Have you ever wondered why a movie is set in a certain city?
Some movie plots could take place anywhere, but in other films, the setting becomes one of the most memorable elements of the story. We’ve listed cities around the world and the iconic films associated with them.
Most of our selections will reflect modern, not historical city settings. If we miss any of your favorites, don’t worry, this is just the first article in a series we’ve planned for 2021.
The United States:
California:
Beverly Hills :
Several films have tried to capture the grandeur and materialism of Beverly Hills, but Clueless (1995) and Beverly Hills Cop (1984) are my favorites – Cher (Alicia Silverstone) shopping on Rodeo Drive and Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy) visiting his best friend, Jenny (Lisa Eilbacher) at the pretentious art gallery where Serge (Bronson Pinchot) makes the perfect espresso with the lemon twist.
Los Angeles:
Die Hard (1988) stars Bruce Willis, Bonnie Bedelia, Alan Rickman, and Reginald VelJohnson. After arriving at LAX International Airport, Bruce Willis takes a short limo ride through the city to Nakatomi Plaza (Fox Plaza) where the action takes place. This building may be one of the most recognizable buildings in any movie set in Los Angeles.
Collateral (2004) – Michael Mann shows us Los Angeles at night through the eyes of a cabbie, (Jamie Foxx) and a hitman (Tom Cruise) who becomes his passenger in a nearly black and white color treatment that accentuates the subtle nuances of the city.
San Francisco:
The Birdman of Alcatraz (1962) stars Burt Lancaster, Karl Malden, and Telly Savalas. Alcatraz Prison is located on Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay. The film is loosely based on the life of Robert Stroud, who was sentenced to life in prison in solitary confinement for killing a prison guard. Much of the story takes place in Leavenworth Prison in Kansas, where Stroud became interested in ornithology. After his transfer to Alcatraz, Stroud is not allowed to keep birds. Despite this, the movie will be forever linked with Alcatraz.
Escape from Alcatraz (1979) is based on a non-fiction book of the same name by J. Campbell Bruce. Inmate Frank Morris (Clint Eastwood) is transferred to Alcatraz after escaping from several other prisons. Morris and his recruited cohorts do manage to escape, but it was never established if they survived the attempt or perished in the waters of the San Francisco Bay.
The Rock (1996) stars Sean Connery, Nicholas Cage, and Ed Harris. This film contains an unforgettable car chase through the streets of San Francisco. Most of the film is shot on location in Alcatraz Prison.
Vertigo, Hitchcock's 1958 masterpiece is the perfect showcase for California from the opening shot in San Francisco of Kim Novak trying to jump to her death in the shadow of the Golden Gate Bridge to the bell tower of Mission San Juan Bautista. The film also includes several spectacular outdoor locations including Big Basin Redwoods state park and the iconic Cypress Point on 17-Mile Drive.
Illinois:
Chicago:
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986) starring Matthew Broderick, Alan Ruck, Mia Sara, and Ben Stein features many Chicago landmarks including, The Art Institute of Chicago, Wrigley Field, and the Willis Tower (known informally as the Sears Tower). It has been described as John Hughes’ love letter to the city because he tried to capture the spirit of the city as well as its architecture and landscape.
Louisiana:
New Orleans:
Easy Rider (1969) stars Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper as Wyatt and Billy, two motorcyclists traveling to Mardi Gras with the cash they’ve received from smuggling drugs from Mexico to Los Angeles. There are several stops along the way which highlight other locations, but their arrival in Louisiana showcases the countryside and the spirit of Mardi Gras as Wyatt and Billy walk along the parade-filled streets of the Mardi Gras celebration and end up in a French Quarter cemetery.
Trouble the Water is a documentary about Hurricane Katrina produced and directed by Tia Lessin and Carl Deal – not your usual selection for an article about settings, but the grit and determination of the people of Louisiana and their efforts to rebuild are inspiring. Footage of the actual devastation in Central Louisiana as it takes place and the morning after is interwoven with archival news segments, home videos, and verité footage over a two-year period.
New York:
New York City:
When Harry Met Sally (1989) - Katz’s Delicatessen in Manhattan from the scene of the famous, “I’ll have what she’s having.” It’s also one of America’s most iconic restaurants.
Who can watch scenes from the 1973 film “The Way We Were,” starring acting legends Robert Redford and Barbara Streisand, and not want to visit the Plaza Hotel? The Plaza Hotel has also been featured in Home Alone 2 (1992), Sleepless in Seattle (1993), and Alfred Hitchcock’s North by Northwest.
