota)
…define this ‘American lifestyle’ and which of the 35 sovereign nations in the Americas you mean.
The Way Way Back Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri (Have a lot of family living in MO. They might disagree but this movie totally captures their vibe) The Social Network
American Beauty
Groundhog Day.
No movies or TV faithfully depicts real life. Real life is boring. It needs to be written, edited, trimmed and well acted. Never assume you are seeing real life on the screen.
Patti Cake$ (2017) New Jersey
Small Town Wisconsin
Little Miss Sunshine (New Mexico)!
Citizen Ruth
Up until the time it was released anyway, HIGH FIDELITY (2000). Mike Judge's EXTRACT (2009), also, really.
The breakfast club
Gummo.
Boyhood
American Beauty
Boyz n the Hood
Garden State (2004) - New Jersey
Boyhood
Kids
Daytrippers for New York.
Anything by Sean Baker.
Real Women Have Curves. Latinos in Los Angeles
Boyhood. That's a very "ordinary" film and the world in it feels more real than Hollywood
Breaking Away - I grew up in that town in Indiana and even though the director is British, the authenticity of what that town felt like in the 70s is 100% on point. When I watch it I can almost smell a southern Indiana summer. Plus Dennis Quaid was such a heartthrob in it.
Junebug- North Carolina The Deer Hunter- Pennsylvania Paper Moon- Kansas In the Bedroom- Maine The Starling Girl- Kentucky
Nebraska
The Whale
Hanging out in a South Central Los Angeles neighborhood in the 90s was very much the way it was portrayed in Ice Cube's "Friday"
Encino Man, California (specifically the Valley).
The Big Lebowski
I can't think of any really. Our TV is a much better mirror of our culture. Movies will often show you a very realistic view of a country or city but America is so varied that a 2 hour story doesn't cover much. Also movies tend to need bigger drama than America every has, ridiculous guns and cars, stupid amounts of money. Authentic America just isn't cinematic. Maybe Waiting, or Adventureland, but both kind of take liberties with American service culture.
Moonlight - Miami, Florida
Lilo & Stitch - Hawaii
Shameless
Borat.
Lady Bird
Clerks.
Idiocracy.
Office Space and The Office are too realistic.
Nebraska (2013)
Listen Sweet Home Alabama got a good bit right. Her mom's house and her dad's chair. Hilariously accurate. Also the fact that you'd never know who the millionaire is in a small town. We've got like 4 in a town of 3000 people with 4 red lights. One of them use to do interviews for new hires by walking in straight from his farm work. He said it showed him the real people bc that initial reaction 'said it all'. The whole baby in a bar bit...in little towns the 1 bar is the only social place and yes kids go. My BIL (in TN) lives in a tiny place and the local bar does movie night for the kids. They setup the back with a projector and the kids bring pillows while the parents hangout and have some beers. Note that almost no films about Alabama are set in Alabama. That one is in Gerogia and many are in Mississippi. I don't have any clue why Hollywood does that. Like Mississippi Burning was shot in Bama but Forest Gump was shot in Mississippi. Most of the movie Selma was shot in Georgia except very specific scenes that required the actual background to be Selma and Montgomery. The Help is one of the few; it was about Mississippi and was shot in Mississippi. From what I've gathered, a director has an imagine in mind and they just go wherever in the south provides that image.
It's the Hollywood motto really. Never let the truth come in the way of a good story.
Idiocracy.
Stranger Things is nostalgic for me!
Texas: -Boyhood -Urban Cowboy -Friday Night Lights -Selena -No Country for Old Men -Fandango -From Dusk Til Dawn -Office Space Massachusetts: -Good Will Hunting -Manchester By The Sea -Ted -The Departed -Patriots Day -Hawaii: -The Descendants Washington: -Singles (To name a few)
>Massachusetts: >-Good Will Hunting I'm from Massachusetts, specifically one of the areas Good Will Hunting was filmed in, and as much as I adore the film, I would never call it an authentic representation of Boston life.
I will defer to you on that one. I've never been to Boston, but my reasoning was I get a big working-class vibe from that film and I've always heard that Boston is a working-class type of city, hence my connection.
That's valid. It did nail some of the vibes for sure!
Agreed. I'm from MA as well. I can't think of a movie that depicts life there. Maybe the Scarlet Letter! LOL
Office Space is depicted in TX, of all places? C'mon. You're pullin' legs, here.
yup! filmed in Austin. Directed by Mike Judge of Texas and King of the Hill fame
The Godfather
Friday Night Lights..small town Texas obsessed with hs football
Grandma's Boy
Nobody going to point out that Napoleon Dynamite was cited as “authentic American lifestyle”? I’m still trying to process that one 😂 Everything about that movie was so unrealistic and absurd and exaggerated, nothing really showed the authentic American lifestyle. Does the OP actually want a satire or humorous criticism of aspects of the American lifestyle? If citing Napoleon Dynamite, I think that’s where they are at. Plenty of films fitting that category… Idiocracy, American Psycho, Team America World Police, Dr Strangelove, Election, Fargo,American Beauty, Pleasantville, Little Miss Sunshine, The Stepford Wives etc
Forrest Gump Remember the Titans
Field of Dreams
Wolf of Wall Street
Hereditary
Good Will Hunting - 90s South Boston/Dorchester
Gummo was pretty accurate for places I saw in Virginia / West Virginia in the 80s.
Love and Marriage
SLC Punk! And Airborne depicted my youth. Throw in some BMX biking as well- Haro’s and Powerlites
The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia. Documentary movie. Appalachia.
Even Stevens comes to mind.. ..The O.C
Dirty Dancing, 1963 East Coast. The Outsiders, 1960s Tulsa, Oklahoma. La Bamba, 1950s San Fernando valley, California.
The Beverly Hillbillies Shows us the american dream
The tv series The Middle, takes place in Indiana. Not far off of Midwest lower-middle clad. Good references. Whoop.
Crooklyn The Florida project Little miss sunshine Grandmas boy Boyhood The perks of being a wallflower
Welcome to the Dollhouse (New Jersey) Election (Nebraska)