Cities in movies

Well that's a stretch. There was only one or two scenes set in Detroit. The place that movie was about in the context the original post was talking about was obviously Beverly Hills far more than Detroit.

 

I can't think of any big name US flicks. The TV series Flash Point is entirely set in Toronto with Toronto scenes (Skydome, Rogers Centre, Gardiner EXpressway, etc) up front but the show actually never names the city in question.

 

Though it was filmed in Dallas.

 

Spike Lee does a great job capturing a vibe to make you feel you've been a part of the neighborhood.
John Sayles also does a tremendous job capturing geography and making it a part of the movie.

 

I thought Roommates, a sappy, crappy movie with Peter Falk and D.B. Sweeney, did a nice job of capturing the feel of Polish Hill. I also got a laugh of one shot wtih an Ohio State University plaque slapped on the outside of Pitt's Cathedral of Learning. Even with the relative close-up, I recognized the building.

 

Singles does a far better job of capturing the Seattle aura than the scene it attempted to chronicle.

Not really a city per se but Crowe's Almost Famous is the most accurate depiction of what it's like to be on tour with a band.

 

That's probably because it was filmed (somewhat famously) in Galena, Illinois.

***

As was mentioned earlier, my choice goes to "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" for its fantastic portrayal of Savannah, where most of it was filmed. In fact, several of the quirky characters in the book -- and real life -- played themselves in the film, including The Lady Chablis, who still performs in Savannah and around the U.S.

 

The Departed did a good job with Boston, as did Mystic River, Gone Baby Gone and others.

 

[edit] A
A Cool, Dry Place
A Map of the World
Ararat
Adventures in Babysitting
Against the Ropes
A History of Violence (2005)
Angel Eyes
American Pie Presents: Beta House
American Pie Presents: The Naked Mile
American Psycho
American Psycho II: All American Girl
Assault on Precinct 13 (2005)
Aurora Borealis
Away From Her
[edit] B
Bait
Big Hit, The
Billy Madison
Black Christmas (1974)
Blade 2
Bless The Child (2000)
Blizzard
Blues Brothers 2000
Boondock Saints, The
Booty Call
Bowling for Columbine
Breach
Breaking Point
Bride of Chucky (1998)
Bulletproof Monk
[edit] C
Canadian Bacon
Camp Rock
Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam
Caveman's Valentine, The
Change of Mind, A
Cheaper by the Dozen 2
A Christmas Story
Chicago (2002)
Cinderella Man
Circle of Two
Clubland
Cocktail
Cold Creek Manor
Concrete Angels
Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen
Corruptor, The
Crash (1996)
Cruel Intentions
Cube
Cube 2: Hypercube
[edit] D
Dark Water (2005)
Dawn of the Dead (2004)
Dead Ringers
Death to Smoochy (2002)
Death Weekend
Detroit Rock City
Dick
Don't Say a Word
Double Impact
Down to Earth (2001)
Down in the Delta (1998)
Dracula 2000
Driven
Due South
[edit] E
Existenz
Exit Wounds (2001); Steven Seagal
Exotica
[edit] F
Farm, The
Fever Pitch (2005)
Finding Forrester (2000)
Firehouse Dog
Fly, The (1986) - Oscar Winner
Fly Away Home
Foolproof
Fools Rush In
Four Brothers
Freddy vs. Jason (2003)
Frequency
Full Frontal - a 2002 movie directed by Srdjan Vilotijevic
Fantastic Four - (2005)
[edit] G
Get Rich or Die Tryin' (2005)
Ginger Snaps
Glitter (2001)
Godsend
Good Will Hunting
Gospel of John, The
Gossip (2000)
Gotti
Graveyard Shift (Central Park Drifter)
[edit] H
Hairspray (2007)
Half Baked
Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle
Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Heist, The (2001)
Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II
A Home at the End of the World
Honey (2003); Jessica Alba
How to Deal
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
Hurricane, The (1999)
[edit] I
I've Heard the Mermaids Singing
Ice Princess
In Too Deep (1998)
In-Laws, The
Interpreter, The
Incredible Hulk, The
[edit] J
Jane Doe
Jason X
Jekyll + Hyde (2006)
Jerry and Tom (1998)
Jersey Girl (2004)
John Q
Johnny Mnemonic
Jumper
[edit] K
K-19: The Widowmaker
Kidnapping of the President, The - With William Shatner
Kids in the Hall: Brain Candy
Knockaround Guys
Kismat Konnection
Keeping the Faith
[edit] L
Ladies Man, The
Let's All Hate Toronto
Lie with Me
Loser
Love Guru, The
Long Kiss Goodnight, The
[edit] M
The Man (2005)
Man of the Year (2006)
Marriage Fool, The (1998)
Max Payne
Mean Girls
Men with Brooms
Mimic
Moonstruck
Mrs. Winterbourne
Murder at 1600
Murder in the Hamptons
My Big Fat Greek Wedding
[edit] N
Narc
Nemesis Game
New York Minute
Nick of Time
[edit] O
One Magic Christmas
Owning Mahowny
[edit] P
Pacifier, The
Police Academy
Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment
Police Academy 3: Back in Training
Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol
Adventures of Pluto Nash, The
Prince and Me, The
Prom Night (1980)
Prom Night III: The Last Kiss
Pushing Tin
[edit] R
The Recruit
Ref, The
Repo! The Genetic Opera
Repossession Mambo
Resident Evil: Apocalypse
Riding in Cars with Boys
The Right Way
Rumour Has It
Rules of Engagement
Resident Evil 4 (Working Title) Alaskan scenes
[edit] S
Santa Clause, The
Santa Who
Saw II
Saw III
Saw IV
Saw V
Sentinel, The
Serendipity
Short Circuit 2
Shoot Em Up
Silent Partner, The
Silver Streak
Skulls, The 1-3
Speaking Parts
Spider
Splice
Stupids, The
Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye
Superstar: Dare To Dream (1998)
Sweet Hereafter, The
Swordsman, The
[edit] T
Take the lead
Three Men and a Baby
Three to Tango
Tommy Boy
That Old Feeling
Thomas and the Magic Railroad
Traitor (2008)
Trapped In Paradise
Treed Murray
True Lies
Truth, Justice and the American Way
The Time Traveler's Wife
Tuxedo, The
Turn It Up
Twister
Transformer 2
[edit] U
Undercover Brother
Urban Legend (1999)
[edit] V
Videodrome
Virgin Suicides, The
Vendetta
[edit] W
Welcome to Mooseport
Where the Truth Lies
Wrong Turn
[edit] X
X-Men

 

Friday Night Lights--Odessa, Texas

 

Eight Men Out was filmed there, but obviously the movie didn't take place there.


Wisconsin - Public Enemies (Madison, Oshkosh, Columbus), Damien: The Omen II (Lake Geneva), Stroszek (Plainfield), Back to School (Madison)

 

Kinda like Vancouver, BC. It's such an interesting city, I'm surprised there haven't been more movies actually set there.


And I could go all day about movies set in and around Marfa, Texas. No Country for Old Men, The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada, In the Valley of Elah.