Guide To Movies Filmed In Boston « CBS Boston Guide To Movies Filmed In Boston December 21, 2010 11:29 AM Filed Under: Boston Movies , Massachusetts Film Office , Massachusetts Movies , Movies Set In Boston Hollywood isn’t the only place where movies are made. Some consider Boston a movie making haven, hosting dozens of motion picture crews in recent years. Sites such as the Massachusetts State House and the Boston Common appear in a multitude of films ranging from action classics to romantic comedies. Check out this list of places in good ol’ Bean Town that have been featured on the big screen. Ben Affleck was one of many Hollywood-types in town to shoot "The Town" in the fall of 2009. (credit: Kevin J Wiles) SNL in Review: 10 Years Ago, How 'Fever Pitch' Sent Jimmy Fallon Back to TV | BDCWire Tweet With Boston again afflicted with Red Sox Fever – a seasonal condition common here in New England –fans are once more flocking to the Mount Rushmore of Baseball flicks.

This great pantheon of sports films invariably includes genuine classics (Bull Durham, 1988), and kids movies seeped in nostalgia (The Sandlot, 1994). Old school fans are popping in their VHS copies of Fear Strikes Out (1957). Overlooked in this annual ode to the national pastime is one film that – on paper – looked like a surefire winner when it came out ten years ago this month. Directed by the Farrelly Brothers, Fever Pitch had a pedigree for success: a charming romantic lead in Drew Barrymore, a plot based on a novel from Nick Hornby (who also penned About a Boy), and a ripped-from-the-headlines setting, released months after the first Red Sox World Series in 86 years. And, more importantly, the film starred a young comic with a warm demeanor and talent to spare: Jimmy Fallon. After six seasons on Saturday Night Live, the Weekend Update anchor- known for his impressions and tendency to break during skits – was itching for a new terrain to explore. Cameron Crowe’s critically acclaimed Almost Famous (2000) demonstrated his chops for character work .

Now Fever Pitch – like his 2004 vehicle, Taxi – gave Fallon a chance at translating his endearing persona to silver screen stardom. Of course, the Gods had another fate in mind for Fallon, as both Fever Pitch and Taxi underwhelmed at the box office. After a brief period in the wilderness, Fallon reemerged in 2009 as an ingratiating, enthusiastic component of late night television. Now the host of The Tonight Show, he’s succeeded in injecting a fresh brand of viral comedy to the legendary franchise. While it seems Fallon’s strengths are best suited for television, Fever Pitch offers a glimpse at what Jimmy Fallon, Movie Star might have looked like. The film, like Jay Leno’s Collision Course before it, represents an alternate path – a what–could-have-been – for a member of an exclusive television club. Particularly with Fallon’s character, Ben Wrightman, Fever Pitch adheres to the conventions laid out in the woefully slept-on romantic comedy spoof, They Came Together (2014).

In that film, Fallon’s Weekend Update cohort Amy Poehler sums up the typical romcom leading man: “He’s handsome, but in a non-threatening way… Vaguely but not overtly Jewish.” That apt description sums up Fallon here, a slightly inauthentic variation of a Massachusetts-bred member of Red Sox Nation. Specifically, Ben Wrightman is a composite of Fallon’s SNL character, the Nomar-obsessed Sully , fused with the “lovable goof” persona honed by Adam Sandler in films during the previous decade. Unlike most of Sandler’s characters, however, Fallon’s Wrightman is successful, a beloved schoolteacher –on paper a “catch” for Drew Barrymore’s workaholic corporate love interest, Lindsey. (Outside the United States, Fever Pitch was marketed under the new title The Perfect Catch, a punny reference to Wrightman). His one flaw, of course: an obsession with his treasured Red Sox, which ultimately complicates his romance with Lindsey. The contrast between Ben the romantic and Ben the passionate fan plays to Fallon’s propensity toward giddy enthusiasm, a hallmark of his tenure on late night.

Still, this lack of edge – unlike, say, Bill Murray’s deadpan superiority, or even Sandler’s rage – drowns Fallon. His willingness to please is what makes him a successful television host… and a lightweight movie star . Just as They Came Together’s stars (emphatically) position New York City as a character in the story of their main characters’ romance, so does Fever Pitch claim Boston. Released in 2005, the film arrived in the midst of Hollywood’s fascination with Boston as the location for most of their non-New York and Los Angeles set projects. Unfortunately, and despite the Farrelly Brothers obvious familiarity with the city – they grew up outside Providence – Fever Pitch lacks the wry humor seen in Boston classics like The Departed (2006) or Good Will Hunting (1997). Ben Wrightman may claim to be a native, but everything about him (even down to his too-swanky-for-a-teacher loft) screams Yuppie interloper. For these reasons, the entire film feels second rate. Barrymore is usually adequate in her duties as the love interest; see her multiple films with Adam Sandler.

Here, however, there’s a distinct lack of chemistry between her and Fallon, undercutting the film’s central plot point. Likewise, Fever Pitch fails to replicate the genuine sweetness of the Farrelly Brother’s own There’s Something About Mary (1998), their previous romantic comedy which manages to be truly hilarious (featuring Ben Stiller in the role as well-intentioned romantic lead). Still, Fever Pitch is a touchstone for Red Sox fans, particularly for its prescient capturing of the 2004 playoff run , the team’s first championship since 1918. (Several months ago, the Farrelly Brothers and Barrymore joined Fallon on his show to reminisce fondly about the production, which culminated in the movie’s characters joining the team for their post-championship on-field celebration.) Few films have ever been so in sync with the subject matter they’re depicting. Given that, it’s a marvel Fever Pitch failed to connect with audiences – perhaps sensing a charisma gap, Fallon soon shifted his attention back to television. In hindsight, watching Fallon in Fever Pitch -or Jon Stewart in The Faculty – is just off-putting, given how entrenched their personalities exist in pop culture.

They aren’t actors; they’re themselves, entertainers who survive as friendly, nightly presences in the American household. Late night hosts in feature films are a rare find, especially when portraying a fictional character, not themselves. While movies often resort to monologues from the likes of Conan O’Brien to comment on their plots, less common are wonderful oddities like Cabin Boy, which features David Letterman in a brief role as the man Chris Elliot meets in the fishing village. With that in mind, a dud like Fever Pitch must be embraced, in spite of its weaknesses. Fallon’s newfound celebrity and the film’s unique place in Red Sox history makes Fever Pitch a curious case study for Tonight Show and baseball fans alike. It’s too bad the film itself doesn’t hold up. Arts, Culture & Music in New England | Frommer's advertisement Art New England is also justly famous for the art it has produced, particularly the seascapes painted on Cape Cod, along the coast of Maine, as well as those by Hudson River School artists such as Thomas Cole and his student Frederic Church.

Some of the other artists who have memorably painted New England landscapes and seascapes include Winslow Homer (1836-1910), John Marin (1870-1953), Fairfield Porter (1907-1975), Neil Welliver (1929-2005), and Andrew Wyeth (b. 1917), the latter of the iconic Christina's World, painted in a coastal Maine field. To showcase these works, and the works of other local and traveling artists, there are a surprising number of excellent art museums and galleries throughout New England, even in such unlikely places as Williamstown, Massachusetts; St. Johnsbury, Vermont; and Portland and Rockland, Maine. Books New Englanders have generated whole libraries, from the earliest days of hellfire-and-brimstone Puritan sermons to Stephen King's horror novels set in fictional Maine villages. Among the more enduring writings from New England's earliest days are the poems of Massachusetts Bay Colony resident Anne Bradstreet (ca.

