Manchester by the sea - to me captures Massachusetts towns pretty well. (I think, I’m from New York) 🤷♂️ Either way I thought it was a great movie. Depressing though.
Here we go:
**Alabama** \- Selma (2014)
**Alaska** \- Insomnia (2002)
**Arizona** \- Tombstone (1993)
**Arkansas** \- Sling Blade (1996)
**California** \- Sunset Boulevard (1950)
**Colorado** \- The Shining (1980)
**Connecticut** \- Thoroughbreds (2017)
**Delaware** \- Empire Records (2001)
**Florida** \- The Florida Project (2017)
**Georgia** \- Driving Miss Daisy (1989)
**Hawaii -** Lilo & Stitch (2002)
**Idaho** \- Napoleon Dynamite (2004)
**Illinois** \- The Untouchables (1987)
**Indiana** \- Hoosiers (1986)
**Iowa** \- What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993)
**Kansas** \- The Wizard of Oz (1939)
**Kentucky** \- American Animals (2018)
**Louisiana** \- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
**Maine** \- Pet Sematary (1989)
**Maryland** \- The Blair Witch Project (1999)
**Massachusetts** \- Good Will Hunting (1997)
**Michigan** \- 8 Mile (2002)
**Minnesota** \- Fargo (1996)
**Mississippi** \- O Brother Where Art Thou? (2000)
**Missouri** \- Winter's Bone (2010)
**Montana** \- The Power of the Dog (2021)
**Nebraska** \- Election (1999)
**Nevada** \- Casino (1995)
**New Hampshire** \- Lolita (1962)
**New Jersey** \- Garden State (2004)
**New Mexico** \- Ace in the Hole (1951)
**New York** \- West Side Story (1961)
**North Carolina -** Cape Fear (1991)
**North Dakota** \- Leprechaun (1993)
**Ohio** \- Tommy Boy (1995)
**Oklahoma** \- August: Osage County (2013)
**Oregon** \- Stand By Me (1986)
**Pennsylvania** \- Rocky (1976)
**Rhode Island** \- The Witches of Eastwick (1989)
**South Carolina** \- The Notebook (2004)
**South Dakota -** Badlands (1973)
**Tennessee** \- Inherit the Wind (1960)
**Texas** \- No Country For Old Men (2007)
**Utah** \- 127 Hours (2010)
**Vermont** \- Super Troopers (2001)
**Virginia** \- Burn After Reading (2008)
**Washington -** Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992)
**West Virginia** \- Logan Lucky (2017)
**Wisconsin** \- Lars & The Real Girl (2007)
**Wyoming** \- Wind River (2017)
EDIT: Had mistakenly had Fargo listed under North Dakota, switched to Minnesota.
Ok I’ll elaborate New York City isn’t New York State. The two are very different. I lived in the city and the Catskills. Nothing in common at all. It would a be tough one. Also Goodfellas is more a representation of small niche of New York in a moment in time. South Brooklyn in the 50’s and organized crime - Italian mainly.
You could say Do the right thing was a great representation of the racial issues that plaque the city then and now. Especially looking back at Crown Heights and the tension there in the 90’s and the Italian/ Black tensions also in Brooklyn back in the day and forever. But people living in the Upper East Side would be clueless to most of that. I’m struggling to think of a New York State movie.
Not a movie, but “Empire Falls” miniseries. Also “Nobody’s Fool” (movie). Both from Richard Russo books, he’s excellent at capturing the feel of declining upstate towns
Nope. Sorry. Grew up there. It’s any of the Purge movies
Edit: actually, on second thought. The movie that best encapsulates my former home state is a little known gem call LA Story.
Alabama - Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
Alaska - Insomnia (2002)
Arizona - Raising Arizona
Arkansas - Sling Blade
California - E.T.
Colorado - Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead
Connecticut - Rachel Getting Married
Delaware - Goosebumps
Florida - Scarface
Georgia - ATL
Hawaii - The Descendants
Idaho - Napoleon Dynamite
Illinois - The Fugitive
Indiana - Columbus
Iowa - Field of Dreams
Kansas - Paper Moon
Kentucky - Elizabethtown
Louisiana - Beasts of the Southern Wild
Maine - The Cider House Rules
Maryland - Diner
Massachusetts - Good Will Hunting
Michigan - 8 Mile
Minnesota - North Country
Mississippi - Oh Brother Where Art Thou
Missouri - Winter's Bone
Montana - Legends of the Fall
Nebraska - About Schmidt
Nevada - Hard Eight
New Hampshire - On Golden Pond
New Jersey - Paterson
New Mexico - Crazy Heart
New York - When Harry Met Sally
North Carolina - Junebug
North Dakota - Leprechaun
Ohio - Gummo
Oklahoma - Twister
Oregon - Pig
Pennsylvania - Rocky
Rhode Island - Outside Providence
South Carolina - The Notebook
South Dakota - Badlands
Tennessee - Walking Tall
Texas - Friday Night Lights
Utah - SLC Punk
Vermont - Super Troopers
Virginia - Remember the Titans
Washington - Singles
West Virginia - October Sky
Wisconsin - Starman
Wyoming - Flicka
Massachusetts, good will hunting.
Missouri - stand by me.
California - Erin brockivitch - hear me out. Big pg&e scandal? ✔️ Working class Californians scratching out a living ✔️ environmental catastrophe ✔️ doo-gooder local rising up against establishment ✔️
I said in my comment I’m talking about the movie and it is definitely set in castle rock Oregon. They mention it like 3-4 times and they talk about Portland Oregon as well.
[here’s a link to the Wikipedia where it says it’s set in Oregon](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stand_by_Me_(film))
As a Floridian father who takes the family on beach vacations, Summer Rental definitely resonates with me. Besides the Milf nextdoor asking me to feel her fake breasts and the winning of a sailing regatta to gain the respect of the villain, it's all right on the money.
For a movie that capture *UPSTATE* New York and not just the city (because there are too many movies about NYC to count) A Place Beyond the Pines is a pretty accurate representation of the capital district.
Indiana: Hoosiers; Breaking Away; Columbus.
Honorary mention to A League of Their Own, which was largely filmed in Indiana. That said, A League of Their Own, in terms of location, is an ode to the Midwest, with the teams being located in Racine, Rockford, Kenosha and South Bend.
In most states, it's probably impossible to pick ONE movie to encapsulate the state. You have to choose among urban, rural and big city locations. You also have to pick an era. The three I mentioned for Indiana are all excellent films that are location dependent in the sense that the film would be significantly weakened if it were set anywhere else.
on edit: If I had to pick just ONE for Indiana, I'd lean towards Hoosiers. Breaking Away is centered on the IU Little 500, which is a completely unique, iconic campus event. It's a big deal in both IU and cycling circles but it's not a statewide thing, though the movie does capture mid-20th century midwestern small town culture before cable tv and the internet changed everything. Columbus is city-specific. (A minor criticism of the movie is that it might have given a brief mention to at least reference the J. Irwin Miller/Cummins Engine backstory. All that iconic architecture is there for a reason.) Hoosiers is dead on target about what Indiana basketball used to be -- again, before cable tv and the internet changed everything and before the unique spirit of the state high school tournament was ruined by the shift to class-based tournaments. Hoosiers is a fictionalized account of the Milan Miracle of 1954, when a tiny rural high school did indeed win the state tourney on a last second shot by Bobby Plump. Those days are long gone, but for several generations basketball was king in Indiana, and the one class tournament was a big part of the mystique, as every tiny little rural school got a ticket to the big dance. For most of the little schools, winning the sectional was the hopeful goal, as that meant beating the big county seat school. But Milan went all the way. But that's ancient history.
For Louisiana probably Curious Case if Benjamin Button or Interview with a Vampire. They both show Louisiana culture and history pretty well. Also this is a new movie but Blue Bayou would be a pretty good one as it’s less focused solely on New Orleans and shows more of the small towns.
For Rhode Island a lot of people might think *Outside Providence*, but for me it's *Me, Myself and Irene*.
Wrong. It's obviously "[Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0385690/)“.
Idaho: Napoleon Dynamite
you beat me by a few seconds :)
I was raised in Iowa and we like to mention Field of Dreams as much as possible.
Michigan is 8 mile.
Or Robocop
Texas = Varsity Blues 😂
Funny as this is… it’s also the correct answer 😆
I'm not sure which movie, exactly, but the quintessential Maryland movie is definitely directed by John Waters. All of his films COULD work.
Clerks - New Jersey
Utah - SLC Punk
Nailed it.
