Movies in Maine
Though it is set in Maine, this 1994 movie was primarily filmed at the Ohio State Penitentiary in Mansfield.
The Shawshank Redemption
This 1939 romance movie follows the life of Scarlett O’Hara through the Civil War and Reconstruction era. Set aside four hours to watch this film from start to finish.
Gone with the Wind
This 1992 Robert Redford movie follows Norman and Paul Maclean, two very different brothers who are raised by a minister. Though their lives take different paths, the brothers stay close through their mutual love of fly fishing.
A River Runs Through It
2007 Western thriller directed by the Coen brothers about a drug deal gone wrong. Based on a 2005 book by Cormac McCarthy. Stars Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem, and Tommy Lee Jones.
No Country for Old Men
2009 sports drama about an affluent family who takes in a homeless teen with great athletic potential. Heavy on white saviorism. Starring Sandra Bullock, Quinton Aaron, and Tim McGraw.
The Blind Side
This 1985 novel by John Irving was made into a film in 1999. The lead character, Homer Wells, is raised in an orphanage by a man who performs illegal abortions.
The Cider House Rules
1977 road trip movie in which Bo Darville unexpectedly gets involved in a high-speed chase while transporting Coors beer from Texas to Georgia.
Smokey and the Bandit
2016 sci-fi thriller starring Amy Adams, a linguist who is trying to communicate with extraterrestrials after an alien spacecraft lands near a military base in Montana.
1998 Wes Anderson movie about eccentric high-schooler Max Fischer, who participates in everything, struggles academically, and falls in love with his teacher. Stars Jason Schwartzman and, of course, Bill Murray.
Rushmore
2000 rom-com about a pregnant teen who attempts to rebuild her life after being abandoned by her boyfriend at a Walmart. Stars Natalie Portman, James Frain, and Ashley Judd.
Where the Heart Is
This 1999 horror movie is set in a fictional body of water in Maine, though its name may lead you to think that it’s in New York. Watch out for crocodiles.
Lake Placid
2017 action film starring Ansel Elgort as Miles, a troubled, music-loving man who gets involved in a doomed heist. The film also stars an actor who was accused of sexual misconduct and responded by coming out as gay in the same year.
Baby Driver
1994 western movie directed by Edward Zwick about Colonel William Ludlow and the rivalry that forms between his sons over a woman named Susannah, played by Julia Ormond.
Legends of the Fall
2011 comedy-thriller by Richard Linklater about a beloved assistant funeral director in small-town Texas who is charged with murder. I’d tell you his first name, but that would give it away.
Bernie
1993 thriller directed by Sydney Pollack about a Harvard Law grad who joins a law practice in Memphis that serves as a front for the mafia. Stars Tom Cruise and Gene Hackman.
A 1995 psychological thriller starring Kathy Bates based on a 1992 book by Stephen King. Bates works as a housekeeper who is suspected of murdering her rich employer.
Dolores Claiborne
Based on a 1982 Alice Walker novel, this 1985 film was directed by Stephen Spielberg. It stars Whoopi Goldberg, who plays a young queer woman navigating life and relationships in the first half of the 20th century.
The Color Purple
2016 American drama by Kelly Reichardt made up of three loosely-related stories. It’s a movie about the female experience, and the everyday challenges that characters played by Kristen Stewart, Laura Dern, and Michelle Williams face.
Certain Women
1993 coming-of-age about rebellious Austin teenagers celebrating their last day of high school- filled with hazing, smoking, and partying. Director Richard Linklater based much of the script on his own experiences. Stars Jason London, Parker Posey, and Matthew McConaughey.
Dazed and Confused
1999 thriller about an 11-yr old who learns crucial information about a politician’s murder. Soon, the FBI and the Mafia are after him to reveal the secret. Starring Susan Sarandon, Tommy Lee Jones, and a young Brad Renfro.
The Client
1999 animated sci-fi movie in which a giant alien robot crash lands near Rockwell, Maine, and forms an unlikely friendship with a young boy.
The Iron Giant
1999 dramedy adapted from Alfred Uhry’s 1987 play about an elderly widow whose son hires her a chauffeur. The film won several Oscars and is the most recent PG-rated movie to win Best Picture.
Driving Miss Daisy
2018 drama by Paul Dano based on a 1990 novel by Richard Ford. It is set in the 1960s and follows a family’s implosion, and the challenges faced by the son who is caught in the middle of it. Stars Carey Mulligan, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Ed Oxenbould.
Wildlife
1956 epic about jealousy that erupts between members of a wealthy ranching family. Directed by George Stevens, and stars Rock Hudson, Elizabeth Taylor, and James Dean
Giant
1975 satirical musical drama following the experiences of several people who are involved in the country and gossip music industry in the lead-up to a gala. Where is the gala? That’ll get you this film’s title.
Nashville