1612-72) and the sermons and essays of Increase Mather (1639-1723) and his son, Cotton Mather (1663-1728). After the American Revolution, Hartford dictionary writer Noah Webster (1758-1843) issued a call to American writers: "America must be as independent in literature as she is in politics, as famous for arts as for arms." He struck an early blow for pragmatism by taking the "u" out of British words like "labour" and "honour." The tales of Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-64) captivated a public eager for a native literature. His most famous story, The Scarlet Letter, is a narrative about morality set in 17th-century Boston, but he wrote numerous other books that wrestled with themes of sin and guilt, often set in the emerging republic. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-82), the Portland poet who settled in Cambridge, caught the attention of the public with evocative narrative poems focusing on distinctly American subjects.

His popular works included "The Courtship of Miles Standish," "Paul Revere's Ride," and "Hiawatha." Poetry in the mid-19th century was the equivalent of Hollywood movies today -- Longfellow could be considered his generation's Steven Spielberg (apologies to literary scholars). The zenith of New England literature occurred in the mid- and late 19th century with the Transcendentalist movement. These writers and thinkers included Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-82), Bronson Alcott (1799-1888), and Henry David Thoreau (1817-62). They fashioned a way of viewing nature and society that was uniquely American. They rejected the rigid doctrines of the Puritans, and found sustenance in self-examination, the glories of nature, and a celebration of individualism. Perhaps the best-known work to emerge from this period was Thoreau's Walden. Among other regional writers who left a lasting mark on American literature was Emily Dickinson (1830-86), a native of Amherst, Massachusetts, whose precise and enigmatic poems placed her in the front rank of American poets.

James Russell Lowell (1819-91), of Cambridge, was an influential poet, critic, and editor. Later poets were imagist Amy Lowell (1874-1925), from Brookline, Massachusetts, and Edna St. Vincent Millay (1892-1950), from Camden, Maine. The bestselling Uncle Tom's Cabin, the book Abraham Lincoln half-jokingly accused of starting the Civil War, was written by Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811-86) in Brunswick, Maine. She lived much of her life as a neighbor of Mark Twain (himself an adopted New Englander) in Hartford, Connecticut. Another bestseller was the children's book Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott (1832-88), whose father, Bronson, was part of the Transcendentalist movement. New England's later role in the literary tradition may best be symbolized by the poet Robert Frost (1874-1963). Though born in California, he lived most of his life in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont.

In the New England landscape and community, he found a lasting grace and rich metaphors. (Among his most famous lines: "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -- I took the one less traveled by, / And that has made all the difference.") New England continues to attract writers drawn to the noted educational institutions and the privacy of rural life. Prominent contemporary writers and poets who live in the region at least part of the year include Nicholson Baker, Bill Bryson, Christopher Buckley, Donald Hall, John Irving, P. J. O'Rourke, and John Updike. Maine is also the home of Stephen King, who is considered not so much a novelist as the state's leading industry. Film & TV New England is frequently captured through the lens of Hollywood, thanks in equal parts to its natural beauty; its Calvinist, slightly spooky history; and the unusual number of star actors, actresses, and directors who were raised here and continue to push forward projects incorporating local storylines or landscapes.

Lillian Gish's 1920 silent film Way Down East was perhaps the first movie to bring cinematic attention to the region, and films now regularly depict Boston's grimy underbelly (The Departed and Mystic River); local Red Sox mania (Fever Pitch); and working-class struggle and identity crises (Good Will Hunting). Plus there are a host of horror films written by Maine's Stephen King -- from Carrie, Cujo, and The Dead Zone, as well as a welter of TV miniseries -- which make it sometimes seem as if the only inhabitants of small New England towns are supernatural forces. However, King also penned the story upon which the lovely film The Shawshank Redemption -- also purportedly set in Maine -- was based.

Several television series have also been based in New England, most notably this wildly popular trifecta: Cheers (1982-93), set in a chummy Boston bar (which is still there beside Boston Common); Newhart (1982-90), in which actor Bob Newhart comically attempted to run a Vermont bed-and-breakfast inn; and Murder, She Wrote (1984-96), which saw crime novelist Angela Lansbury stumbling across and solving real-life crimes with seeming ease from her perch in fictional Cabot Cove, Maine. Wings (1990-97), a TV program set at a small airstrip on Massachusetts's Nantucket Island, propelled several actors to further fame. More recently, Boston Public (2000-04) and Boston Legal (still running) have explored facets of public schools and legal practice, respectively, in the city. Music New England musicians have contributed mightily to the American music scene.

An exhaustive list of stars is impossible here, but a few of the notable local lights include: Folk-pop singer James Taylor, born in Boston, long ensconced on Martha's Vineyard, and now residing in his beloved Berkshires The longstanding rock band Aerosmith, with roots in Boston and New Hampshire Crooner Rudy Vallee, born in Vermont and raised in Westbrook, Maine The wildly popular '70s rock group Boston, fronted by residents of that city Pop stars Michael Bolton and John Mayer, both born in Connecticut Jam-band Phish, formed in Burlington, Vermont, by college friends Texas-based country-folk musician Slaid Cleaves, raised in western Maine Nashville singer-songwriter Patty Griffin, also born and raised in Maine Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip. advertisement Fever Pitch (2005 film) - Wikipedia Fever Pitch (2005 film) $50.5 million [1] Fever Pitch (released as The Perfect Catch outside of the United States and Canada) is a 2005 romantic comedy film.

It is directed by the Farrelly brothers , and stars Drew Barrymore and Jimmy Fallon . It is a remake of the eponymous 1997 British film , which was loosely based on Nick Hornby 's best-selling memoir, Fever Pitch: A Fan's Life (1992). Hornby wrote the screenplay for the original film [2] and was an executive producer for the American remake. [3] While both the book and the original 1997 film are about association football , the 2005 adaptation, aimed at the U.S. market, is about baseball . Both Fever Pitch films feature real-life dramatic or unexpected sporting victories, the original focusing on Arsenal's last minute League title win in 1989, and the remake on the Boston Red Sox 's 2004 World Series Championship. Contents Plot[ edit ] Ben Wrightman, a 7-year-old boy, is going to a Red Sox game with his Uncle Carl. His uncle, who had no children of his own, treated Ben like a son. A narration explains that on that day, Ben became a die-hard Red Sox fan .

Just about everything he owns bears the Red Sox name, emblem, or image of a Red Sox player (with the exception of his toilet paper, which bears the New York Yankees insignia). Ben inherited his uncle's season tickets when Carl died. The story picks up 23 years later with Ben ( Jimmy Fallon ) as a school teacher who is immature for his age. He meets Lindsey Meeks ( Drew Barrymore ), a professionally successful workaholic executive. When Ben first asks her out, Lindsey rejects him, but she later changes her mind and agrees to go out with him. On their first date , Ben finds Lindsey very sick and vomiting. She has food poisoning from a new restaurant where she had dined earlier that day. Ben decides to spend the night and take care of her, as well as clean up her bathroom (whimsically telling her it was the "Vomit Elves" that did the work). The next morning, Lindsey, feeling better, finds Ben sleeping on her couch. Ben awakens, and he and Lindsey end up developing a romantic relationship . Overcoming her initial hesitance, Lindsey becomes attracted to Ben because of his ability to show passionate commitment to something.

