As I work my way down the list I have decided to really give the classic black and whites a try. I am not usually a big fan of the black and white film however, there are a whole list of actors that supposedly have done there best work in black and white films long before things were shot in Technicolor. Also, there are a whole list of classic films that you are just supposed to see and Streetcar Named Desire is one of those films. Here’s the problem: I hated Streetcar Named Desire. It was boring, long and drawn out and nothing happened. Maybe I just wasn’t smart enough to get it-to see what everyone loved about it. Maybe it is better in the theater format-I don’t know. If Streetcar has one saving grace it is Marlon Brando. God rest his soul he’s dead now but back in the day Brando had to be the Brad Pitt of his time. Not only was he handsome but a pretty good actor too. To summarize I hated the movie but loved Marlon Brando.

This got me thinking about black and white films and actors and movies that I do like and things I would recommend for other people to see. Here’s what I came up with; I love Carey Grant and Jimmy Stewart.

Here are my three favorite black and white films of all time:

1. It’s A Wonderful Life

2. People Will Talk

Successful and well-liked, Dr. Noah Praetorius becomes the victim of a witch-hunt at the hands of Professor Elwell, who disdains Praetorius’s unorthodox medical views and also questions his relationship with the mysterious, ever-present Mr. Shunderson. Fuel is added to the fire when Praetorius befriends young Deborah Higgins, who has become suicidal at the prospect of having a baby by a lover who has left her.

3. The Bishops Wife

This is the best trailer for a movie I think I’ve ever seen-it just sums up the film so well!

I love documentary films. I think watching real people telling their stories is just so much better than anything anybody could ever write in a movie. There are a couple of documentaries on the list but I was really looking forward to seeing American Movie and it did not disappoint me.

Here’s the basic plot:

With the help of his mother, his 82-year old uncle, and a local cast of hilarious and lovable characters, filmmaker Mark Borchardt fights his way through internal and external roadblocks to achieve his goal–to make his movie, his way.  Mark’s vision for his dream film is unlike most in independent filmmaking today. His inspiration comes from films as disparate as Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Seventh Seal, as well as his experiences growing up amidst the grey skies, rusty cars, and ranch houses of Milwaukee’s Northwest side.

So here’s what I think, Mark Borchardt is just a guy who delivers newspapers and works as a grounds keeper of the cemetary but his ultimate goal is to make the best short horror film ever. He works for years, has no budget for the film, recruits all his friends and family to work as cast and crew and spends every waking minute trying to make his dream reality. The end result is Coven, a black and white horror film masterpiece and an instant cult classic. Yes, American Movie is a documentary about a guy’s dream to make a film at any cost but it’s also about how much Mark Borchardt’s friends and family love him. They are this colorful group of people that will do anything to help him because they beleive in him and that’s why I love this film.

Here are some web sites related to this film you should check out:

www.americanmovie.com

www.mikeschanksworld.com

Here is another great documentary recommendation:

Crazy Love

This documentary from director Dan Clores chronicles the disturbing true story of an obsessive relationship gone awry in 1950s New York between Burt Pugacha married lawyer, and his twentysomething mistress, Linda Riss. In a shocking reversal of the traditional “woman scorned” formula, it was Pugach who came unglued when Riss broke up with him and the subsequent fallout made headlines across the country.

I wont spoil it for you but this one is a crazy real life love story and if you like documentaries you will love this story.

Plot Summary:

Ambitious Texas-style scale epic that traces the rising and falling fortunes of two generations of Texans. Miscegenation, moral dissipation, racism, the oppression of women….a variety of topics are brought forth during the film’s 201-minute running time. The core of the film is actually the relationship between Bick Benedict and his wife Leslie. It is through them that we follow the film’s themes of generation, conflict and social change. However, it is Jett Rink whom audiences remember, particularly in the early scenes when he is striding out on his small piece of land or when he comes to tell Benedict that “my well came in big.” He puts his oily hand on one of the white columns of Benedict’s porch and, unemphatically crystallizes the theme of the film – the muddy thumb prints of materialism on the pillars of elegance and the coming of conflict between the aristocracy and the nouveau riche. “You should have shot that fella a long time ago,” a friend says to Benedict about Jett Rink. “Now he’s too rich to kill.”

Here is the cast:

I was so looking forward to this movie for a couple of reasons, for one I had never seen a James Dean or Elizabeth Taylor movie before. Two I have come to realize that old movies are great in a different kind of way, the story lines are more subtle. Love is shown without sex and violence is never a special affect but an important part of a story line. So much can be said with a look or lighting in a scene. I love a movie with a plot, good dialogue, characters you care about so I had high hopes for Giant.

In so many ways I can see why this is a classic movie. It is an epic movie 207 minutes long and it covers the story of generations of one family in Texas. It’s a love story between Rock Hudson and Elizabeth Taylor. It is a movie about race relations; class war fare between Texans and Mexicans. It’s a movie about old money vs. new money; cattle men vs. oil men and the older generations ways of thinking vs. the new generations ideals.

I love Elizabeth Taylor in this movie, her character really stands out on screen. There is a scene where she steals the movie for me; it’s her speech about the men being cavemen and the adults putting the babies to bed. She should have gotten the Rock Hudson pimp hand for that speech and I just loved it.

I did not love James Dean in this, I just didn’t see the greatness that everyone talks about. This was James Deans last movie role and he was nominated for an Academy Award for this film. He died in a car wreck shortly after filming. And I would say he is a good actor in this but not great. I’m not giving up on James Dean yet though I’ve put Rebel Without A Cause on my Netflix list and I will not past judgement until I have seen at least one more James Dean movie.

I’m not sure this movie paints Texas in a very flattering light. It kind of makes Texans out to all be racist money grubber red neck idiots which I know is not always true. I tried to keep in mind that this movie was shot in 1956 and that was just a different time. I do recommend Giant if you are in the mood for a classic film and have 207 minutes to kill.

