List RulesVote up the overall greatest films that best represent the state in which they're set.
Films can make you fall in love with places you've never been. Even if you haven't stood at the feet of the Statute of Liberty, you've surely seen it a thousand times on the silver screen. Want to visit Hollywood? Just start any one of hundreds of movies about Los Angeles or California. There are famous movies from every state, whether they were actually filmed there or set there thanks to film magic.
There are more than enough films out there to represent the entirety of the United States. The most famous movie in every state might become a source of pride for locals – or it might become something of an embarrassment. The best movies by state might be comedies, westerns, dramas, or even animated films. As for the greatest movies of all, that's for you to decide.
Here are the best and most iconic films that each represent a state. Just know in advance, certain states had an unfair advantage.
1
1,313269Alabama – Forrest Gump
Tom Hanks, Sally FieldReleased: 1994
Directed by: Robert Zemeckis
Few films are as quotable as Forrest Gump. While the titular hero doesn't spend the entire runtime in his home state, it's as impossible to separate ol' Forrest from Alabama as it is to separate him from his box of chocolates.
See also: To Kill a Mockingbird
2
1,124333Kansas – The Wizard of Oz
Judy Garland, Margaret HamiltonReleased: 1939
Directed by: Mervyn LeRoy, Norman Taurog, King Vidor, George Cukor, Victor Fleming
Few films are as tied to a state as The Wizard of Oz. While most of it takes place in Oz – or a dream, depending on your opinion – the movie focuses on Dorothy's quest to return to Kansas. There's no place like home, indeed.
See also: Superman
3
983341Pennsylvania – Rocky
Rocky is maybe the most inspirational film ever made, one that won awards, spawned a franchise, and created a cinematic icon. If Philadelphia didn't love Rocky, they wouldn't have him permanently on those steps.
See also: Unbreakable, Signs, The Sixth Sense, The Deer Hunter
4
911319Maine – The Shawshank Redemption
Morgan Freeman, Rita HayworthReleased: 1994
Directed by: Frank Darabont
Stephen King sure does love Maine, but arguably his greatest Maine-set story is The Shawshank Redemption. The tough and triumphant film is one everyone should see.
See also: Pet Sematary, Carrie, Casper, The Cider House Rules, IT
5
900324Colorado – The Shining
Jack Nicholson, Shelley DuvallReleased: 1980
Directed by: Stanley Kubrick
The Overloook Hotel, surrounded by snow and mountains, is one of the most famous locations of all time. Its beauty is matched only by the horror of The Shining's plot. The masterpiece of dread is unlike any other, and features some of the most famous lines and moments in all of cinematic history.
See also: Red Dawn, Dumb and Dumber
6
821295Georgia – Gone With The Wind
Clark Gable, Vivien LeighReleased: 1939
Directed by: Sam Wood, George Cukor, Victor Fleming
Georgia has deep ties in American history, so its fitting that it's so associated with Gone with the Wind, a movie tied to cinema's history. Hailed as one of the greatest films of all time, Gone with the Wind sets its epic romance against the beauty of Georgia to brilliant effect.
See also: Deliverance, Fried Green Tomatoes
7
863318New York – The Godfather
Al Pacino, Marlon BrandoReleased: 1972
Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola
Honestly, New York is where all the good movies take place. Yet even with that surplus, The Godfather is special. What some consider the greatest film of all time is a showcase of everything fans about the movies.
See also: too many movies to list
8
726260Massachusetts – Jaws
Steven Spielberg, Richard DreyfussReleased: 1975
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Jaws, one of the most famous films ever, may have stopped a few people from jumping in the ocean, but hopefully it didn't stop them from going to Massachusetts. The state is the setting of Steven Spielberg's masterpiece of tension.
See also: The Departed, Gone Baby Gone, The Town, Good Will Hunting, and many more
9
714277Indiana – A Christmas Story
Darren McGavin, Melinda DillonReleased: 1983
Directed by: Bob Clark
The film that is a go-to for Christmas is a fitting go-to for Indiana as a whole. Few films are as well known or widely seen as A Christmas Story, so congrats to Indiana for getting this holiday gem to represent it.
See also: Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Hoosiers, Rudy
10
660255Iowa – Field of Dreams
Ben Affleck, Matt DamonReleased: 1989
Directed by: Phil Alden Robinson
Iowa may not have the most films to showcase its never-ending corn fields, but hey, it's got baseball playing ghosts. The film captures the midwestern spirit like few others – plus, Iowans really do love baseball.
See also: The Crazies, The Straight Story, Bridges of Madison County, What's Eating Gilbert Grape
11
764312Illinois – Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Charlie Sheen, Matthew BroderickReleased: 1986
Directed by: John Hughes
John Hughes made a career out of showcasing Illinois, but perhaps no fim does it better than the hilarious Ferris Bueller's Day Off. There's just no beating that parade.
See also: Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Halloween, Blues Brothers, Wayne's World, Weird Science, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles
12
674279Ohio – The Silence Of The Lambs
Jodie Foster, Anthony HopkinsReleased: 1991
Directed by: Jonathan Demme
The Silence of the Lambs hops around quite a bit as it traces its chilling trajectory, but Ohio deserves a special mention here. It's where Buffalo Bill claimed his first victim. Not the happiest association, of course, but it's an undeniably great film.