That spring, he later pretends he is proposing to her but instead asks her to the Red Sox Opening Day , where Stephen King (a longtime Sox fan) throws the first pitch. Lindsey attends, but not being a baseball or Red Sox fan, she knows nothing about the Curse of the Bambino or even how to pronounce the name Yastrzemski . The two continue attending the games together until one summer night when Lindsey attempts to catch up on work by taking her laptop to the game. Not paying attention to the game, she is knocked out by a line drive foul ball by then Baltimore Orioles shortstop Miguel Tejada off Mike Myers (which ends up making the late night sports highlight reel). She eventually recovers but stops going to the games. Things take a turn for the worse when Lindsey invites Ben to accompany her to Paris, and he declines the offer because the Red Sox are in the heat of the playoff race. Before leaving for Paris, she tells Ben she is "late" and may be pregnant with his child, though they later learn she is not. Lindsey starts to become fed up with Ben's obsession with the Red Sox.

Ben agrees to miss a game against the Yankees in order to escort Lindsey to her friend's birthday party. Ben and Lindsey have a wonderful time together, and after making love, he tells her it was one of the best nights of his life. Moments later, Ben receives a call from his ecstatic friend Troy, who informs him that the Red Sox overcame a seven run deficit in the bottom of the ninth inning to pull off one of the greatest comebacks in team history. Ben becomes irate that he missed such an historic Red Sox moment, greatly hurting Lindsey's feelings. After Lindsey miserably declares he has broken her heart, he and Lindsey separate for a while. Ben soon misses Lindsey and visits her in a futile attempt to reconcile. He eventually feels her loss so deeply that he plans to sell his season tickets to Chris, Lindsey's girlfriend Robin's husband, in order to prove that Lindsey means more to him than the Red Sox do. Lindsey finds out about his plan during the celebration for her much-anticipated promotion. Immediately leaving the celebration, she rushes to the ballpark to try to stop Ben. She gets in during the 8th inning of the Red Sox—Yankees playoff game when the Sox are just three outs away from being swept.

Ben is actually in the process of signing a contract with Chris as they sit in the stands. Because she is unable to reach Ben from her section in Fenway Park in time to stop Ben from signing the contract, Lindsey illegally runs across the field, deftly avoiding security personnel as she eventually reaches Ben. She tears Chris' contract in pieces and explains that if Ben loves her enough to sell his seats, then she loves him enough not to allow him to do so. The two reunite and kiss in front of the entire crowd. The narration explains how the Red Sox won that game and then beat the Yankees three more times to win the American League pennant , later sweeping the National League champion St. Louis Cardinals in four games for their first World Series title in 86 years, with Lindsay and Ben traveling to Busch Stadium in St. Louis for the decisive Game 4. The two of them also get married, and she gets pregnant. The narration explains that the baby will be named after one of the players: Ted Williams Wrightman if it's a boy, Carla Yastrzemski Wrightman (for Carl Yastrzemski ) if it's a girl, with the narration jokingly hoping for a boy.

Production[ edit ] The original plot had assumed the Red Sox would lose in the playoffs. However, the Sox stunned the baseball world when they won four straight games to win the 2004 ALCS against the rival Yankees (becoming the first MLB team to win a seven-game series after losing the first three games) and subsequent World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals to break the " Curse of the Bambino " thus, the ending had to be rewritten. On the day of Game 4, with the Red Sox on the verge of a sweep, The Farrellys decided to bring Barrymore, Fallon, and a film crew to St. Louis hours before the first pitch - and Barrymore and Fallon attended the game at Busch Stadium in character. When the Red Sox made the final out to secure a 3-0 win over the Cardinals that broke the Curse, FOX cameras on the live broadcast caught Barrymore and Fallon, as Lindsey and Ben, running onto the field and kissing to celebrate. [4] The film, with its updated ending, was also screened at Fenway Park the following August as a screen was set up in center field.

[5] Originally, Shawn Levy , who was a huge fan of Nick Hornby 's works for years, was attached to direct, with Gwyneth Paltrow playing Lindsey. [6] However, Paltrow found the script mediocre and turned down the role. [7] Brian Robbins replaced Levy, but he quit the project as well. [8] After Drew Barrymore replaced Paltrow and Jimmy Fallon joined the cast, Jay Russell , [9] P.J. Hogan , [10] Luke Greenfield , [11] and Mira Nair were all rumored candidates to direct until the studios hired the Farrelly brothers to take the helm for the film. Critical response[ edit ] On Rotten Tomatoes the film had an average rating of 65%, based on 189 reviews, with an average rating of 6.3/10.

The site's critical consensus read, "While not a home run, Fever Pitch has enough charm and on-screen chemistry between the two leads to make it a solid hit." [12] At Metacritic , which assigns a weighted average score to reviews from mainstream critics, the film received an average score of 56 out of 100, based on 37 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". [13] On CinemaScore , audiences gave the film an average grade of "A–" on an A+ to F scale. [14] From a cinematographic and literary perspective, the film received some favorable criticism from experts Roger Ebert [15] and James Berardinelli . [16] The film opened at #3 and grossed $12.4 million in its opening weekend. The final North American gross of the film was $42,071,069, and the worldwide gross was $50,451,307.

[1] Fan response[ edit ] "Sports Guy" Bill Simmons of ESPN disliked the film because he regarded it as a "chick flick" disguising itself as a sports movie and said that no Red Sox fan would give up season tickets for love,[ citation needed ] but Red Sox Nation voted to award Fallon honorary membership for playing Ben so convincingly despite Fallon being a Yankees fan.[ citation needed ] Boston Movies, Books, and Music -- National Geographic's Ultimate City Guides Movies, books, and songs to capture the essence of Boston and get you in the mood for travel Movies Good Will Hunting (1997) Matt Damon and Ben Affleck’s rocket to fame; follows a Southie genius, a greedy MIT math professor, and a kindly psychologist. The Departed (2006) The gang’s all here: Matt Damon, the Wahlberg brothers, Jack Nicholson, Martin Sheen, and Leonardo DiCaprio explore crime loyalties in South Boston. American Wake (2004) A beautifully shot indie film weaving two stories of love and redemption that is as touching as it is genuine; standout performances from Billy Smith and Elaine Qualter.

Fever Pitch (2005) A poor rendition of a fine novel, but a passable romantic comedy that taps into Boston’s World Series euphoria. The Thomas Crown Affair (1968) The original with Steve McQueen was set in Boston; about a bored millionaire who steals art for the kicks Television Series Boston’s best known screen presence; made a landmark out of a mediocre bar. Ally McBeal (1997-2002) Calista Flockhart and her quirky legal colleagues try to find love and win cases in Boston. Boston Legal (2004-present) James Spader and William Shatner practice law in the Back Bay. ZOOM (1972-1978, 1999-2005) Pioneering children’s show produced by public television’s WGBH in Boston and filmed at locations throughout Boston and New England. Books Make Way for Ducklings, by Robert McCloskey (1941) This wonderful children’s story follows Mrs. Mallard and her eight ducklings as they search Boston for a good home before settling in the Public Garden.