Here are my other movie recommendations for Texas:

The Legend of Bille Jean

Average Texas teen, Billie Jean Davy, is caught up in an odd fight for justice. She is usually followed and harrased around by local boys, who, one day, decide to trash her brother’s scooter for fun. The boys’ father refuses to pay them back the price of the scooter. The fight for “fair is fair” takes the teens around the state and produces an unlikely hero.

New Jersey’s movie is GARDEN STATE!

Ok, for the record New Jersey’s movie according to the list is “Clerks”.

Don’t get me wrong I love Clerks it is probably Kevin Smith’s best movie and if you have not seen it I highly recommend you check it out. But I ’ve seen it and I feel that Garden State is over all a much better movie and I can’t think of one better to represent New Jersey and well it’s my blog so I’ll watch what I want. I tell you what I’ll drop a little blurb in here about Clerks just for the fun of it and then we’ll all be happy.

Dante Hicks is a clerk at a local convenience store in New Jersey. On one particular Saturday morning, he gets called in on his day off. Once there, he must deal with multiple problems. The shutters outside won’t open. His ex-girlfriend, whom he is still in love with, is getting married. His girlfriend, who bugs him about starting college, has revealed certain, uh…stuff about her past. His boss hasn’t come in to take his place. He has a hockey game at 2 o’clock. Another ex has died, and today’s the last day he can go to her wake. He must deal with customers that aren’t so intelligent. His friend, Randal, a clerk at the video store next door, is even less dedicated to his job than Dante, and is always bothering Dante’s customers. And the biggest problem of them all: HE’S NOT EVEN SUPPOSED TO BE THERE TODAY!!

Ok so now Clerks is covered we can get back to Garden State, here’s a blurb about the movie:

Andrew Largeman shuffled through life in a lithium-induced coma until his mother’s death inspired a vacation from the pills to see what might happen. A moderately successful TV actor living in Los Angeles, “Large” hasn’t been home to the Garden State in nine years. But even with 3,000 miles between them, he’s been unable to escape his domineering father Gideon and the silencing effect he’s had on his son from afar. Stunned to find himself in his hometown after such a long absence, Large finds old acquaintances around every corner living quite unique lives as gravediggers, fast food knights and the panderers of pyramid schemes. Meanwhile, at home, he does his best to avoid a long-simmering but inevitable confrontation with his father. By a twist of fate, Large meets Sam, a girl who is everything he isn’t. A blast of color, hope and quirks, Sam becomes a sidekick who refuses to ride in his sidecar. Her warmth and fearlessness give Large the courage to open his heart to the joy and pain of the infinite abyss that is life.

I love this movie! It’s right up there on my list as one of the best movies ever. The casting for this movie is excellent right down to special appearances by Method Man and Jean Smart. Here’s the cast:

The soundtrack for the movie is great. My favorite is Frou Frou.

Here’s the thing Garden State is movie you wont see coming it’s funny, it’s smart and at the end of the day it’s a love story and it speaks to my heart.

Arkansas’s movie is…

True Grit 
The great John Wayne won his only Oscar for his performance as US Marshall Rooster Cogburn in 1969’s True Grit, one of the last great Westerns. Set in rough and tumble 1870s Arkansas, it follows a mismatched duo of bounty hunters hired by a tenacious teenager (Kim Darby) to find her father’s killer: Texas Ranger La Boeuf (Glen Campbell) and the aging, alcoholic, and one-eyed Cogburn. As the trio leaves the military outpost of Fort Smith to traverse the sprawling landscape of Northern Arkansas, director Henry Hathaway (who directed Wayne in Westerns including Legend of the Lost and The Sons of Katie Elder) makes beautiful use of the film’s scenic landscapes – even though much of the actual filming was done in California and Colorado. (Look for Joel and Ethan Coen’s planned remake of the film to strive for more accuracy, based on Charles Portis’ original novel.)

Ok so I have been out of the loop for a couple of weeks and I need to get back into blog mode. Last week’s movie was TRUE GRIT a classic western starring none other than The Duke; John Wayne.

So the basic plot is this, John Wayne plays Rooster Cogburn, a BA one-eyed fat man who would just as soon sit at home and drink whiskey with his cat than be out rounding up the baddies but then Rooster is recruited by a teenage girl, Mattie Ross, to help bring in her father’s killer to justice.

This is a classic case of the movie is good but I have seen better.

Here’s what I liked about the movie:

1. This movie is based on true events. John Wayne’s character is based on a U.S. Marshall from Arkansas who captured or killed more than 200 cowboy fugitives.

2. During the filming of this movie John Wayne ony had one lung. He was dying of lung cancer and had to have his other lung removed.

3. Most of the movie was filmed in Ridgeway, Colorado. Today the town still uses the movie store fronts and props from the movie True Grit.

Overall, I’d say I liked the movie for what it was a classic John Wayne western but there are better John Wayne movies; here are my recommendations:

The Shootist

John Bernard Books, a gunfighter approaching his 58th birthday, finds that he has rectal cancer and two months to live. He takes a room with Bond Rogers and her son, Gillom, to wait until death comes. Of course, his very presence starts off events in the town. The Marshal comes, prepared to die in a shootout, Gillom tries to idolize him, Bond first is disgusted and then pities him. Then, realizing that he will die in great pain, he comes up with an idea to go out with a bang.

The Quiet Man

Sean Thornton has returned from America to reclaim his homestead and escape his past. Sean’s eye is caught by Mary Kate Danaher, a beautiful but poor maiden, and younger sister of ill-tempered “Red” Will Danaher. The riotous relationship that forms between Sean and Mary Kate, punctuated by Will’s pugnacious attempts to keep them apart, form the main plot, with Sean’s past as the dark undercurrent.

Delaware’s movie is Fight Club

So I am starting my journey across the country one movie at a time with one of my favorites Fight Club. I own it and I love it. For the record until I get Netflix sending me the movies on the list I have to watch what I have, thus, I’m starting with this and not Fried Green Tomatoes.

Did anybody know that this movie was set in Delaware??

Anyway, here’s a quick blurb on the plot.

A lonely, isolated thirty-something young professional seeks an escape from his mundane existence with the help of a devious soap salesman. They find their release from the prison of reality through underground fight clubs, where men can be what the world now denies them. Their boxing matches and harmless pranks soon lead to an out-of-control spiral towards oblivion.

So let’s talk about the things I love about this movie:

1. Brad Pitt-Thanks to the great state of Delaware for providing the back drop for Brad and all his shirtless glory. He plays a really great part in this movie and I don’t think it would be nearly as good with out him.

2. The Back Drop-I love that this movie dark and gritty all the way to the end. From begining to end the movie feels isolated and alone. Almost every scene is shot in some dark dity backroom or basement. It’s not pretty but it is sexy in a sweaty, bruised and bleeding kind of way.

3. Plot Twist-This movie has one of the best plot twist ever, enough said.

Things I hate about this movie:

Helena Bonham Carter-I hate her in everything she does not just this. If it wasn’t for the fact she was married to Tim Burton no one would know or care who she was. I will say this though she plays Marla Singer who I guess in this movie is the person you are supposed to hate so mission accomplished.

Fight Club Movie Soundtrack

 My favorite off this soundtrack is The Pixies.

I am Jack’s new found love for the state of Delaware.

Fried Green Tomatoes 
Been traveling around the states? Starting to feel a little fatigued? Time to check yourself into Alabama for some tasty Fried Green Tomatoes. It’s classic cinema of the South. Handed-down tall tales? Check. The commune of family? Check. Rich, unusual foods and recipes? Check. But the film isn’t all nostalgia and pleasantries. A majority takes place in a now-abandoned town, a monument to the classic Southern tragedy: encroachment of technology and progress over hometown preservation and ideals. Ultimately, though, the movie argues human kindness always trumps adversity. Now there’s some of that famed Southern comfort.
 

Alaska’s movie is…

Insomnia 
Sure, America’s 49th state has played host to plenty of rugged outdoor adventures that showcase its gorgeous, stark terrain and Gold Rush history (see White Fang and Never Cry Wolf, which would have made our list had they not also been partially set or filmed in Canada). But Christopher Nolan’s 2002 film Insomnia cleverly utilized another unique Alaskan feature to tell a taut tale of crime and punishment, set in the small fishing village of Nightmute: the disorienting phenomenon of Alaska’s midnight sun. Adapted from the 1997 Swedish tale of the same name, Nolan’s take scored an impressive 92 percent on the Tomatometer, thanks much in part to a riveting central performance by Al Pacino as a corrupt LAPD officer (investigating the murder of a teenager while hiding his own sordid secrets) increasingly thrown off his game by the perennial sunlight of the Alaskan summer. Score one for the locals, who, like Hilary Swank’s clear-eyed Alaskan deputy, are better-adjusted to the wondrous anomalies of The Last Frontier.
 

Arizona’s movie is…

Raising Arizona 
This screwy, surreal take on parenting just wouldn’t work in another state. The sweeping, empty vistas of The Copper State help to bring the characters sharply into focus, and with hardly anything else in sight, you start to believe Coen’s own special brand of insanity. Although we’d be remiss if we didn’t also acknowledge the rich history of Westerns filmed in Arizona, especially in Monument Valley.
 

Arkansas’s movie is…

True Grit 
The great John Wayne won his only Oscar for his performance as US Marshall Rooster Cogburn in 1969’s True Grit, one of the last great Westerns. Set in rough and tumble 1870s Arkansas, it follows a mismatched duo of bounty hunters hired by a tenacious teenager (Kim Darby) to find her father’s killer: Texas Ranger La Boeuf (Glen Campbell) and the aging, alcoholic, and one-eyed Cogburn. As the trio leaves the military outpost of Fort Smith to traverse the sprawling landscape of Northern Arkansas, director Henry Hathaway (who directed Wayne in Westerns including Legend of the Lost and The Sons of Katie Elder) makes beautiful use of the film’s scenic landscapes – even though much of the actual filming was done in California and Colorado. (Look for Joel and Ethan Coen’s planned remake of the film to strive for more accuracy, based on Charles Portis’ original novel.)
 

California’s movie is…

Point Break 
There’s no shortage of movies we could’ve used to represent California. Chinatown and The Maltese Falcon as the classic noirs. Vertigo or Zodiac to show off the darker side of the Bay Area. Crash to show off racial diversity. Maybe Monterey Pop Festival to pay tribute to the Golden State’s rich musical history. But for a movie to represent the typical outsider’s idea of California, it’s gotta be Point Break. The movie’s a big Hollywood action flick that’s all about extreme California livin’: beach settings, house parties, skydiving, and a whole lot of surfing. There are girls with weird hair, guys with ridiculous names, and a beach bum as your gun toting government hero. Only in California!
 

Colorado’s movie is…

Red Dawn
Colorado. A state of glorious scenery. And what better way to discover the land than by setting up camp in its forest, laying down traps during harsh snowy winters, and engaging in bloody firefights throughout its imposing rock formations. It takes a tough crowd of commies to invade America and even a tougher crowd of Coloradans to fend their turf. Red Dawn‘s a movie about man’s rites of passage, justice, valor, and self-sacrifice. The concept may be patently ridiculous, but, hey, it does a pretty good job showing what it takes to be a red-blooded American in the Centennial State.
 

