It looks like there is to be a recreation of the Ghostbusters movie. The movie will star Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wig and others. Parts of it are to be filmed right here in Boston. It’s always interesting to walk by the movie trailers and the temporary sets on our way to work. This made us start thinking about some of the more popular movies that have been filmed right here in our own city or which highlight Boston.
We came up with a list of a few movies that have been shot right here in Boston. Some give you more authentic feeling for the city than others, but none-the-less, it’s always fun to watch and try to catch some of the familiar neighborhoods and sights. Sometimes you will get real glimpses of the Boston streets, neighborhoods, river, the buildings.
Gone, Baby, Gone –This 2007 movie stars Casey Affleck, Michelle Monaghan, Morgan Freeman and Ed Harris. The movie is based on the novel of the same name by Dennis Lehane, a well-known Boston author. Much of the movie was filmed in Boston as well as in nearby towns and neighborhoods such as Lynn, Cambridge, Chelsea, and Medford. It’s fairly easy to recognize many local scenes such as the Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Meadow Glen Mall in Medford, Murphy’s Law bar in Southie, and others.
Mystic River – This is another movie based upon a book by Boston native, Dennis Lehane. Released in 2003, this movie stars Sean Penn (Academy Award for Best Actor for this performance), Tim Robbins (Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for this performance), Kevin Bacon and Marcia Gay Harden. It was directed, co-produced and scored by Clint Eastwood. This movie was filmed almost exclusively in and around Boston. It makes the details so much more authentic. You might recognize some of the grittier parts of South Boston, Downtown, the Tobin Bridge and Mystic River, and even the Columbus Day Parade. Parts of the set, such as the Black Emerald Bar, were built in nearby Canton.
Good Will Hunting – This is always a local Boston favorite! This 1997 drama stars Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Robin Williams and Minnie Driver. It’s awesome that since Damon and Affleck are Boston locals, their accents are real. (It’s so aggravating when actors try to fake a Boston accent!) Some of the local Boston and area shots you might recognize in this film are the Public Gardens, Grafton Street Pub in Harvard Square, Dunster House at Harvard College, and the McLauren Building at MIT. In South Boston, you will absolutely recognize Woodie’s L Street Tavern, among other places. You might also recognize a few of the shots from Bunker Hill Community College in Charlestown. (Downside fact: due to production cost variations, many scenes in this movie were actually filmed in Toronto)
Paper Chase – A classic movie starring Timothy Bottoms, Lindsay Wagner and John Houseman. This movie had its release in 1973 and it earned its reputation “the old fashioned way” with solid acting and directing. You will see some scenes which were filmed at Harvard Law School in Cambridge, however, most of the other parts of the movie were also filmed in Toronto to save on production costs.
Other Boston movies to mention: