The Most Famous Movie Set In Every State - WI: "Dawn of the Dead" (2004)

[Benny B]

I have a real problem with A Christmas Story beating out Hoosiers.

1. You can't watch Hoosiers without knowing it was set in Indiana.  In CS, every reference to "Indiana" from which one could discern the film's setting is (I think there are two) very subtle... miss it and you could easily mistake it for being set in an Illinois-side suburb of Chicago.
2. Just about the entire movie [Hoosiers] was filmed in Indiana.  In fact, two of the most memorable scenes in Hoosiers (measuring of the FT line/rim & championship game) were not just filmed in Indiana, but in the exact place where the title game at the center of the plot is played today.  CS was shot on location almost entirely in Cleveland.
3. Bobby Plump's character in the film (Jimmy Chitwood) was played by a Chatard alum.  In fact, they moved a BRHS/Chatard HS game to Hinkle for the movie just so they would have enough extras for filming the final game.

I could go on, but these are the top 3.

Does anyone disagree?


EDIT: Sorry, I need to go on...

4) Hoosiers nominated for two Academy Awards.  Christmas Story, none.
5) Lifetime gross: Hoosiers, $28M; Christmas Story, $21M.
6) Rotten Tomatoes: Hoosiers, 88%; Christmas Story, 88%
7) IMDb Metascore: Hoosiers, 76; Christmas Story, 77

[GGGG]

I have a real problem with A Christmas Story beating out Hoosiers.

1. You can't watch Hoosiers without knowing it was set in Indiana.  In CS, every reference to "Indiana" from which one could discern the film's setting is (I think there are two) very subtle... miss it and you could easily mistake it for being set in an Illinois-side suburb of Chicago.
2. Just about the entire movie was filmed in Indiana.  In fact, two of the most memorable scenes in Hoosiers (measuring of the FT line/rim & championship game) were not just filmed in Indiana, but in the exact place where the title game at the center of the plot is played today.  CS was shot on location almost entirely in Cleveland.
3. Bobby Plump's character in the film (Jimmy Chitwood) was played by a Chatard alum.  In fact, they moved a BRHS/Chatard HS game to Hinkle for the movie just so they would have enough extras for filming the final game.

I could go on, but these are the top 3.

Does anyone disagree?

Is the question about which is the most famous film?  Because I think "A Christmas Story" might be more famous than "Hoosiers."

Hoosiers is undoubtedly "more Indiana" than A Christmas Story...but that doesn't make it more famous.

[🏀]

Groundhog Day with Bill Murray was filmed in Woodstock, IL...minutes from where I live.

No one cares McHenry boy.

[Benny B]

Is the question about which is the most famous film?  Because I think "A Christmas Story" might be more famous than "Hoosiers."

Hoosiers is undoubtedly "more Indiana" than A Christmas Story...but that doesn't make it more famous.

I go back to the mass-appeal argument --- Christmas Story doesn't have the mass-appeal that Hoosiers does. 

Example: Locales such as China and Skokie, IL don't even celebrate Christmas, but they certainly play basketball.

[Spotcheck Billy]

I know plenty of women that watch a Christmas Story every year (Hi Mom!) but have never watched Hoosiers

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

I go back to the mass-appeal argument --- Christmas Story doesn't have the mass-appeal that Hoosiers does. 

Example: Locales such as China and Skokie, IL don't even celebrate Christmas, but they certainly play basketball.

Hahahah, the Skokie example made me laugh, especially because its true. I mean just look at Niles North. One of the best basketball teams in the entire northern suburbs (maybe even state pending on the year) but half of their student body doesnt celebrate Christmas.

[Lennys Tap]

I go back to the mass-appeal argument --- Christmas Story doesn't have the mass-appeal that Hoosiers does.  

Example: Locales such as China and Skokie, IL don't even celebrate Christmas, but they certainly play basketball.

Christmas has a bigger mass appeal than high school basketball. It's not even remotely close.

[warriorchick]

I go back to the mass-appeal argument --- Christmas Story doesn't have the mass-appeal that Hoosiers does. 

Example: Locales such as China and Skokie, IL don't even celebrate Christmas, but they certainly play basketball.

Per the article, here is how they described "Famous"

To pick the most famous, we evaluated the state's prominence in the movie and leaned toward movies that were filmed in that location as well. The movie's lifetime gross, its critical acclaim, and testimonials by our geographically diverse staff also influenced our decision.

"Dawn of the Dead"  was set in a fictional town, and 99% of the scenes were inside a generic shopping mall that could have been anywhere in North America.  And not one frame was actually shot in Wisconsin.  It was done entirely in Pennsylvania.

[GGGG]

I go back to the mass-appeal argument --- Christmas Story doesn't have the mass-appeal that Hoosiers does.  

I doubt that.  I bet you way more people have seen the former.  I know this is simply anecdotal, but every Christmas I see dozens of quotes, etc. about the movie on Facebook, Twitter, etc. because it is on 24 hours on TBS.

Hoosiers is a movie that was released 28 years ago, and to my knowledge isn't on television all that often.  I can't remember the last time I watched it.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

Christmas has a bigger mass appeal than high school basketball. It's not even remotely close.

It was a tongue in cheek comment because Skokie has a large jewish population.

[Lennys Tap]

It was a tongue in cheek comment because Skokie has a large jewish population.

Yes, I got that. But the fact remains there are very few things in the states with a bigger mass appeal than Christmas and high school basketball isn't one of them. Even in Skokie.

[warriorchick]

I doubt that.  I bet you way more people have seen the former.  I know this is simply anecdotal, but every Christmas I see dozens of quotes, etc. about the movie on Facebook, Twitter, etc. because it is on 24 hours on TBS.