Connecticut’s movie is…

The Ice Storm
Statistically speaking, Connecticut is one of the most affluent states in the US, thanks to a history of strong manufacturing, maritime, and financial industries, and while it typically enjoys moderate weather, it does tend to get cold during Winter. Combine these two elements, and you basically have the recipe for Ang Lee’s The Ice Storm, a suburban melodrama chronicling a chain of events in two neighboring Connecticut families amidst Thanksgiving celebrations. Every character exhibits tragic flaws that are brought to bear over the course of the film, and though it’s not quite a flattering portrait of Connecticut life, The Ice Storm certainly has a thing or two to say about dysfunction in the lives of sophisticates in New England.
 

Delaware’s movie is…

Fight Club

Although it’s not obvious at first glance, Fight Club wouldn’t really have the same impact if it had been set any place else than Delaware. Due to some very business friendly state laws, Delaware has a very low corporate income tax rate, and banks based in the state have few limits on the interest rates they can charge. That’s why many credit card companies are based in Delaware, and that’s exactly who Tyler Durden is out to bring down.

Georgia’s movie is…

Gone With the Wind
An epic tale of romance and loss in the last days of the Confederacy and beyond, Gone with the Wind is one of the greatest achievements of the Golden Age of Hollywood, and arguably the most popular movie ever made. If the film’s unabashed melodrama and retrograde racial depictions might seem problematic by modern standards, viewers remain entranced by the tale of Scarlett O’Hara (Vivien Leigh), a Georgia peach whose tumultuous life parallels the rise and fall of Atlanta – and the old South itself. The beautiful Technicolor photography, gigantic sets, richly ornamented costumes, and quotable dialogue (most notably Clark Gable’s famous kiss-off line to Scarlett) help to paint a rich portrait of one of American history’s most turbulent eras.
 

Hawaii’s movie is…

Lilo & Stitch
Hawaii’s reputation precedes it. Lush vegetation. Weather both humid and crisp. Low tides, tall volcanoes, killer waves. No surprise it took an animated Disney movie to capture the color and natural glory of the union’s final state. The only animated film ever to be set here, Lilo & Stitch weaves Hawaii’s strong sense of family and community directly into the plot, from how a 19-year old must prove competent taking care of her younger sister named Lilo, to Lilo’s adopted role as parent to an evil, violent extraterrestrial named Stitch. And as far as cinematic references run, there’s running jokes about Elvis Presley and his beloved beach flicks, including allusions to Blue Hawaii.
 

Idaho’s movie is…

Napoleon Dynamite
On first pass, it appears Napoleon Dynamite gives Idaho a bad rap. People are weird, quirky, or hopelessly clumsy. Everyone dresses like Scritti Politti’s about to roll into town. There’s nothing for kids to do but hurt themselves on ill-devised stunt ramps and learn dubious hip-hop dance moves. But remember we all loved this movie for a reason. In the universe of Napoleon Dynamite, Idaho transforms into a goofball’s paradise, a carefree land where everyone saunters along in thrift store clothing, tetherball rules, and tater tots — the great Idaho contribution — are things to be stuffed into pockets and truly cherished.
 

Illinois’s movie is…

The Blues Brothers
You could argue that Chicago has contributed as much to blues music as any other city in the nation, and what better movie to showcase that idea than The Blues Brothers. As much a loving tribute to the Chicago blues scene as it is a comedy, The Blues Brothers also helped make Chicago a viable destination for filmmakers, since longtime Mayor Richard J. Daley had previously all but banned filming in the Windy City. Besides, what other movie directly addresses the thorny problem posed by Illinois Nazis?
 

Indiana’s movie is…

Hoosiers
When Coach Norman Dale (Gene Hackman) quips, “Welcome to Indiana basketball” in 1986’s Hoosiers, he might as well have left off the almost redundant “basketball.” Of a state that’s known for its feverish sports fandom, the Massachusetts inventor of basketball himself, James Naismith, was once quoted as stating that “basketball really had its origin in Indiana,” and indeed the sport has become inseparable from the identity of the state. So, naturally, we had to pick the inspirational and iconic David Anspaugh (who also directed the similarly themed Notre Dame football flick Rudy) film about a small-town high school hoops coach who transforms his ragtag team into unlikely state champions. Inspired by true events, the film was shot on location in various places throughout the state, capturing the intensity of “Hoosier Hysteria” and highlighting the region’s natural beauty during the Fall and Winter seasons.
 

Iowa’s movie is…

Field of Dreams

“Is this heaven?”
“It’s Iowa.”
With its rolling landscape – peppered with lakes, hills, and valleys – and fertile soil, Iowa was once a booming agricultural mecca. While this isn’t so much the case any more, corn is still one of the state’s trademark exports, and no movie quite captures the aesthetic and homegrown spirit of the Hawkeye State quite like 1989’s Field of Dreams. Starring Kevin Costner and shot on location, Field of Dreams is a sentimental film about a farmer who hears a mysterious voice instructing him to build a baseball field in the middle of his corn stalks, only to discover that the new field attracts the spirits of bygone baseballers. Aside from the cornfield itself, Field showcases other aspects of Iowa life as Costner’s Ray Kinsella ventures to and from various locations throughout Dubuque and Farley, driving recognizable highways and making several stops. As Kinsella ultimately decides, “Maybe this is heaven,” and there’s not much higher praise you can bestow upon a place.
 

Kansas’s movie is…

The Wizard of Oz
Let’s just get it out of the way: “I have a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.” But aren’t you? Arguably, Dorothy never leaves the farm estate in The Wizard of Oz and the entire movie takes place inside her little head. Okay, so it’s not exactly the most flattering movie for Kansas: the shots that “really” take place in Kansas are shot in drab black-and-white, and once Dorothy “leaves” Kansas, it’s a crazy Technicolor freak-out with ruby shoes and emerald cities and gangs of flying monkeys. Still, this is a movie is widely considered among the great fantasies ever laid to film. That can’t be the worst of news for the Kansas tourism board.
 

