Friday, July 26, 2013

50 Films for 50 States

As you, my faithful readers know, Friday is Pizza / Movie Night at the launchpad.  I spotted this post from Yahoo from a friend a week or so ago - listing 50 movies specific to the 50 states.  It sort of dovetails with the "patriotic list" I posted on the 4th of July.

Agree / Disagree?  Post your favorites in the comments.  My comments are below.
  1. Alabama - To Kill a Mockingbird - ooh, good start
  2. Alaska - Insomnia - this movie really weirded me out
  3. Arizona - Raising Arizona - well, naturally (Kate - is this one on the list? 1987!)
  4. Arkansas - Sling Blade - what, not Primary Colors? :)
  5. California - American Graffiti - this was likely the hardest state to pick just one movie.  I would have of course, turned to the disaster flick(s), but that's just me
  6. Colorado - The Shining
  7. Connecticut - Far From Heaven - I might have gone with The Ice Storm
  8. Delaware - Fight Club - the list admits the state is not mentioned but there are references to Wilmington
  9. Florida - Magic Mike
  10. Georgia - Gone With the Wind - duh.
  11. Hawaii - From Here to Eternity - what, no Pearl Harbor?
  12. Idaho - Napoleon Dynamite - evidently My Own Private Idaho does not take place in the potato state
  13. Illinois - The Blues Brothers - I can live with this (Kate, this one should also be on the list, 1980)
  14. Indiana - Hoosiers - again, duh.
  15. Iowa - Field of Dreams - "they'll come to Iowa, for reasons they can't fathom . . . "
  16. Kansas - Winchester '73 - Man, Jimmy Stewart AND Shelly Winters!?
  17. Kentucky - Coal Miner's Daughter - sure, sure (Kate, 1980)
  18. Louisiana - Interview with the Vampire - I might have gone Grisham here, but he may be more Mississippi.
  19. Maine - The Shawshank Redemption - second Stephen King movie on the list!
  20. Maryland - Diner - this list would have stopped right here if it wasn't Levinson
  21. Massachusetts - The Town - another tough state to narrow down, The Departed, Good Will Hunting also work here
  22. Michigan - Gran Torino
  23. Minnesota - Purple Rain - this movie takes place in Minneapolis?
  24. Mississippi - Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
  25. Missouri - Waiting For Guffman
  26. Montana - A River Runs Through It
  27. Nebraska - Election
  28. Nevada - Ocean's Eleven - Bugsy might have worked here, or Casino.
  29. New Hampshire - What About Bob? - this might make Anna's head explode.  Hotel New Hampshire, perhaps?
  30. New Jersey - Atlantic City 
  31. New Mexico - High Noon
  32. New York - Manhattan - well sure.  But again a state that's hard to pin down.
  33. North Carolina - Bull Durham
  34. North Dakota - Fargo - again, duh.
  35. Ohio - Heathers
  36. Oklahoma - The Outsiders - "stay gold, Ponyboy"
  37. Oregon - One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
  38. Pennsylvania - Groundhog Day - surely by pure repetition . . . 
  39. Rhode Island - Me, Myself, and Irene
  40. South Carolina - Glory
  41. South Dakota - North by Northwest - the big climactic scene and all . . . .
  42. Tennessee - Nashville
  43. Texas - Giant
  44. Utah - 127 Hours
  45. Vermont - Dead Poets Society - O Captain, My Captain!
  46. Virginia - Donnie Darko
  47. Washington - Singles
  48. West Virginia - We Are Marshall - nice call
  49. Wisconsin - Lars and the Real Girl
  50. Wyoming - Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid - "who are those guys?"

2 comments:

NJM said...

I understand the choice for Massachusetts, but Southie does not define the entire state. There are witches too - The Crucible or Practical Magic.

Anna van Schurman said...

I would have gone with the Departed for Massachusetts simply because the Whitey Bulger trial is going on right now.

But you're correct. What about Bob? is such a crap movie. Why not On Golden Pond which is a fabulous movie and really takes in the setting? To Die For would have been good or (and I think you'll be surprised by this) any of a number of Adam Sandler films that take place in NH since he grew up there. (Not a native son since he was born in NY.)