The Dante Club, by Matthew Pearl (2003) A strange killer is on the loose in 19th century Boston; American literary icons Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and Oliver Wendell Holmes aim to discover his or her identity. A Death in Belmont, by Sebastian Junger (2006) Junger explores the story of Albert DeSalvo, the man who claimed to be the Boston Strangler. Junger was a baby during the Boston Strangler rape-and-murder spree (1962-’64). One victim was a neighbor who was killed during the same time DeSalvo was working on a construction project at the Junger home. Mystic River, by Dennis Lehane (2001) Three childhood friends are brought back together by the murder of a daughter and each must face their own demons; psychological thriller, which inspired the Oscar-winning Clint Eastwood film. The Bostonians, by Henry James (1886) Initially published as a serial in a magazine, this novel is James’ intriguing portrayal of a Civil War veteran and lawyer, his Bostonian feminist cousin, and her protégé.

Music Compilations: Boston This classic album by the band Boston put Beantown on the rock map. Songs like “More Than A Feeling” and “Rock and Roll Band” still get air time. Best of the J. Geils Band The best of The J. Geils Band, one of the hardest working rock-and-roll bands that’s lived in the Bay State. Lead singer Peter Wolf, a transplanted Bronx native, still pops up often in Boston and Cambridge. Includes some of their top hits like “Centerfold,” “Freeze Frame,” and “Love Stinks.” The Cars Self-titled 1978 debut album from this great early ’80s rock band; “Good Times Roll,” “My Best Friend’s Girl,” and “Moving in Stereo” all helped establish The Cars as masters of synthesized pop rock. 20th Century Masters—The Millennium Collection: The Best of Arthur Fiedler Fiedler had a long and very successful career with the Boston Pops Orchestra; here are some of the best songs from Fiedler and the Pops.

The Warrior’s Code Boston’s favorite Celtic punk band,The Dropkick Murphys, bangs it out with Red Sox favorites like “Tessie” and a song to accompany Woody Guthrie lyrics called “I’m Shipping Up to Boston.” Classic Songs: Boston’s enormous college population keeps its music fresh and varied; the locals keep it loud and driving. “Dirty Water,” by The Standells “Boat on the Charles,” by Todd Rundgren “Tessie,” by The Dropkick Murphys “The Rascal King,” by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones “Sweet Caroline,” by Neil Diamond “Mass.

Ave.,” by Willie “Loco” Alexander “Dream On,” by Aerosmith “Just What I Needed,” by The Cars “Planning a Prison Break,” by The Receiving End of Sirens Project MUSE - From the Curse to Its Reverse: Red Sox Nation in Films, 1992–2005 From the Curse to Its Reverse: Red Sox Nation in Films, 1992–2005 Frank Ardolino (bio) The feature films discussed in this article portray a range of representations of the Red Sox mythos, primarily centered around the "curse of the Bambino" and its reverse. 1 The only movie that is openly and fully concerned with the Red Sox is Fever Pitch, which celebrates the reverse of the curse in 2004 . Spartan and Fifty First Dates mention the curse and its reverse as the means of establishing a camaraderie between people. Rounders, Stuck on You, and Game Six contain references to Bill Buckner, who represents a fighting spirit of overcoming painful past defeats. Summer of Sam stages a violent confrontation between Yankee and Red Sox fans.

Finally, A Few Good Men, Good Will Hunting, Dreamcatcher, Mystic River, She Hate Me, and War of the Worlds have characters who wear a Red Sox cap or a 1918 jersey and through their actions create parallels with the Red Sox mythos. The films use references to the Red Sox to create statements about the human condition and the attempt to deal with love, anxiety, success or failure, and tragedy. The films are divided chronologically, prereverse and postreverse, and according to optimistic, pessimistic, and intermediate scenarios. Although the prereverse optimistic films—A Few Good Men ( 1992 ), and 50 First Dates ( 2004 )—involves an intermediate way between pessimism and optimism, an existential endurance which serves as a precedent for perseverance in the face of daily tribulations that may or may not be overcome. Two postreverse films—Fever Pitch ( 2005 ) and War of the Worlds ( 2005 )—celebrate the reverse of the curse, respectively, as a romantic [End Page 108] comedy culminating at Fenway Park and as the delivery from an alien invasion signaled by safe arrival in Boston.

The third postreverse film, Game Six ( 2005 ), reverts to an earlier pessimism to present the equation between the main character's dismal life and the unraveling of the Red Sox in the sixth game of the 1986 Series but ends with the joy of commiseration experienced by Red Sox Nation. The films show how a baseball mythos created by the history of the Red Sox and its putative curse has been used as a metaphor for motivation and tragic experience. The Red Sox in this sense became our surrogate, the Sisyphean team that never wins the final prize but does not give up trying. Cursed by the Bambino after he was traded in 1919 , Boston became the perennial runners-up and underdogs who always found a way to lose, especially at the moment of seeming victory. Their quest to reverse the curse was inextricably connected with the futile struggle against their archenemy, the Yankees, who obtained Ruth and became the most successful team in baseball. This is baseball as tragedy in which they were condemned to repeat the sad scenario over and over again.

The tragic fate shared by Red Sox fans created a community of sufferers, who were convinced that they had a special destiny of divine punishment. However, this dismal scenario changed when the Red Sox broke the curse in 2004 in miraculous fashion, beating the Yanks after being three down in the playoffs and then sweeping the Cardinals in the Series. With the lifting of the curse came a sense of exultation that doom can be replaced by victory. Prereverse Optimistic Films A Few Good Men: The Red Sox vs. the Military Establishment The setting is Guantanamo Bay, the American marine base maintained in Castro's Cuba. In a quick, silent scene, two marines enter the room of a third marine and bind and gag him. In the following scene at another base, as Lt. Cmdr. Joanne Galloway (Demi Moore) walks by, a precisionist rifle drill is being carried out. These scenes anticipate the film's theme that although teamwork is essential to military effectiveness, there is also the danger of using this ethos as an excuse to persecute individuals who do not fit in. Galloway is a committed and idealistic young lawyer, but she has no trial experience or legal cunning.

She wants to serve as the defense in the case of the marines accused of killing Pfc. William Santiago, the apparent victim of a code red imposed because of his military ineptitude. Her lead counsel, Lt. Daniel Kaffee (Tom Cruise), is the son of the late Lionel Kaffee, a distinguished navy judge advocate and U.S. attorney general. Kaffee's Christian name recalls Daniel, the cunning biblical hero-lawyer who defended the innocent Susannah against [End Page 109] the lustful elders and also survived the ordeal of the lions' den. For young Kaffee, the struggle against the code red of the Marine Corps as ordered by Col. Nathan Jessep (Jack Nicholson) is a coming-of-age initiation as a man, officer, and lawyer. At the outset, Daniel is arrogant and immature, almost afraid to take himself seriously in the face of his father's imposing legal reputation. One indication of his lack of seriousness is his devotion to softball and the Red Sox.