Kentucky’s movie is…

Coal Miner’s Daughter
“You’re lookin’ at country,” sang Loretta Lynn in her hit of the same name. Coal Miner’s Daughter is a celebration of the country legend’s life, as well as her Kentucky roots, which are the subject of many of her greatest songs. Raised in abject poverty in a mining town of Butcher Hollow, Lynn (portrayed by Sissy Spacek in an Oscar-winning performance) married at 12 and raised a family before embarking on a singing career. Though many of Lynn’s songs describe the joys, pains, and distinctive rituals of her upbringing in the Bluegrass State, she also injected a potent strain of feminism into the country charts. Coal Miner’s Daughter is the story of a woman who, even after achieving the American dream, never forgot where she came from.
 

Louisiana’s movie is…

The Big Easy
With its unique ethnic mix, distinctive musical flavors, and idiosyncratic culinary delights, there’s no place quite like New Orleans. And few films capture the city quite like Jim McBride’s The Big Easy, which stars Dennis Quaid as a detective of Cajun descent who’s investigating the murder of a local gangster — and discovers that other members of the force may be invovled. While the seedy plot might not seem at first to show N’Awlins in the best light, The Big Easy makes wonderful use of its location; the film features zydeco music, a building full of Mardi Gras parade relics, plenty of well-known local haunts, and a dark tour of the French Quarter.
 

Maine’s movie is…

Dolores Claiborne

Stephen King is undoubtedly Maine’s best selling author and quite possibly the state’s most prolific. Though his stories are typically dark and macabre, many of them take place in the fictional town of Castle Rock, which serves as a sort of proxy for the prototypical New England town – quaint colonial architecture, friendly neighbors, and a backdrop of natural beauty. Even considering his knack for gory detail and expressive storytelling style, it’s still impressive that nearly a hundred of his novels and short stories have been adapted for the screen and directed by the likes of Stanley Kubrick, Taylor Hackford, David Cronenberg, and Rob Reiner, just to name a few. We decided to go with Dolores Claiborne, as one of the Castle Rock films more grounded in reality, but others like The Dead Zone, Cujo, and Needful Things also provide glimpses of small-town life in Maine as seen through the eyes of the horror master.
 

Maryland’s movie is…

Diner
With all due respect to John Waters, we’ve decided to run with another Maryland native’s critically acclaimed directorial debut, Barry Levinson’s Diner, which is also just the first of four movies he would helm that were all set in the city of Baltimore. The story revolves around a group of high school pals in 1959 who reunite in their twenties for the wedding of one of the gang, and it focuses on their relationships as they’ve developed (or ceased to do so) during the interim years. While the film spends a lot of time with the characters in the diner itself, it also follows them on their individual forays into adulthood, shining a spotlight on some of the familiar sights and sounds of Maryland’s largest city along the way.
 

Massachusetts’s movie is…

Good Will Hunting

It’s difficult to pin down just one movie for a state as rich in national history and with as unique an identity as Massachusetts. However, as far as modern portraits of the state are concerned, one could do much worse than Gus Van Sant’s Good Will Hunting. Written by Massachusetts natives (and childhood pals) Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, Good Will Hunting follows a South Boston savant who rejects higher learning, much to the dismay of everyone in his life. The hometown familiarity shines through in Damon and Affleck’s tautly crafted script, which effectively illustrates the college town atmosphere of Boston proper (more than 40 colleges exist in and around the city) and contrasts it with the Irish-flavored working class neighborhoods of Southie. Critics and audiences also appreciated the authenticity of the film, and the two longtime friends walked away with Oscars for their screenplay. How do you like them apples?
 

Michigan’s movie is…

Standing in the Shadows of Motown
From the Great Lakes State came two of America’s most iconic contributions to world culture: the Ford Mustang and the Motown sound. Motown records was the home of such legends as Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, the Supremes, and the Temptations, but it was the label’s house band, the Funk Brothers, who provided them all with a distinctive, sophisticated backbeat. The critically-acclaimed documentary Standing in the Shadows of Motown pays heartfelt tribute to the group that played on such classics as “My Girl,” “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” and “Dancing In the Street” with little recognition. Label head Berry Gordy called the imprint’s output “the sound of young America,” and indeed, the Motown sound resonated across cultural lines in the heady days of the Civil Rights era.
 

Minnesota’s movie is…

A Prairie Home Companion
No modern media property quite captures the essence of (and longing for) the days of yore as Garrison Keillor’s slyly antiquated radio program, A Prairie Home Companion, an old-timey variety show with roots firmly set in the Land of 10,000 Lakes still broadcast in new editions on national public radio. Naturally, auteur Robert Altman preserved just that sentiment in adapting the Minnesota son’s show for the big screen, calling upon a star-studded cast (including Lily Tomlin, Kevin Kline, Tommy Lee Jones, Meryl Streep, Lindsay Lohan, John C. Reilly, and Keillor as, essentially, himself) to pay loving homage to the increasingly passé medium of radio; songs, skits, and even a bit of magical realism ensue. Appropriately enough, Companion serves not only as a gentle, whimsical ode to old time living (and those Lake Wobegon days), but also landed critical acclaim for the 80-year-old Altman, who passed away five months after its release.
 

Mississippi’s movie is…

In the Heat of the Night
The Best Picture Oscar winner for 1968, In the Heat of the Night is set during a red-hot summer in the uneasy days of the post-Civil Rights Act. Set in the fictional small town of Sparta, MS, this murder mystery finds prominent black detective Virgil Tibbs (Sidney Poitier), visiting from out of town, accused by the local police chief Gillespie (Rod Steiger) of murdering a visiting businessman. But when Gillespie discovers Tibbs may be of help in solving the case, the relationship between Tibbs and Gillespie grows based upon mutual respect, as Gillespie recognizes Tibbs’ police skills. If this piece of social critique has dated somewhat since its release, it remains, tense, thoughtful, and funny – and stands as an example of the fundamental decency of the American psyche, and our collective ability to embrace changing times.
 