Hoosiers is a movie that was released 28 years ago, and to my knowledge isn't on television all that often.  I can't remember the last time I watched it.

To Benny B,   Mass appeal = Something Benny B personally prefers.

Therefore, 
Basketball > Christmas
Cult zombie gore > Mainstream, critically acclaimed comedy

[CTWarrior]

Worldwide Grosses per IMDB:

DotD:               $55 million
Bridesmaids    $288 million

And yes, I believe there are more guys who have seen "Bridesmaids" than women who have seen "DotD." 

If you haven't seen it, you are missing out on one funny film.  It's not just a chick movie.  That's like saying only guys would think "The Hangover" is funny.

Any part of Bridesmaids that does not focus on Kristen Wiig/Maya Rudolph is hilarious.  Unfortunately you have to wade through a lot of Kristen Wiig moping to get to the funny parts.

Kristen Wiig's whole comedic career (every recurring character on SNL like Gilly, the Target Lady, the I can top this lady, half of the A**h*** couple; Dewey's first wife in Walk Hard, etc) is based on being annoying.  I don't find annoying characters funny, just annoying.  Of course that's just me.

[Lennys Tap]

Any part of Bridesmaids that does not focus on Kristen Wiig/Maya Rudolph is hilarious.  Unfortunately you have to wade through a lot of Kristen Wiig moping to get to the funny parts.

Kristen Wiig's whole comedic career (every recurring character on SNL like Gilly, the Target Lady, the I can top this lady, half of the A**h*** couple; Dewey's first wife in Walk Hard, etc) is based on being annoying.  I don't find annoying characters funny, just annoying.  Of course that's just me.

It's not just you. I find the characters she has created to be repetitious and unfunny. Bridesmaids was very funny - she was OK, but Melissa McCarthy stole the movie.

[muwarrior69]

Hard for me to think of a movie shot in Southern California...

There you go stirring up trouble!

[4everwarriors]

Hard for me to think of a movie shot in Southern California...

Behind The Green Door, aina?

[4everwarriors]

"Walk the Line" is an interesting choice for Tennessee.  Any biopic of a country star has a huge chunk of the movie set in Tennessee. Another possibility would have been "The Firm", which was set in Memphis.

In the mid-'70's Burt Reynolds shot a movie in Nashville  (the forgettable "W.W. and the Dixie Dance Kings"), and I remember all the locals losing their sh!t over it.



For awhile, Nashville was a popular place to film movies as a generic city, a la Toronto.  I'd be watching a film and realize that a car chase was taking place on a street not too far from where I grew up.

Coulda sworn "The Firm" I saw was filmed in the Valley, hey?

[mu03eng]

Actually I think a fair number of people are missing another well regarded comedy that definitely trumps DotD set in Wisconsin, where the Wisconsin setting was actually part of the premise, to a certain extent.

Dogma


I'd also argue that The Great Outdoors(they were vacationing in Wisconsin) was a bigger movie than DotD.  If you scrub the one almost reference to Wisconsin from the movie, do you even know(or care) where the movie is set?  I mean what island in Lake Michigan do they land on at the very end of the movie????

[StillAWarrior]

They screwed the pooch on Ohio, too.  Heathers?  Are you kidding me?

I can think of two movies right off the top of my head that would be better.  Coincidentally, both have Marquette/Milwaukee connections:

Major League
Tommy Boy


Seriously...Heathers?

[GGGG]

The most famous movie *shot* in Wisconsin has to be "Major League" right?

[mu03eng]

The most famous movie *shot* in Wisconsin has to be "Major League" right?

Agree 100%

[Chili]

Actually I think a fair number of people are missing another well regarded comedy that definitely trumps DotD set in Wisconsin, where the Wisconsin setting was actually part of the premise, to a certain extent.

Dogma


I'd also argue that The Great Outdoors(they were vacationing in Wisconsin) was a bigger movie than DotD.  If you scrub the one almost reference to Wisconsin from the movie, do you even know(or care) where the movie is set?  I mean what island in Lake Michigan do they land on at the very end of the movie????

I was just going to say The Great Outdoors myself.

[Benny B]

To Benny B,   Mass appeal = Something Benny B personally prefers.

Therefore, 
Basketball > Christmas
Cult zombie gore > Mainstream, critically acclaimed comedy

Basketball and Christmas are not a dichotomy... enjoying one doesn't preclude you from enjoying the other.  Preferring basketball over Christmas (or vice versa) would be like saying you prefer orange juice to Star Wars.  If you took a survey nationwide and simply asked both questions, "do you like basketball" and "do you like Christmas movies," those answering affirmatively to the former would outnumber the latter.

Also, I'll concede that DotD is "cult zombie gore," but in fairness, isn't Bridesmaids more of a "chick flick" than a mainstream comedy?  But my issue with Bridesmaids isn't that it is or isn't mainstream, it's that it attracts a certain audience based strictly on gender lines.  Sure, a cult film may not appeal to everyone in the masses, but it doesn't draw a line amongst the masses according to race, creed, gender, nationality, etc.  Bridesmaids does.

Case in point: Brokeback Mountain was widely acclaimed.  A-List cast.  Tremendous success at the box office.  Won three Oscars.  But if you were having an outdoor movie night for your neighborhood in the suburbs, do you think it would it be a good selection?

[Benny B]

The most famous movie *shot* in Wisconsin has to be "Major League" right?

Unequivocally.

[Lennys Tap]

Also, I'll concede that DotD is "cult zombie gore," but in fairness, isn't Bridesmaids more of a "chick flick" than a mainstream comedy?  

No.