When we first see him, he is conducting infield practice and wearing a Red Sox hat 2 —he was born in Boston and went to Harvard—and, as he swings the bat, he plea-bargains with another military lawyer about a case. He also wears a Red Sox cap at another practice when Galloway criticizes his lack of concern about the coming trial. Ironically, his advice to an inept fielder about keeping his eye on the ball applies to his initial indifferent and flippant reaction to the Santiago case. As he becomes more involved in the case, at tense moments he intones, "The hits keep on coming." When thinking about the case, he swings a bat and watches baseball on TV. "Where's my bat? I think better with my bat." On the wall of his apartment, there is a picture of an old-time baseball scene. His Red Sox cap is also visible in the back of his car as Lt. Col. Markinson reveals the facts about the code red and Santiago. Moreover, outside the courtroom, he wears a sports team jacket, albeit not a Red Sox one.

Finally, frustrated by his inability to gain the requisite proof that a code red was ordered and thereby save the defendants from a murder conviction, Daniel declares that he has his nose to the grindstone, and a friendly news seller says, "It ain't over till the fat lady sings." At the outset of the case, Daniel used his participation in the ballgame to keep a distance between himself and its seriousness. But as he becomes more involved in the defense of the two marines, he applies his athletic concentration and joy to the pursuit of the truth. Daniel decides to defend the case on the basis that the enforcement of the code red demanded the obedience of the accused. He nearly breaks down from the pressure of the trial, but he recovers—thanks to Joanne's advice about digging deeper and his aide Sam's (Kevin Pollack) vote of confidence—and becomes a better lawyer. He calls Jessep to the stand as a material witness and forces him to declare his defense of the necessity for the code red on Santiago.

When Jessep belittles his legal stature and understanding of military reality, Daniel retorts, "Don't call me son, I'm a lawyer and an officer." The defendants are acquitted of murder and conspiracy, but they are dishonorably discharged for their actions. The last scene shows Daniel alone in the courtroom after he has defeated the imperious Jessep and the ghost of his father. His victory over the establishment [End Page 110] is represented by the image of the Red Sox or underdog beating the favored Yankees. The wearing of the Red Sox cap and Daniel's devotion to baseball are not signs of his immaturity; they indicate his capacity to overcome seemingly insuperable odds. Dreamcatcher: Red Sox "Idiots" vs. "Boss" Steinbrenner Stephen King has established himself as an avid Red Sox fan by writing the novel The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon ( 1998 ) and the coauthored Faithful: Two Diehard Boston Red Sox Fans Chronicle the Historic 2004 Season, which deal with the importance of the Red Sox to their fans and the New England area.

He also was seen on TV at key moments in the 2004 championship series between the Yanks and the Red Sox, and he appeared briefly at Fenway Park at the beginning of Fever Pitch. In addition, King has written Dreamcatcher ( 2001 ), which ostensibly is a horror story but, on a subtextual level, concerns the domination of the Red Sox by the Yankees. The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon was a precursor to Dreamcatcher, and it is necessary to consider both as a unit to understand that they represent King's attempts to exorcise the malign Yankee dynastic spirit dominating the minds and hearts of the faithful by showing the resilient power of Red Sox Nation. King proved prescient because the "curse of the Bambino" was reversed in 2004 ; in effect, the two novels anticipated this momentous event and the chronicle celebrated it. The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon traces the love of nine-year-old Trisha McFarland for the Red Sox and its stellar closer Tom "Flash" Gordon.

3 Wearing her Gordon batting practice jersey with the number 36 on it and her Red Sox cap signed by him, Trisha gets lost on a six-mile hike on the Maine–New Hampshire branch of the Appalachian Trail. As she wanders in the woods, she uses her Walkman to listen to Red Sox games, which provide a consolatory sense of the everyday world from which she is now separated. Her wandering in the woods is a rite of passage: the young, endangered girl pursued by the big, bad wolf—in this case bear—who stalks her throughout the journey. Her ordeal is constructed as a nine-inning game of survival during which she empathizes with Gordon as the steely closer. When he saves the game against the Yankees, she feels that she will be saved. She imagines being as composed and effective as Gordon is in a game and that he is there as her aide against the physical and psychological demons assailing her. He appears when she is sick from drinking dirty water and helps her to regain her composure and resolve. She begins to think like a closer in a tight situation and thus learns to function more effectively in the woods.

The god who is saluted by Gordon and Trisha does protect her on her harrowing journey. Trisha has engaged in [End Page 111] a near mystical connection with the Red Sox and her favorite player, who have provided her with the support to complete her long journey safely. Sportswriter Dan Shaughnessy tells the anecdote about meeting Stephen King, who remarked, apropos of Shaughnessy's book The Curse of the Bambino, that he had "never written a horror story about baseball." 4 Dreamcatcher is King's horror story about baseball. King translates the elements of The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon into an alien-invasion horror story about four childhood friends who struggle against mysterious creatures that invade the bodies of their victims and then erupt like the creature in the movie Alien so they can move on to attack other victims. Pete Moore, Henry Devlin, Gary Jones, and Joe "Beaver" Clarendon meet at a cabin in the Maine woods for their annual hunting trip. However, the woods are invaded by nasty creatures that threaten to take over the New England area. The attack is directed by the head monster known as Mr. Gray, whose ultimate goal is to contaminate the Boston water supply.

This seems a long distance from baseball, but King has cleverly created a subtext concerning the control of Red Sox Nation by the Yankee "Evil Empire." Mike Vaccaro has noted the customary comparison of "the New York Yankees to an 'evil empire.' . . . George Steinbrenner had fostered an image for himself as baseball's Darth Vader, sinister in his unquenchable desire to conquer all that lay before him." 5 King has also described Steinbrenner's omnivorous dynastic designs in mythological terms: "Whenever the eye of Red Sox management falls on a likely player, it seems that the Eye of Stein-Brenner (like the Eye of Sauron in his tower) has also fallen there." 6 Two characters in the novel represent Steinbrenner. The mad renegade General Abraham Kurz demands that his cowed subordinates, who perform his every wish like automatons, call him "Boss," and when they forget, he punishes them summarily. Steinbrenner is known as the "Boss" because of his overbearing leadership qualities. The second Steinbrenner figure is the monstrous Mr.

Gray who has dreams of extending his power over Boston and its environs by poisoning the Quabbin reservoir. Concerning the psychological and moral meaning of Yankee domination to Red Sox Nation, King remarks that "For Red Sox fans, the Yankees are the thing under the bed, the boogeyman in the closet. . . . [W]hen we go to them, we expect, in our hearts, not to return alive." He concludes that "We all hate what we fear, and sensible Red Sox fans fear the Yankees," who are "The Evil Empire, our old nemesis." 7 Gray is the appropriate name for the evil genius in Dreamcatcher because it alludes to the dynasty established by the New York Yankees, who wear gray pinstripe uniforms. The most significant baseball references are connected with Duddits. The four friends rescued him from bullies who were forcing him to eat a dog turd [End Page 112] in October 1978 Boston Movies - Movies filmed in Boston - Boston Movie Best Boston Movies Top Movies Filmed in Boston These favorite Boston movies give you a sense of the city before you visit, and let you renew fond memories after you leave.