Missouri’s movie is…

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Located very near the center of the United States, Missouri is both demographically and topographically diverse, melding Northern and Southern sensibilities and featuring rolling plains and mountain ranges. Similarly, the types of films set in the state vary widely, from small-town mockumentary (Waiting for Guffman) to Great Depression-era crime film (Kansas City, by Missouri’s own Robert Altman). However, it’s the story of one of the nation’s most (in)famous outlaws that makes the cut here. 2007’s The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford begins its tale in Missouri, where Jesse James was born and raised, and culminates in the title event at Jesse’s St. Joseph home. Though not actually filmed in the state, Assassination succeeds in portraying Missouri frontier life as it was in the 1800s, and its subjects, like their home state, represent a middle ground, a transition between the last days of the Western outlaw and the dawn of the new century.
 

Montana’s movie is…

A River Runs Through It
When a movie is set in a flyover state, it’s not outrageous to think it’s going to play up the intimacy of living in a small town and the magisterial natural beauty that likely surrounds it. A River Runs Through It, Robert Redford’s adaptation of the Norman Maclean’s autobiographical story, does exactly that. Set in Missoula, Montana, the film is Redford’s loving ode to the outdoors, and a further exploration of his favorite movie subject: family tension. Montana’s low population density gives ample uninterrupted space for shots of nature, and that keys in to the film’s most central image: men enjoying the sport of fly-fishing. Silent, stately, and introspective, Redford’s presentation of fishing is a perfect match to the subtle beauty of Montana’s wilderness.
 

Nebraska’s movie is…

Children of the Corn
Corn is king in the state of Nebraska… but is it also the Devil? So finds an unsuspecting couple (Peter Horton and Linda Hamilton) who accidentally stumble into the abandoned town of Gatlin, Nebraska, where a cult of creepy kids have killed every adult and interloper around at the behest of an evil god who dwells in the cornfields. (Coincidentally, the corn harvests are excellent!) Though it doesn’t quite paint the youth of Nebraska in sanest light, Children of the Corn was successful enough to spawn no less than six feature film sequels… which says something, right?
 

Nevada’s movie is…

Casino

Ok, so Casino may not provide the most flattering portrait of the Silver State. But for anyone looking for a social history of Las Vegas’ ascent from desert outpost to Disneyland for grown-ups, you could do worse than Martin Scorsese’s film, which captures the glitz and seedy allure of Nevada’s largest city with panache and an unmatched eye for detail. Loosely based on the life and times of sports gambling pioneer Frank “Lefty” Rosenthal, Casino tells the tale of how Sam “Ace” Rothstein (Robert DeNiro) was recruited by the mafia to one of Vegas’ biggest gambling establishments – and skim a portion of the profits. It’s an untenable situation, as the Feds move in and organized crime is ushered out, but, as Casino posits, the wild days when the mob was in charge laid the groundwork for the modern Vegas, the glamorous hub of Nevada’s tourism industry.
 

New Hampshire’s movie is…

On Golden Pond
The multi-Oscar winner On Golden Pond serves as a wonderful showcase for the picturesque natural beauty of the Granite State. Henry Fonda (in one of his last big-screen roles) and Katherine Hepburn star as an elderly couple who while away their summers at a cottage in New Hampshire’s Lakes Region while working to mend fences with their estranged daughter (Jane Fonda). The elegiac tone and excellent performances made On Golden Pond a box office hit, but the idyllic, pastoral ambience of Squam Lake was practically a character in itself; today, you can get a guided boat tour of the film’s locations.
 

New Jersey’s movie is…

Clerks

New Jersey native Kevin Smith famously spent nights filming his first feature in the same convenience store where he worked during the day, taking the aphorism “write what you know” to heart. Although filmed for just over $27,000, Clerks went on to make over $3 million in limited release, and kickstarted a whole series of films in the “View Askewniverse,” including Mallrats, Chasing Amy, and Clerks II, with most of the action (naturally) taking place in Smith’s home state.
 

New Mexico’s movie is…

Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid
New Mexico is no stranger to the Hollywood western, and it has been the birthplace for several famous people, so it’s not entirely surprising that the one historical figure whose story is probably the most movie-ready is also arguably the state’s most infamous celebrity: wild west outlaw Billy the Kid. Though the Kid wasn’t born in New Mexico, he did grow up there and spend a significant chunk of his life drifting to and from his home in Silver City. Director Sam Peckinpah put the gunslinger’s life on celluloid with Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid, chronicling the friendship between the two title characters that ultimately culminated in the former siding with the law to hunt down the latter. Despite the film’s conclusion, Billy the Kid’s death largely remains a mystery, and his larger-than-life persona will remain etched in the Land of Enchantment’s mythos.
 

New York’s movie is…

King Kong
As a cinematic locale, only Los Angeles rivals New York City, so choosing any single film to represent the Big Apple is a tall order. But hey, the Empire State Building is a lofty structure, and King Kong is a giant ape. Kong’s ascent, with Fay Wray in hand, of the towering skyscraper – at the time, the world’s tallest – remains one of the most famous images in all of motion pictures. However, it’s worth noting that from such a high vantage point, one could get a panoramic view of the great city in all its glory – and earlier scenes, in which the great ape wreaks havoc on Broadway, tossing automobiles and streetcars with ease. Of course, New York’s big screen chroniclers have been many and varied, and no entry on the city would be complete without at least some mention of Woody Allen (Annie Hall, Manhattan), Martin Scorsese (Taxi Driver, New York, New York), or Spike Lee (Do the Right Thing).
 