The Empire State Building is the scene of one of the most memorable rom-com moments of the ‘90s in Sleepless in Seattle (1993) when Sam and Annie confess their love to one another.
The New York Public Library is the iconic opening scene of Ghostbusters (1984). Other landmarks in the film include Columbia University, the Tribeca firehouse used as their headquarters, Times Square, City Hall, and Dana’s apartment at 55 Central Park West.
Pennsylvania:
Philadelphia:
The Philadelphia Museum of Art is the third-largest art museum in the country. It’s one of the most popular attractions in the city. In addition to the incomparable art, the museum's steps, which Sylvester Stallone climbed in the iconic training scene from Rocky (1976) are still a major attraction for tourists visiting the city.
Pittsburgh:
The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012) starring Emma Watson, Logan Lerman, and Ezra Miller is a coming-of-age story told in the suburbs of Pittsburgh. I guarantee you’ll love the scene of the teens driving through the tunnel into the city.
Greece:
Skiathos Town, on the small Greek island of Skiathos in the Aegean Sea, served as the backdrop for most of Mamma Mia! (2008).
My Life in Ruins (2009) stars Nia Vardalos as a Greek-American in Greece trying to find her dream job. Vardalos is disappointed with her job as a tour guide to American tourists, but she finds friendship and love in unexpected places as she settles into her new surroundings. Filmed in Athens, Olympia, and Delphi, this film features monuments and landmarks of Ancient Greece.
France:
Paris:
Amelie (2001) stars Audrey Tautou as a people watcher in Paris struggling with her own loneliness. She decides to try to improve the lives of the people she observes from afar without their knowledge. Her efforts are filmed in more than 80 locations around Paris giving moviegoers an intimate tour of the City of Lights.
La Vie in Rose (2007) stars Marion Cotillard as the French singer, Edith Piaf. The film shows snippets of Piaf performing all around Paris as she rises to stardom.
Italy:
Rome:
Roman Holiday (1953) starring Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck – Hepburn plays a princess from an unnamed European country on a tour of Italy. After taking a sleeping pill, she wanders out of her hotel and falls asleep on a park bench. An American Reporter (Peck) working in Rome finds her and takes her back to his apartment thinking she is lost or homeless, but soon discovers her identity. To get an exclusive interview, he takes her on an unforgettable tour of Rome but ends up falling in love.
Only You (1994) stars Marisa Tomei and Robert Downey Jr. This romantic comedy is set in Rome, Venice, and Tuscany with an unforgettable drive along the Amalfi coast and a hotel stay in Positano (Le Sirenuse) showcases the coastline in spectacular fashion.
Under the Tuscan Sun (2003) stars Diane Lane as an American who travels to Italy after her divorce and on an impulse buys a rural Tuscan villa hoping to start a new life. The movie is filmed in multiple locations in Italy including Rome, Florence, Arezzo, Positano, Siena, and Tuscany.
Ireland:
The Quiet Man (1952) stars John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara. Wayne plays Sean Trooper Thornton, an Irish-born retired boxer from Pittsburgh, who returns to Inisfree in Ireland to buy back his family farm. The brother of Mary Kate (O’Hara), the woman Sean falls in love with also wants to buy the farm. Trouble ensues when Sean gets the farm. Mary Kate’s brother refuses to release her dowry, so she and Sean can be married. This film won an Academy Award for cinematography for its lush images of the Irish countryside.
Leap Year (2010) Anna Brady (Amy Adams) travels to Ireland planning to propose to her boyfriend Jeremy on February 29 (Leap Day). According to Celtic tradition, if a woman proposes in Dublin on that day, her boyfriend must say yes. Things don’t go as planned and Anna ends up on the other side of Ireland with handsome, but surly Declan (Matthew Goode) who threatens to steal her heart. Filming took place in Georgian Dublin, Connemara, Temple Bar, Wicklow National Park, Olaf Street, Waterford, and in and around the Aran Islands.
United Kingdom:
England:
Quadrophenia (1979) – The movie is loosely based on The Who’s rock opera, “Quadrophenia.” The movie was primarily shot on location in and around London.
Babylon (1980) is an example of Black British cinema. It explores issues of racism and police brutality in and around London through the eyes and experiences of an aspiring reggae artist. All scenes are shot on location in Deptford and Brixton.
Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994) stars Hugh Grant and follows a group of friends around London as they romance their way through various social gatherings complete with strolls along the South Bank and kissing in the rain at Highbury Terrace.
Scotland:
Local Hero (1983) A Texas oil company negotiates to buy a seaside village in the north of Scotland and build a refinery there. Mac from the oil company enlists the help of a local man, Danny to persuade the villagers to sell, but the more time they spend in the village, the more they appreciate the unspoiled seaside and the sense of community among the villagers. Scenes for the film were shot in the Aberdeenshire village of Pennan and Camusdarach beach on the west coast of the Highlands.
Avenger’s Infinity War (2018) Parts of the movie were filmed at Wardpark Studios in Cumbernauld, Glasgow, the Scottish Highlands, and locations in Edinburgh - Giles Cathedral, the Royal Mile, Cockburn Street, and Waverly Station.
Australia:
The Castle (1997) stars Michael Caton (Ted on Packed to the Rafters) as Darryl Kerrigan, a man fighting to save his family’s home from compulsory acquisition (eminent domain in the U.S.) by the airport. In Australia, this film is considered an iconic classic because it exemplifies the spirit and humor of real Australians. The film is set in the outer Melbourne blue-collar suburb of Coolaroo. It’s not a panoramic masterpiece of the beauty of Australia, but I’m choosing it because it is a favorite among Australians.
The Man from Snowy River (1982) this Australian favorite became an international success. Horseback riding sequences through the countryside showcase the natural beauty of Australia.
Crocodile Dundee (1986) stars Paul Hogan as a stereotypical character that makes many Australians cringe, but his humor and the breathtaking scenes of the Australian outback save this film.
Mission Impossible II (2000) stars Tom Cruise, Dougray Scott, and Thandie Newton. It’s probably my least favorite plot in the MI franchise, but there’s no denying the cinematography is spectacular. Filmed in and around New South Wales, locations for this film stretch from Sydney’s central business district to the frontier mining town of Broken Hill.
Africa:
Queen of Katwe (2016) stars David Oyelowo, Lupita Nyong’o, and Madina Nalwanga. It’s based on a true story. Living in Katwe, a slum in Kampala, Uganda, 10-year-old Phiona, her mother Nakku Harriet and younger members of her family are in a constant struggle just to survive. Phiona’s life changes when she learns to play chess. She is a gifted player and against all odds becomes a grand master. Filming for the movie takes place in the Katwe slums of Kampala, Uganda and in Johannesburg, South Africa. More than 100 Ugandans were hired as extras.
Out of Africa (1985) stars Meryl Streep and Robert Redford. The story loosely based on the autobiography of a Danish writer, Karen Blixen. It was filmed using descendants of several people of the Kikuyu tribe who are named in her autobiography. Most of the filming takes place in the Karen/Lang’ata area near the actual Ngong Hills outside Nairobi. Some scenes take place in homes that had been owned by Blixen.
India:
Slumdog Millionaire (2008) stars Dev Patel as Jamal Malik from the Juhu slums of Mumbai who after becoming the winning contestant on the Indian version of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” is accused of cheating and arrested. Jamal recounts his life to the police as proof of his innocence. Filming locations include Mumbai’s mega slum and the shantytown parts of Juhu.
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011) stars Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, Dev Patel, and Maggie Smith. A group of British retirees decide to stretch their retirement pensions by moving to a residential hotel in India, but the hotel isn’t quite as grand as its webpage. They decide to stay and try to make it work. Most of the filming took place in the Indian state of Rajasthan in the cities of Jaipur around the City Palace, the Marigold market, on crowded buses, and in Udaipur.
China:
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008) stars Brendan Fraser, Maria Bello, Jet Li, Luke Ford, and Michelle Yeoh. This isn’t a critically acclaimed film and it’s the lowest-grossing film of the Mummy trilogy, but the locations filmed in China are incredible – especially Xi'an's famous Terracotta Army, one of China's most popular tourist destinations.
Mission Impossible III (2006) stars Tom Cruise, Michelle Monaghan, and Philip Seymour Hoffman. It was partially filmed in Shanghai. You’ll see glimpses of Pudong, the Oriental Pearl Tower, the Bund, and the Jinmao Tower (one of the tallest buildings in the world). Additional filming took place at Xitang Ancient Town, a traditional watering village surrounded by ancient lakes.