Most of them feature lots of scenes actually filmed in Boston - although they may or may not give a complete flavor of the city. But they're fun to watch, and at least some of the details are authentic. You'll see real glimpses of Boston streets, parks, rivers, and buildings . . . places that you'll see and perhaps visit while you're here. Amazon links are included for each movie. Some are so cheap (as low as one penny plus shipping!) that buying can cost less and be easier than downloading. Blown Away - Boston movie with Irish roots 1994. Action / Drama / R. Starring Harvard grad Tommy Lee Jones (Ryan Gaerity), Jeff Bridges (Jimmy Dove) Irish Republican Army bomber Ryan Gaerity breaks out of an Irish prison and sets out on a path of revenge against Boston bomb squad expert Jimmy Dove, a former IRA conspirator who betrayed Gaerity after discovering his plan to kill civilians. Now no one in Dove's family or seemingly the rest of Boston is safe from Gaerity's course of destruction in this fast-paced thriller.

You'll see lots of great shots of Fenway Park, the Esplanade, Boston Harbor, and Copley Square, including scenes at the grand Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel. Fever Pitch - Cheer the Boston Red Sox in this movie 2005. Romantic Comedy / PG13. Starring Jimmy Fallon (Ben), Drew Barrymore (Lindsay) When laid-back Ben and workaholic Lindsay meet and start dating, can this be true love? Well, maybe . . . but then baseball season begins and Ben's real love is revealed: the Boston Red Sox. Actually, it's more like an obsession. Can this relationship be saved? You'll have to watch it to find out. When this movie ran in the Boston movie theaters, part of the fun was hearing the audience scream and cheer for the Red Sox and boo the Yankees. Which underscores a flaw in this movie: it's not true to life, because obviously, real Bostonians are obsessed with the Red Sox all year, not just during baseball season. That's why we're the Red Sox Nation . . . not to digress . . . Gone, Baby, Gone 2007. Drama / Crime / Mystery / R.

Starring Casey Affleck (Patrick Kenzie), Michelle Monaghan (Angie Gennaro), Morgan Freeman (Jack Doyle), Ed Harris (Remy Bressant), John Ashton (Nick Poole). Directed by: Boston local Ben Affleck (who also wrote much of the screenplay). Based on a novel of the same name by Boston local Dennis Lehane. A child is kidnapped, 2 Boston police detectives investigate, and personal and professional crises unfold as everyone discovers way more than they'd bargained for in this gritty and ultimately ironic tale of multiple betrayals. Gone, Baby, Gone was filmed in Boston, and nearby Lynn, Cambridge, Chelsea, South Boston, Sherborn, Medford, and Dorchester, and you'll see plenty of local scenes . . . the Lindemann Mental Health Center on Staniford Street in the West End . . . Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Meadow Glen Mall and the LoConte Skating Rink in Medford, the Old Colony public housing development and Murphy's Law bar in Southie, and much more. Good Will Hunting - starring Boston locals! 1997. Drama / R.

Starring Matt Damon (Will Hunting), Ben Affleck (Chuckie Sullivan), Robin Williams (therapist Sean Maguire), Minnie Driver (Skylar) In this film that launched the acting careers of both Damon and Affleck, Will Hunting is a janitor at MIT from a blue collar background in South Boston when a professor discovers that he's a math genius. Will he abandon his Southie friends to pursue a future in line with his intellect? A therapist helps him uncover the demons holding him back in this coming-of-age Boston movie. Both Damon and Affleck are Boston locals, and their accents are real. You'll get to see some great local shots as well . . . in Boston, the Public Gardens . . . in Cambridge, Au Bon Pain and Grafton Street Pub in Harvard Square, Dunster House at Harvard College, and the McLauren Building at MIT. In South Boston, Woodie's L Street Tavern, among other places . . . in Charlestown, Bunker Hill Community College. Disappointingly, though, many scenes in this Boston movie were filmed in Toronto, where production costs are lower. Love Story - favorite Boston movie melodrama 1970. Romance / Melodrama / PG.

Starring Ryan O'Neil (Oliver Barrett IV), Ally McGraw (Jennifer Cavalleri), Ray Milland (Oliver Barrett III), and Harvard grad Tommy Lee Jones When rich, well-connected Harvard student Oliver falls in love with and marries working class non-WASP (lest you miss this point, the film makes much of her Italian last name) Radcliffe student Jenny, his dad (Oliver III) disowns him. True love seems about to triumph - but wait! - this is melodrama, so get ready to shed tears. Both Oliver and Jenny get to deliver the film's most famous line: "Love means never having to say you're sorry," a line that spawned plenty of parodies, including my personal favorite from John Lennon: "Love means having to say you're sorry every 15 minutes" . . . but I digress.) You'll see lots of scenic views of Harvard Yard, in Cambridge. Other Cambridge filming locations include the Harvard Square T station. The large Cambridge house where Oliver and Jenny live for awhile is on Irving Street. However, much of the rest of this quintessential Boston movie was filmed in Toronto. Mystic River 2003. Thriller / R.

Starring Sean Penn (Jimmy Markum), Tim Robbins (Dave Boyle), Kevin Bacon (Sean Divine), Marcia Gay Harden (Celeste Boyle). Directed, co-produced, and scored by Clint Eastwood. Based on a novel with the same name by Boston author Dennis Lehane. In this fast-paced, riveting thriller, three childhood friends from South Boston find they're still closely linked 25 years later when Jimmy's daughter is brutally murdered and one of them appears to be implicated. But that's just the beginning, as this film explores the extreme brutality and trauma that have damaged their lives and destroy their futures. If you don't like watching violence, you probably won't enjoy this Boston movie despite the excellent acting and cinematography. Penn won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance, and Robbins won Best Supporting Actor. Mystic River was filmed almost entirely in and around Boston, and the details ring true. Even the unpredictable Boston fall weather gives the film part of its authenticity.

You see some of the grittier parts of South Boston, Downtown, the Tobin Bridge and Mystic River, and even the Columbus Day Parade in which Dennis Lehane, author of the book on which the movie is based, plays a cameo role as a politician waving at the crowds. Even the sets, such as the Black Emerald Bar, were built in a warehouse in Canton, just south of the city. Paper Chase 1973. Romance / Melodrama / PG. Starring Timothy Bottoms (James T. Hart), Lindsay Wagner (Susan Field), John Houseman (Charles W. Kingsfield, Jr.) Earnest, hard-working first year Harvard Law School student Hart clashes with a brilliant but intimidating contracts professor in this drama about the clash between idealism and extreme pressure and competition. The plot develops tangles when Hart discovers that the woman he's dating and falling in love with is the professor's daughter. You'll see scenes filmed at Harvard Law School, located in Cambridge, although other parts of the movie were filmed in Toronto. Paul Blart: Mall Cop - suburban shopping, crime, and Segways 2009 Comedy / PG.

Starring Kevin James (Paul Blart), Keir O'Donnell (Veck Sims), Jayma Mays (Amy), and Raini Rodriguez (Maya Blart) Mall Cop features a mall security guard with a Segway who saves the day when a gang of criminals tries to take over the suburban shopping mall where he works. What makes this Boston movie fun, aside from the usual chase scenes, is that much of it was filmed in in Burlington Mall , just a few miles north of the city. If you've ever shopped at the Burlington Mall, you'll recognize the Bank of America and many of the stores . . . although the Sharper Image is no more. Other scenes were filmed on streets in Burlington and Boston's West Roxbury neighborhood. By the end of this light-hearted Boston movie, you may be left with a desire to shop . . . or possibly try out a Segway yourself, especially if you've seen them recently rolling along Boston streets. Segways in Boston's Beacon Hill The Bostonians 1984. Drama / NR.