North Carolina’s movie is…

Bull Durham
North Carolinians have an intense passion for sports (go Tar Heels!), and in 1988’s Bull Durham, they got one of the best sports films ever made. Kevin Costner stars in one of his best career roles as “Crash” Davis, an experienced minor league catcher sent down to the single-A Durham Bulls to coach up and coming pitcher “Nuke” LaLoosh (Tim Robbins), who’s receiving a different kind of education by local baseball groupie Annie (Susan Sarandon). Shot on location throughout North Carolina, Bull Durham showcased the southern state’s rustic towns, historic ballparks and collective affinity for minor league baseball (no less than 30 teams are based in the Tar Heel State).
 

North Dakota’s movie is…

Fargo
Alright, we admit it. Very little of the Coen brothers’ Oscar-winning film Fargo actually takes place in Fargo, North Dakota. (Much of it was filmed in Minnesota, dontcha know?) Even if erroneously, the 1996 neo-noir put the state on the map like no other film, and like it or not, that Minnesota accent will forever be associated with the border city of Fargo. Frances McDormand stars as Marge Gunderson, the pregnant chief of police in Brainerd, Minnesota hot on the trail of two murderous ex-cons (Steve Buscemi and Peter Stormare) wreaking interstate havoc thanks to the botched kidnapping of the wife of a put-upon car salesman (William H. Macy). In true Coen fashion, Fargo delivers the blackest of humor and the quirkiest of characters, punctuating the stark, snowy landscape with flashes of ultra violence – because there’s nothing like a body in a wood chipper to jazz up those slow Midwestern winters.
 

Ohio’s movie is…

Bye Bye Birdie

In his last performance before enlisting in the Army, rock & roller Conrad Birdie (Jesse Pearson) will kiss a randomly chosen fan in front of millions on the Ed Sullivan Show. The lucky girl? Kim MacAfee (Ann-Margret). The place? Kim’s home town of Sweet Apple, Ohio! George Sidney’s classic musical confection pays tribute to Small Town America by poking gentle fun at 1950s pop culture, watching as the town of Sweet Apple is turned upside down by their Elvis-esque teen idol visitor. Innocence and down home values win out in the end, as Kim realizes her boyfriend Hugo is her true love, and all bid adieu to their former celebrity infatuation.
 

Oklahoma’s movie is…

Oklahoma!
One of the best-loved musicals from the writing duo of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, Oklahoma! follows the courtship between a cowboy named Curly (Gordon McRae) and a farm girl named Laurey (Shirley Jones, in her first screen role) in Oklahoma territory in 1906. Based on the 1931 play Green Grow the Lilacs, Oklahoma! not only tells a story about budding romance, but the tale of Oklahoma’s entry into statehood – and features many a classic show tune, as carried over by Rodgers and Hammerstein from their Broadway playbook (“Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’,” “People Will Say We’re in Love,” and the title song, “Oklahoma!”). What’s more, Oklahoma! won two Academy Awards for Best Music and Score and was preserved by the Library of Congress as a culturally significant film.
 

Oregon’s movie is…

The Goonies

The lush landscape of the Pacific Northwest makes for some romantic cinematography, and the oft overcast winter months provide a prime backdrop for many melancholy tales. Though several films set in Oregon, particularly those of Portland auteur Gus Van Sant, take full advantage of one or both of these, Richard Donner’s The Goonies showcases the state by way of lighthearted adventure. Filmed on location in the port city of Astoria and along the Pacific coast, The Goonies tells the story of a band of adolescents who, faced with eviction from their homes, embark on a search for a legendary pirate treasure they hope will save their neighborhood. From the opening chase scene along the wet streets of Astoria to the craggy shores of Ecola State Park, this classic 80s hit takes viewers through a green, rain-soaked Oregon like a drive down I-5.
 

Pennsylvania’s movie is…

Rocky

Rocky Balboa is probably the most famous fictional character to come from Pennsylvania, and Philadelphia City Commerce Director Dick Doran once claimed Sylvester Stallone and Rocky had done more for the city than “anyone since Ben Franklin.” The Cinderella story about a boxer given a shot at the title takes place all over Philadelphia, most memorably on the steps of Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the character was later memorialized in statue displayed outside the museum
 

Rhode Island’s movie is…

Jazz on a Summer’s Day
The smallest state in area, Little Rhody is the site of the Newport Jazz Festival, the oldest of its kind in the world. Bert Stern’s staggeringly beautiful documentary Jazz on a Summer’s Day is a remarkable document of the 1958 fest, mixing wonderful sets from the idiom’s legends, fascinating footage of the audiences, and an evocative feeling for the Ocean State’s breathtaking natural beauty and remarkable colonial architecture. Jazz on a Summer’s Day features a number of music titans at the peak of their powers, including Louis Armstrong, Mahalia Jackson, Chuck Berry, and Thelonious Monk (as well as a scene-stealing performance from Anita O’Day). In addition, the film captures breathtaking views of Narragansett Bay, where the America’s Cup yacht race was held concurrent to the festival, and a laid-back summertime vibe that’s infectious and affecting.
 

South Carolina’s movie is…

The Patriot
We’re celebrating the 4th of July around these parts and you just came to the right state: South Carolina was the most eager to declare its independence, being the first state to ratify the Articles of Confederation. The Patriot takes place during this pivotal moment in history, depicting Benjamin Martin (Mel Gibson) and his story to avenge his son’s death by the hands of a British officer. If the movie celebrates American independence, it also pays tribute to Hollywood creativity. Who else would make a movie starring two Australians (Gibson and Heath Ledger as one of the sons) who nearly single-handedly turned the tide of the American Revolutionary War?
 