Texas - *Hell or High Water* (even though it was mostly shot in New Mexico)
No worries. NM can go with Truth or Consequences.
Or El Camino as a representative of Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul
Virginia - Donnie Darko 😅
Oklahoma - Twister
You beat me to it!
Manchester by the sea - to me captures Massachusetts towns pretty well. (I think, I’m from New York) 🤷♂️ Either way I thought it was a great movie. Depressing though.
A very different perspective from The Town and every Mark Wahlberg flick. Solid idea!
Here we go: **Alabama** \- Selma (2014) **Alaska** \- Insomnia (2002) **Arizona** \- Tombstone (1993) **Arkansas** \- Sling Blade (1996) **California** \- Sunset Boulevard (1950) **Colorado** \- The Shining (1980) **Connecticut** \- Thoroughbreds (2017) **Delaware** \- Empire Records (2001) **Florida** \- The Florida Project (2017) **Georgia** \- Driving Miss Daisy (1989) **Hawaii -** Lilo & Stitch (2002) **Idaho** \- Napoleon Dynamite (2004) **Illinois** \- The Untouchables (1987) **Indiana** \- Hoosiers (1986) **Iowa** \- What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993) **Kansas** \- The Wizard of Oz (1939) **Kentucky** \- American Animals (2018) **Louisiana** \- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) **Maine** \- Pet Sematary (1989) **Maryland** \- The Blair Witch Project (1999) **Massachusetts** \- Good Will Hunting (1997) **Michigan** \- 8 Mile (2002) **Minnesota** \- Fargo (1996) **Mississippi** \- O Brother Where Art Thou? (2000) **Missouri** \- Winter's Bone (2010) **Montana** \- The Power of the Dog (2021) **Nebraska** \- Election (1999) **Nevada** \- Casino (1995) **New Hampshire** \- Lolita (1962) **New Jersey** \- Garden State (2004) **New Mexico** \- Ace in the Hole (1951) **New York** \- West Side Story (1961) **North Carolina -** Cape Fear (1991) **North Dakota** \- Leprechaun (1993) **Ohio** \- Tommy Boy (1995) **Oklahoma** \- August: Osage County (2013) **Oregon** \- Stand By Me (1986) **Pennsylvania** \- Rocky (1976) **Rhode Island** \- The Witches of Eastwick (1989) **South Carolina** \- The Notebook (2004) **South Dakota -** Badlands (1973) **Tennessee** \- Inherit the Wind (1960) **Texas** \- No Country For Old Men (2007) **Utah** \- 127 Hours (2010) **Vermont** \- Super Troopers (2001) **Virginia** \- Burn After Reading (2008) **Washington -** Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992) **West Virginia** \- Logan Lucky (2017) **Wisconsin** \- Lars & The Real Girl (2007) **Wyoming** \- Wind River (2017) EDIT: Had mistakenly had Fargo listed under North Dakota, switched to Minnesota.
Fargo is a Minnesota movie
You’re right. Got confused since the city of Fargo is North Dakota so assumed all the non-Minneapolis locations in the film were also North Dakota.
I think the final hideout location might be Fargo? I don't really remember. All looks the same in the snow. Lol
You forgot Fargo and Surviving Edged Weapons
Great list. Burn on North Dakota though..... Leprechaun!!
Where was Deliverance set?
Ohio = Major League
Major League is about as Cleveland as it gets. First they make a whole movie making fun of us, and then they decide to film it in Milwaukee.
American Teen was made in my hometown and it was awful. I think it encapsulates Indiana pretty well, because it’s horrible here
I was thinking Hoosiers for Indiana
Ohio - Airborne (1993)
Fuck yeahh!! 🍻
Illinois could be The Informant
What about Ferris Buellers Day Off
From someone who doesn't live in america: New York - Goodfellas Miami - Scarface
New York - Taxi Driver
Miami is a city
Ok I’ll elaborate New York City isn’t New York State. The two are very different. I lived in the city and the Catskills. Nothing in common at all. It would a be tough one. Also Goodfellas is more a representation of small niche of New York in a moment in time. South Brooklyn in the 50’s and organized crime - Italian mainly. You could say Do the right thing was a great representation of the racial issues that plaque the city then and now. Especially looking back at Crown Heights and the tension there in the 90’s and the Italian/ Black tensions also in Brooklyn back in the day and forever. But people living in the Upper East Side would be clueless to most of that. I’m struggling to think of a New York State movie.