See also: Traffic
13
554232South Dakota – Dances With Wolves
Kevin Costner, Mary McDonnellReleased: 1990
Directed by: Kevin Costner
The Kevin Coster-directed film won plenty of awards, and managed to do it while telling a beautiful story set in the jaw dropping South Dakota plains. The hero spends his time admiring the beauty, and you will too.
See also: Badlands
14
538224Tennessee – Walk the Line
Reese Witherspoon, Joaquin PhoenixReleased: 2005
Directed by: James Mangold
Music goes with Tennessee like Johnny Cash goes with black. This Joaquin Phoenix-led hit biopic about the man himself is as much about Tennessee as it is about the legendary musician.
See also: Nashville, The Blind Side
15
548232New Hampshire – Jumanji
Kirsten Dunst, Robin WilliamsReleased: 1995
Directed by: Joe Johnston
Jumanji is movie everyone loves, and for good reason. The hit adventure film may be rebooted, but this classic will never be forgotten. Robin Williams is at his best here.
See also: Lolita, Rules of Attraction
16
601280Florida – Scarface
Al Pacino, Michelle PfeifferReleased: 1983
Directed by: Brian De Palma
Scarface goes with Miami like Tony Montana goes with cocaine. The epic drug fuelled frenzy is drenched in sun, sand, and sweat, which is a fitting depiction of Florida – outside of the chainsaw murders and shootouts, that is.
See also: Body Heat, Magic Mike
17
684329Hawaii – Lilo & Stitch
Tia Carrere, Ving RhamesReleased: 2002
Directed by: Dean DeBlois, Chris Sanders
Hawaii has plenty of films that depict its lush island landscapes, but few have been as successful as the animated movie Lilo & Stitch. Sure, it may not be the most the most realistic, but when it comes to showcasing the state's pure charm, fun, and unique Hawaiian good spirit, a little blue alien just manages to pull it off.
See also: Tora! Tora! Tora!, The Descendants, Forgetting Sarah Marshall
18
507235South Carolina – The Patriot
Mel Gibson, Heath LedgerReleased: 2000
Directed by: Roland Emmerich
The Patriot, the Mel Gibson-starring Revolutionary War epic, is set in bucolic South Carolina. It's a fitting showcase for the beautiful state, which has rich historic roots.
See also: The Big Chill, Hacksaw Ridge, Glory
19
588295New Jersey – Clerks
Kevin Smith, Jason MewesReleased: 1994
Directed by: Kevin Smith
Clerks is the cheaply made hit that launched Kevin Smith's career. It's a painfully realistic film about the mundane and funny details of life that everyone can connect to.
See also: The Wrestler, On the Waterfront, Friday the 13th
20
469225New Mexico – The Good, The Bad And The Ugly
Clint Eastwood, Eli WallachReleased: 1966
Directed by: Sergio Leone
This Sergio Leone spaghetti western is the definition of a classic, from the score to the lines to that landscape. New Mexico is the land of enchantment, and it gets the film that it deserves.
See also: High Noon, There Will Be Blood
21
507257Virginia – Remember the Titans
Hayden Panettiere, Ryan GoslingReleased: 2000
Directed by: Boaz Yakin
Remember the Titans is a film tied to its states history and one that will get you pumped up. The Denzel Washington-led sports story is about as heartfelt and feel good as you can get. It was a huge success, and gave Virginia a film to call its own.
See also: Donnie Darko
22
538277Idaho – Napoleon Dynamite
Haylie Duff, Jon HederReleased: 2004
Directed by: Jared Hess
Idaho doesn't have too many films to show off its state, but when it got one, it really hit hard. Napoleon Dynamite is one of those films that shouldn't work, yet people still quote it constantly.
See also: My Own Private Idaho
23
569298Vermont – Super Troopers
Lynda Carter, Brian CoxReleased: 2002
Directed by: Jay Chandrasekhar
Few comedies this dumb are this good. The highly quoted and beloved R-rated film Super Troopers is one to remember. Its sequel even managed to blow past its fundraising oal due to pure enthusiasm. Meow do you have any problem with this choice?
See also: White Christmas
24
602340California – Pulp Fiction
John Travolta, Bruce WillisReleased: 1994
Directed by: Quentin Tarantino
What better film to represent Hollywood's home state than the movie of movies, Pulp Fiction? Tarantino's ode to stories is a masterpiece that struck the cultural chord like few before or after it. One of the most quotable and acclaimed films of all time, it's as Californian as plastic surgery, suntans, and real chill vibes.
See also: Die Hard, Boogie Nights, The Graduate, and plenty of others
25
493291Minnesota – Fargo
Steve Buscemi, William H. MacyReleased: 1996
Directed by: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Sure, Fargo itself is in North Dakota, but the film might as well belong to Minnesota, considering how the film turned a regional accent into a cinematic mainstay. Fargo plays up the tropes of the friendly northerners. But the Coen brothers' crime dramedy does a good job of putting you into the snow-covered boots of an average Minnesotan – as long as you put aside the whole murder thing.
See also: Juno, A Simple Plan