South Dakota’s movie is…

Dances with Wolves
South Dakota is probably best known for one of this country’s most recognizable landmarks, Mount Rushmore, but more deeply engrained in the history of the state is its connection to the Native American Indian tribes who populated it during the nation’s early days. As such, Kevin Costner’s directorial debut, the 7 Academy Award-winning Dances with Wolves, excels at portraying frontier life on the plains, telling the story of a Civil War lieutenant (Costner) who becomes isolated at a deserted outpost and subsequently befriends the local Sioux population. The film is epic in scale, with long shots of the sprawling landscape, and it strives to shed some historical light on the native peoples who wove the first strands of South Dakota’s cultural fabric, making Dances with Wolves a worthy representative of the 40th state admitted to the Union.
 

Tennessee’s movie is…

Nashville

Robert Altman’s rambling, ambitious, and brilliant Nashville attempted something nearly impossible – to summarize the state of the Union on the eve of its bicentennial through the city’s country and gospel music scenes – and succeeded with aplomb. With more than 20 lead characters (many of whom were required to write and sing their own songs), Nashville defines the term “Altman-esque,” and it captures the turbulent tenor of the mid-1970s and the hum of activity in the Music City. Filmed on location utilizing many of the city’s finest session musicians, Nashville is complex and epic in scope, but it’s also a fascinating look at the intersection between entertainment and politics.
 

Texas’s movie is…

Giant
As the saying goes, everything’s bigger in Texas, from its land mass to its imprint on the nation’s imagination. So if you’re only picking one movie to exemplify the Lone Star State, it better be huge, and Giant fits the bill on several counts. George Stevens’ tale of two generations of ambitious Texans is, at 201 minutes, epic in scope, and features several Hollywood titans (Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, and, in his last role, James Dean, to name just a few). It also captures the beauty of the state’s vast wide-open spaces, as well as the entrepreneurial resourcefulness of its people (the Benedict family graduates from ranching to oil riches), showing how the West was won – or at least tamed. Obviously, a state this massive can’t be embodied by a single film, and plenty of other movies have explored everything from Texas’ pioneer spirit (Rio Bravo) to its changing demographics (Lone Star) to its unique citizenry (Slacker) and customs (Friday Night Lights).
 

Utah’s movie is…

Broken Arrow
For his second US production, John Woo went to the deserts of Utah – a far cry from the crowded streets of Hong Kong that had been the settings of many of his previous films. And Woo made the most of his location; the action goes from late night, low-altitude flying on a beautiful moonlit night to a train crossing the sweeping, sun-drenched plain.
 

Vermont’s movie is…

Super Troopers
Since its inception, Vermont has gone against the grain; the region was essentially an independent territory from 1777 to 1791, and drafted the first constitution in North America. So it stands to reason that the state that gave us Phish and Ben and Jerry’s would have an unconventional approach to law enforcement, a suspicion borne out by Super Troopers. The guys from the Broken Lizard comedy troupe portray Vermont’s staties as a wild and crazy bunch more focused hazing rituals and frat house hi-jinks than patrolling the Green Mountain State’s scenic highways. They also find plenty of time to imbibe – nay, chug — copious amounts of one of Vermont’s most distinctive delicacies: maple syrup.
 

Virginia’s movie is…

The New World
Virginia has a storied history. It was a major Civil War front, it erected the Pentagon, it split itself into two states after a revolt (creating West Virginia), and was birthplace of the massive resistance (the last gasp policy resisting racial desegregation). But the most popular story to come out of Virginia? By far it must be the one of Pocahontas, a tale of love, loyalty, and tragedy. Most accurately captured in The New World, director Terrence Malick took great pains to recreate the living conditions of Jamestown in the early 1600s, the home village of Pocahontas, and her falling in love with John Smith, whom she saved by jumping in front of the gun during his scheduled execution. Actually, it’s somewhat of a literary conceit that Pocahontas fell in love with Smith but that’s probably why her story captures our interest and imagination today: it withstands factual interpretation and poetic license.
 

Washington’s movie is…

Singles
Singles is a time capsule of a distinct moment in pop culture history, when the pop music universe seemed to revolve around the grunge bands of Seattle. In chronicling the ambitions and romantic foibles of a group of Gen-Xers (including Bridget Fonda, Matt Dillon, and Campbell Scott), director Cameron Crowe also provided a handy travelogue of Washington’s largest city. Featuring the distinctive coffeehouses of Capital Hill, the buzz of activity in Pikes Place Market, and the raucous, exuberant sounds of Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, and Pearl Jam (Eddie Vedder turns in a pretty hilarious cameo, and the soundtrack went platinum), Singles remains a loving tribute to one of America’s most idiosyncratic cities.
 

West Virginia’s movie is…

We Are Marshall

In November of 1970, a plane crash claimed the lives of nearly all members of the Marshall University football team and coaching staff who were returning home from a game in North Carolina. Over thirty years later, director McG (Charlie’s Angels) made a surprisingly sensitive departure from his career in action-comedy to depict the Marshall tragedy in feature form, with a title taken directly from a football cheer. Adopted in mourning, “We are Marshall” took on significant meaning in the rebuilding of not only the team, but the entire campus and football community.
 

Wisconsin’s movie is…

American Movie
The unintended laughs (and pains) experienced by struggling Milwaukee filmmaker Mark Borchardt are the subject of this documentary, which incidentally earned rave reviews from critics – even if Borchardt’s movie-within-a-movie, a short film entitled Coven, doesn’t. And though it’s set in the land where people wear hats shaped like Swiss cheese, this hilarious, affecting film is really a microcosmic look at the blood, sweat, and tears shed by that ever suffering creature of art: the independent filmmaker. Cheeseheads, be proud
 

Wyoming’s movie is…

Close Encounters of the Third Kind

The Devil’s Tower National Monument dominates the northeastern Wyoming landscape like some kind of alien intrusion. So it’s no wonder that it’s the location of the climax of Steven Spielberg’s 1977 sci-fi epic. That alien mother ship slowly flying over Wyoming’s giant stone monolith has become one of modern cinema’s most iconic images.