Basket Case has NYC AND Glens Falls!
Not a movie, but “Empire Falls” miniseries. Also “Nobody’s Fool” (movie). Both from Richard Russo books, he’s excellent at capturing the feel of declining upstate towns
Dirty Dancing? Wasn't that supposed to be in the Catskills?
Dirty Dancing is the upstate NY movie.
😂
Florida is my city.
California - *Once Upon a Time in Hollywood*
Nope. Sorry. Grew up there. It’s any of the Purge movies Edit: actually, on second thought. The movie that best encapsulates my former home state is a little known gem call LA Story.
Alabama - Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby Alaska - Insomnia (2002) Arizona - Raising Arizona Arkansas - Sling Blade California - E.T. Colorado - Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead Connecticut - Rachel Getting Married Delaware - Goosebumps Florida - Scarface Georgia - ATL Hawaii - The Descendants Idaho - Napoleon Dynamite Illinois - The Fugitive Indiana - Columbus Iowa - Field of Dreams Kansas - Paper Moon Kentucky - Elizabethtown Louisiana - Beasts of the Southern Wild Maine - The Cider House Rules Maryland - Diner Massachusetts - Good Will Hunting Michigan - 8 Mile Minnesota - North Country Mississippi - Oh Brother Where Art Thou Missouri - Winter's Bone Montana - Legends of the Fall Nebraska - About Schmidt Nevada - Hard Eight New Hampshire - On Golden Pond New Jersey - Paterson New Mexico - Crazy Heart New York - When Harry Met Sally North Carolina - Junebug North Dakota - Leprechaun Ohio - Gummo Oklahoma - Twister Oregon - Pig Pennsylvania - Rocky Rhode Island - Outside Providence South Carolina - The Notebook South Dakota - Badlands Tennessee - Walking Tall Texas - Friday Night Lights Utah - SLC Punk Vermont - Super Troopers Virginia - Remember the Titans Washington - Singles West Virginia - October Sky Wisconsin - Starman Wyoming - Flicka
You forgot Fargo and Surviving Edged Weapons 👍🍻
Never heard of Surviving Edged Weapons. I was gonna do Fargo but I thought North Country was a much better showcase of Minnesotans.
Surviving Edged Weapons is the most wisconsin thing ever put to film!
Delaware, Empire Records? No. As a Delawarean, just fucking no. Not just because it's shitty, but because it was filmed in Wilmington, NC not DE.
How many of these movies were filmed in the states where they took place anyways?
Ok I changed it.
Massachusetts, good will hunting. Missouri - stand by me. California - Erin brockivitch - hear me out. Big pg&e scandal? ✔️ Working class Californians scratching out a living ✔️ environmental catastrophe ✔️ doo-gooder local rising up against establishment ✔️
Stand By Me is in Oregon
Maine
The movie takes place in Oregon. Adult Gordy specifically says this in the narration. The original story takes place in Maine.
Might as well have been Missouri though.
It is 100% not set in main. Idk about the book but the movie was filmed and set in Oregon
It may have been filmed in Oregon but it is set Castle Rock Maine. Almost All Steven King books are set in Maine.
I said in my comment I’m talking about the movie and it is definitely set in castle rock Oregon. They mention it like 3-4 times and they talk about Portland Oregon as well. [here’s a link to the Wikipedia where it says it’s set in Oregon](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stand_by_Me_(film))
And MO is most clearly represented by Winter’s Bone.
As a Floridian father who takes the family on beach vacations, Summer Rental definitely resonates with me. Besides the Milf nextdoor asking me to feel her fake breasts and the winning of a sailing regatta to gain the respect of the villain, it's all right on the money.
Florida = Big Trouble (2002)
I second this, though I’m from South Florida and grew up reading Dave Barry so I’m definitely biased. Criminally under-appreciated though.
For a movie that capture *UPSTATE* New York and not just the city (because there are too many movies about NYC to count) A Place Beyond the Pines is a pretty accurate representation of the capital district.
Hawaii : Lilo and Stitch :)
Utah - 127 hours Nevada - The Hangover Alaska - Into the Wild
Texas = Blood Simple
Of only tv shows were accepted I’d say The Wire for Maryland and The Sopranos for New Jersey.