Starring Christopher Reeve (Basil Ransom), Madeleine Potter (Verena Tarrant), Vanessa Redgrave (Olive Chancellor) Based on Henry James' 1886 novel of the same name, this Merchant Ivory film explores tensions between an ardent Bostonian reformist and supporter of the suffragist movement, Olive Chancellor, her Mississippi cousin, lawyer Basin Ransom, and the young daughter of a charismatic faith healer, Verena Tarrant. You'll enjoy the scenes filmed in the gorgeous Copley Plaza Boston Hotel , as well as the outstanding performances of the cast. If you're interested in nuances of class and economics in late 19th century America, the movie is fascinating from that perspective as well. Movies Made In Massachusetts « CBS Boston Latest Photos Sponsored By Movies Made In MassachusettsJoe & Joe - 1996The 1996 indy film "Joe & Joe" was shot on Cape Cod.

Movies Made In MassachusettsGood Will Hunting - 1997Local actors Matt Damon and Ben Affleck won an Oscar for writing 1997's "Good Will Hunting." The film was shot at Woody's L Street Tavern in South Boston, Fley Field in South Boston, Harvard Square's 'The Tasty' and 'Au Bon Pain', MIT, along the Charles River, on the MBTA Red Line and at Wonderland Dog Track in Revere. (credit: AP) Movies Made In MassachusettsThe Good Son - 1993Macaulay Culkin starred in the 1993 thriller "The Good Son." The movie was shot on the North Shore in Manchester-By-the-Sea, Lobster Cove, Annisquam, Rockport, Gloucester, Danvers, Beverly and Marblehead Cemetery. Movies Made In MassachusettsGone Baby Gone - 2007Casey Affleck starred in 2007's "Gone Baby Gone," directed by his brother Ben.

Local shooting locations included the Erich Lindemann Mental Health Center in Boston, Moakley Park in Boston, WCVB Studio in Needham; South Boston, Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Dorchester, Lynn, Hormel Stadium in Medford, The Meadow Glen Mall, the Quincy Quarries, Waltham and Winchester. (credit: Miramax Films)(credit: Miramax Films) Movies Made In MassachusettsHouseSitter - 1992Goldie Hawn and Steve Martin stared in 1992's "HouseSitter," with scenes shot in Boston, Concord and Cohasset. (credit: Getty Images) Movies Made In MassachusettsTo Gillian on her 37th Birthday - 1996Claire Danes and Michelle Pfeiffer starred in 1996's "To Gillian on her 37th Birthday." Much of the film was shot on Nantucket, including the Brant Point Lighthouse, the HY-Line ferry Terminal, Madaket and Eel Point Roads, Cuff Road, Milestone Road, Polpis Road, and East Creek Road.

Movies Made In MassachusettsGhosts of Girlfriends Past - 2009The spring 2009 film "Ghosts of Girlfriends Past" stars Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner and Michael Douglas. Scenes from the film were shot in Boston, and at the Crane Estate in Ipswich. (credit: AP) Movies Made In MassachusettsThe Game Plan - 2007"The Game Plan" featuring Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson filmed locally in 2007. The crew set up at Emerson College, The Barking Crab in Boston, Gillette Stadium, College of The Holy Cross in Worcester and in Gloucester. (credit: Walk Disney Pictures) Movies Made In MassachusettsFurry Vengeance - 2010Brooke Shields and Brendan Fraser star in the comedy "Furry Vengeance". The 2010 release was shot in Boston, Danvers, Crane Beach in Ipswich and Topsfield. (credit: AP) Movies Made In MassachusettsFlowers in the Attic - 1987Kristy Swanson was among the actors in the 1987 horror movie "Flowers in the Attic," based on the best-selling book.

The film was set at the Crane Estate in Ipswich. Movies Made In MassachusettsThe Firm - 1993Tom Cruise in a scene from 1993's "The Firm." The movie was shot at the Copley Plaza Hotel, in South Boston, at Harvard University, and in Harvard Square. (credit: Paramount Pictures) Movies Made In MassachusettsThe Great Debaters - 2007Denzel Washington stars in 2007's "The Great Debaters." Scenes were filmed in Boston and at Harvard University in Cambridge. (credit: AP) Movies Made In MassachusettsGrown Ups - 2010"Grown Ups", also starring Chris Rock, David Spade, Kevin James and Rob Schneider is about a group of high school friends who come home as adults to attend a funeral. (credit: AP) Movies Made In MassachusettsHarvard Man - 2001Adrian Grenier, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Joey Lauren Adams starred in 2001's "Harvard Man" which was shot in Cambridge. Movies Made In MassachusettsThe Social Network - 2010Actor Jesse Eisenberg plays Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg in 2010's "The Social Network".

The film was shot in Boston and at Wheelock College. (credit: Getty Images/Scott Halleran) Movies Made In MassachusettsJaws, Jaws II, Jaws: The Revenge"Jaws", "Jaws II" and "Jaws: The Revenge" were all shot on Martha's Vineyard. (credit: Universal City Studios) Movies Made In MassachusettsThe MatchMaker - 1997Janeane Garofalo starred in 1997's "The MatchMaker," with scenes shot in Faneuil Hall. (credit: AP) Movies Made In MassachusettsThe Invention of Lying - 2009"The Invention of Lying" which stars Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman, Tina Fey and Rob Lowe, shot scenes in Mass. in 2008. The movie filmed in both Lowell and Andover. (credit: AP) Movies Made In MassachusettsInternational Velvet - 1978Tatum O'Neal starred in the 1978 sequel "International Velvet." Though shot mostly in England, some scenes were shot locally.

Movies Made In MassachusettsIn Dreams - 1999Annette Bening in a scene from the 1999 film "In Dreams." Scenes were shot locally at Northampton State Hospital, in Southampton, Northfield/Mt. Herman Academy in Northfield, the V.A.Hosptial in Florence, in Huntington, and at Smith College. (credit: Dreamworks) Movies Made In MassachusettsNext Stop Wonderland - 1998Hope Davis starred in "Next Stop, Wonderland" set in Boston. Scenes from the film were shot in Revere, in Downtown Boston and at the Aquarium. (credit: Getty Images/Evan Agostini) Movies Made In MassachusettsOnce Around - 1991Holly Hunter and Richard Dreyfus starred in 1991's "Once Around.' Scenes from the movie were filmed in the Boston Public Garden, on the Longfellow Bridge, also in Charlestown, and on the Mystic Valley Parkway in Arlington.

(credit: AP) Movies Made In MassachusettsHocus Pocus: 1993Bette Midler in a scene from 1993's "Hocus Pocus." Scenes from the movie were shot at Pioneer Village in Salem at at Marblehead Cemetery. (credit: AP) Movies Made In MassachusettsHere on Earth - 2000Chris Klein and Leelee Sobieski starred in the 2000 romantic comedy "Here on Earth." The film contained aerial footage of Boston, and shot scenes in Bradley Palmer State Park in Topsfield.. (credit: 20th Century Fox) Movies Made In MassachusettsField of Dreams - 1989Kevin Costner starred in 1989's "Field of Dreams." Scenes from the film were shot at Fenway Park. Movies Made In MassachusettsFever Pitch - 2005When the Red Sox won the World Series, the ending of 2005's "Fever Pitch" had to be changed. The film starring Drew Barrymore and Jimmy Fallon was shot at Fenway Park and other Boston locales.