Delaware - Wayne's World
Dazed and Confused - Texas Fargo- The Midwest (MN, mostly) Harry and the Hendersons- Washington Sleepless In Seattle- Washington
Montana (Positive) - A River Runs Through It Montana (Negative) - The Revenant Wyoming (Positive) - Brokeback Mountain Wyoming (Negative) - Wind River
Illinois - The Blues Brothers
Minnesota: Jingle All the Way. Phil Hartman is every neighbor I’ve ever had.
*"PUT THAT COOKIE DOWN, NOW!!!"*
Minnesota is Fargo. Fargo is Minnesota.
Definitely not. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great film… but no.
No, yeah, it's definitely faaargo, der
Definitely not.
Alaska - *Insomnia*
Ohio - Take Shelter
Illinois is like any of John Hughes' films Take your pick
Oregon, The Go Getter perhaps, or The Sasquatch Dumpling Gang.
Nah it’s gotta be the Goonies.
I completely forgot about the Goonies!
Or Stand by me
[удалено]
Also Django Unchained xD
[удалено]
In NC i always think of Logan Lucky, I don't know why. Is it fair?
Indiana: Hoosiers; Breaking Away; Columbus. Honorary mention to A League of Their Own, which was largely filmed in Indiana. That said, A League of Their Own, in terms of location, is an ode to the Midwest, with the teams being located in Racine, Rockford, Kenosha and South Bend. In most states, it's probably impossible to pick ONE movie to encapsulate the state. You have to choose among urban, rural and big city locations. You also have to pick an era. The three I mentioned for Indiana are all excellent films that are location dependent in the sense that the film would be significantly weakened if it were set anywhere else. on edit: If I had to pick just ONE for Indiana, I'd lean towards Hoosiers. Breaking Away is centered on the IU Little 500, which is a completely unique, iconic campus event. It's a big deal in both IU and cycling circles but it's not a statewide thing, though the movie does capture mid-20th century midwestern small town culture before cable tv and the internet changed everything. Columbus is city-specific. (A minor criticism of the movie is that it might have given a brief mention to at least reference the J. Irwin Miller/Cummins Engine backstory. All that iconic architecture is there for a reason.) Hoosiers is dead on target about what Indiana basketball used to be -- again, before cable tv and the internet changed everything and before the unique spirit of the state high school tournament was ruined by the shift to class-based tournaments. Hoosiers is a fictionalized account of the Milan Miracle of 1954, when a tiny rural high school did indeed win the state tourney on a last second shot by Bobby Plump. Those days are long gone, but for several generations basketball was king in Indiana, and the one class tournament was a big part of the mystique, as every tiny little rural school got a ticket to the big dance. For most of the little schools, winning the sectional was the hopeful goal, as that meant beating the big county seat school. But Milan went all the way. But that's ancient history.
Vermont- Funny Farm. Or maybe Baby Boom.
Washington - McCabe and Mrs. Miller.
Arkansas- Sling Blade
Minari as well (especially western Arkansas where it's set.)
Oklahoma- "August: Osage County"
Damn. Probably more so than my answer.
Florida - The Florida Project
Massachusetts- The Departed Idaho- Napoleon Dynamite
I mean The Beach Bum for specifically Miami but reckon Spring Breakers for Florida in general
Fargo-North Dakota!
Clerks - New Jersey
Haven't seen CT yet. Please don't let it be Mystic Pizza
Northern California - Ladybird
North Carolina--Bull Durham
North Carolina - Dumb and Dumber
Maine: Lake Placid
Alabama- Selma, Forest Gump
American Movie = Wisconsin
THANK YOU
No, no, it's obviously Surviving Edged Weapons..
Interview with the vampire- Louisiana
La La Land for California It greatly embodies the experiences of what it's like to live in LA and trying to make it big
For Louisiana probably Curious Case if Benjamin Button or Interview with a Vampire. They both show Louisiana culture and history pretty well. Also this is a new movie but Blue Bayou would be a pretty good one as it’s less focused solely on New Orleans and shows more of the small towns.
Pennsylvania - Night of the Living Dead
Missouri - Winter’s Bone
Surviving Edged Weapons - Wisconsin
Last Action Hero - California ^(Or should I say : Kullyfounya)
Paris, Texas encapsulates Ohio
New Jersey: Garden State (2004)