(credit: 20th Century Fox) Movies Made In MassachusettsLocked In - 2010Watertown's own Eliza Dushku stars in the 2010 thriller "Locked In", much of which was filmed in Boston. (credit: Getty Images/Andrew H Walker) Movies Made In MassachusettsThe Blue Diner - 2001Lisa Vidal and Jose Yenque appear in a scene from 2001's "The Blue Diner." The movie was shot in Boston. Movies Made In MassachusettsBlack Irish - 2007Emily VanCamp, Melissa Leo, Michael Angarano, Brendan Gleeson, and Tom Guiry in "Black Irish." The 2007 movie was filmed in and around Boston. (credit: Anywhere Road) Movies Made In MassachusettsAmos & Andrew - 1993Nicholas Cage and Samuel L. Jackson starred in 1993's "Amos & Andrew." The stars themselves never appeard in Massachusetts during filming, but the movie contains aerial shots of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket.

Movies Made In MassachusettsAmistad - 1997Scenes from 1997's "Amistad" were shot in the Massachusetts House and Senate chambers. Movies Made In MassachusettsAuthor! Author! - 1982Al Pacino starred opposite Dyan Cannon in 1982's "Author! Author!" shot on location in Boston and Gloucester. (credit: AP) Movies Made In MassachusettsThe Autumn Heart - 1999Ally Sheedy starred in 1999's "The Autumn Heart." Scenes were shot locally at a bowling alley in Malden, at private homes in Saugus, at Winchester Hospital and in Boston. (credit: AP) Movies Made In MassachusettsAlices' Restaurant - 1969The 1969 screen adaptation of Arlo Guthrie's "Alice's Restaurant" was shot in Great Barrington. (credit: United Artists) Movies Made In MassachusettsAlex & Emma - 2003Luke Wilson and Kate Hudson in the 2003 film "Alex & Emma" which was shot largely on the streets of Boston.

(credit: Warner Bros.) Movies Made In MassachusettsThe Company Men - 2010Ben Affleck was spotted on the Boston Common in April 2009 during the filming of "The Company Men". The movie also stars Kevin Costner and Tommy Lee Jones. (credit: Kevin J. Wiles) Movies Made In Massachusetts21 - 2008The #1 box office hit "21" was based on the story of gambling phenoms from M.I.T. It was shot in and around Boston and Cambridge. Some of the featured locations include Newbury Street, Boston Public Garden, Intercontinental Hotel, Great Bay Restaurant, Boston University, Boston Convention & Expo Center, Back Bay, Chelsea and Cambridge. (credit: AP) Movies Made In MassachusettsThe Lightkeepers - 2010Actress Blythe Danner stars alongside Richard Dreyfuss in "The Lightkeepers". The 2010 release was partially filmed in Hyannis in 2009.

(credit: Getty Images/Frazer Harrison) Movies Made In MassachusettsThe Boondock Saints - 1999William Dafoe and Sean Patrick Flannery starred in 1999's "The Boondock Saints." Scenes were shot in Boston including Charles Street Jail and Church of the Covenant. Movies Made In MassachusettsBride Wars - 2009Kate Hudson filmed two movies in town in 2008. She was spotted with Anne Hathaway on Newbury Street filming "Bride Wars." Hudson also shot "My Best Friend's Girl" with Alec Baldwin and Jason Biggs. That film shot on location in Boston Harbor, the North End, Old South Church, Suffolk University Law School, Copley Plaza Hotel, Jamaica Plain, South Boston, East Boston High School, Brookline, Brighton, Belmont and Crane Beach in Ipswich. (credit - AP) Movies Made In MassachusettsEdge of Darkness - 2010Released in early 2010, the Mel Gibson film "Edge of Darkness" shot on location in the Berkshires, Boston, Deerfield, Lowell and Northampton.

(credit: AP) Movies Made In MassachusettsSouthie - 1998Donnie Wahlberg starred opposite Rose McGowan in 1998's "Southie," with scenes shot in South Boston. (credit: AP) Movies Made In MassachusettsThe Departed - 2006Jack Nicholson and Matt Damon starred in 2006's "The Departed." It was shot locally in Quincy, Charlestown, Chinatown and the Erich Lindemann Mental Health Center in Boston. (credit: Warner Bros.)Jack Nicholson and Matt Damon starred in 2006's "The Departed." It was shot locally in Quincy, Charlestown, Chinatown and the Erich Lindemann Mental Health Center in Boston. (credit: Warner Bros.) Movies Made In MassachusettsSnitch - 1998Denis Leary of Worcester starred in 1998's "Snitch." Scenes were shot in East Boston, Charlestown, Chelsea and Malden. (credit: AP) Movies Made In MassachusettsThe Crucible - 1996Winona Ryder and Daniel Day Lewis in "The Crucible," set in 17th century Salem.

Scenes from the 1996 film were shot on Hog Island in Essex, at Crane's Beach in Ipswich, and the United Shoe Factory in Beverly. (credit: 20th Century Fox) Movies Made In MassachusettsThe Opposite Sex and How to Live with Them - 1993Courteney Cox starred in 1993's "The Opposite Sex and How to Live with Them," with scenes shot at Fenway Park. (credit: AP) Movies Made In MassachusettsA Civil Action - 1998John Travolta in a scene from "A Civil Action," the 1998 film based on the true story of Woburn families suing over toxic land. There were scenes shot in Dedham, Quincy, Jamaica Plain, Boston Public Garden, Fenway Park, Palmer, Riverdale Mall in Northbridge and at Metropolitan State Hospital in Waltham.

(credit: Getty Images) Movies Made In MassachusettsCide House Rules - 1999Michael Caine, Charlize Theron and Tobey Maguire starred in 1999's "The Cider House Rules." The film was largely shot in Massachusetts including scenes at Northampton State Hospital, the Northfield Drive-In, Great Barrington, South Egremont Farm, and Ventfort Hall in Lenox. (credit: AP) Movies Made In MassachusettsThe Golden Boys - 2008"The Golden Boys" is a romantic comedy set on Cape Cod in the early 1900s. It's about three retired sea captains who try to lure a middle-aged woman into marriage. It was shot largely on the Cape in 2007. (credit: High Wire Pictures) Movies Made In MassachusettsCeltic Pride - 1996Daniel Stern, Damon Wayans and Dan Akroyd in 1996's "Celtic Pride" about - of course - overzealous Celtics fans. The film was shot locally in the South End, at the old Boston Garden, in the North End, East Boston, Waltham and Charlestown.

You forgot ” The Boston Strangler” filmed in Malden Mass. “The Fuzz” shot on the Boston Common. And a few more i can’t thinks of right now. David Gobbeo former Bostonan, Now living in the “Heart of Screenland” Culver City, Ca.

Question: The films "Fever Pitch" (2005 version), "Good Will Hunting", "The Departed" are all set in which New England city?
Answer: Boston