How often do you notice a movie's setting, especially if it's not some well-known city? Well, as it turns out, there's a famous movie to match every state in the US!
For those who don't have time to hit up every single state in the country on a road trip, what better way to experience all 50 states that through iconic cinema? Every state has that one movie that's impossible not to know about! Maybe you'll already be able to guess some...and maybe you'll be surprised by others! Most states have multiple iconic films, after all, but one has to come out on top.
So here's a rundown of the most famous movie set in each of the 5o states!
Alabama - "Forrest Gump"
Who didn't see this one coming? Forrest Gump is arguably one of the most beloved and iconic films of all time, and we all know that Forrest hails from the southern state of Alabama. He's pretty much Alabama's pride and joy, even though he's really Tom Hanks with a buzz cut!Alaska - "The Grey"
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No, visitors to Alaska are not as likely to get mauled by wolves as The Grey would have you believe, but the 2011 Liam Neeson movie still offers a good look at the beauty (and deadliness) of the Alaskan wilderness.Arizona - "Raising Arizona"
Arizona's most famous film has the state right in its title. The Coen brothers created this memorable crime satire set in the Arizona desert, wherein Nicholas Cage and Holly Hunter play a dysfunctional couple who steal a baby to raise for their own!Arkansas - "Sling Blade"
In Sling Blade, rural Arkansas provides the backdrop for this story of a man released from a mental hospital after killing his parents as a kid. Also, who doesn't remember Billy Bob Thornton saying, "Gimme some of them French fried potaters"?California - "Pulp Fiction"
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It's really hard for any single movie to "capture" California, and there are so many. But Pulp Fiction has to take home the prize, because Tarantino's wild ride of a film isn't just an iconic Californian staple; it's a masterpiece that changed cinema, changed American culture, and remains one of the most quotable movies ever. Plus, Samuel L. Jackson's monologuing is just priceless.Colorado - "The Shining"
"Heeeere's Johnny!" Everyone knows The Shining as the movie that made ax murderers and creepy twins a permanent horror staple...and it all took place in the secluded Overlook Hotel deep in the Colorado mountains.Connecticut - "The Stepford Wives"
This movie, set in the '70s Stepford, Connecticut, explored the idea that suburban life might not be all it's cracked up to be!Delaware - "Fight Club"
What's the first rule of Fight Club? You do not talk about Fight Club. Except for this time, we will talk about Fight Club, because this famous film was set in the state of Delaware. It's not obvious in the movie, but if you pay attention to certain addresses, you'll see it.Flordia - "Scarface"
To think, Miami officials actually thought that the film Scarface would ruin Miami tourism! Never mind that the movie was actually shot in Los Angeles; Scarface instead became as iconic as its main character Tony Montana. ...And look, it's not an entirely inaccurate depiction of the Sunshine State!Georgia - "Gone with the Wind"
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Gone with the Wind, despite being made all the way back in 1939, still holds a place as one of the most epic romance films of all time as it takes viewers from Antebellum to Reconstruction Era Georgia throughout the Civil War.Hawaii - "Lilo and Stitch"
Look, animated features can be just as iconic as the old, serious Hollywood films! And there's just too much joy to be found in Disney's Lilo and Stitch for it to be excluded from this list.Idaho - "Napoleon Dynamite"
This cult classic set in Preston, Idaho, actually generated $1 million for the city! Now that's how you make a tourism-friendly movie. Turns out, the magic formula is to tell a story about a bespectacled kid trying to get his friend Pedro elected as class president!Illinois - "Ferris Bueller's Day Off"
"Bueller...Bueller?" Director John Hughes basically made his career with movies set in Illinois, but Ferris Bueller's Day Off is his love letter to the city of Chicago. There's really no other movie that so wholly encompasses the spirit of Chicago--and Illinois--like this one!Indiana - "A Christmas Story"
Turns out, one Indiana kid's dream of getting a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas makes for the ultimate holiday film. Plus, it taught kids everywhere that playing underneath icicles and licking metal poles in the dead of winter is a very bad idea.Iowa - "Field of Dreams"
In this fantasy-sports drama, Kevin Costner builds a baseball field and simultaneously answers the question, "Is this heaven?" / "No, it's Iowa." Honestly, if there's anything that's quintessentially Iowa, it's a good ol' cornfield.Kansas - "The Wizard of Oz"
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Here's another that we all probably saw coming, but come on. There's no place like home, and in this movie, "home" is Kansas--no matter how far that yellow brick road leads!Kentucky - "Coal Miner's Daughter"
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Coal Miner's Daughter is based on the true story of singer Loretta Lynn; technically, it's about making it out of Kentucky and into the big leagues, but there's still plenty of backwoods Kentucky in the film.Louisiana - "12 Years a Slave"
This now-iconic movie (which won the Oscar in its year) is harsh and truthful, but meaningful beyond the borders of Louisiana, where it is set.Maine - "The Shawshank Redemption"
The Shawshank Redemption doesn't show off too much of Maine beyond the walls of the penitentiary where Andy Dufresne is wrongfully imprisoned, but it doesn't need to; that one moment where Andy embraces his freedom on a rainy night is more than enough.Maryland - "The Blair Witch Project"
While The Blair Witch Project may not entice any but the most masochistic of paranormal enthusiasts to visit Maryland, it's definitely a point of pride! Made on a minuscule budget and grossing in a lot of money, The Blair Witch Project quickly became one of the most iconic horror films ever.Massachusetts - "Jaws"
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While viewing Jaws might induce a certain fear of sharks, don't worry too much--just stay in the Boston area and you'll be fine! This marine masterpiece is now one of the most famous films of all time, and it took place on the shores of Massachusetts.Michigan - "Robocop"
The city of Detroit is notorious for both its crime rates and for being "Motor City," and Robocop leans into both. The violent R-rated classic is set in Michigan, and is a wild ride from start to finish!Minnesota - "Fargo"
Fargo could've fallen under a couple of states, given that the name actually refers to Fargo, North Dakota, but this iconic movie is largely set in Minnesota--as the characters' strong accents will quickly prove!Mississippi - "In the Heart of the Night"
This old movie was made right in the midst of the US civil rights movement and won the 1967 Academy Award for best film with its portrayal of a tension-filled Mississippi.Missouri - "Gone Girl"
Carthage, Missouri is the setting for this mystery-thriller about a marriage on the brink of collapse, making it Missouri's most famous movie.Montana - "Legends of the Fall"
Legends of the Fall is one of those classic Westerns, this one starring Brad Pitt, Anthony Hopkins, and Aidan Quinn. And though the movie itself is pretty tragic, at least we get to look at a gorgeous landscape while we tear up!Nebraska - "Nebraska"
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Yep, we went with the obvious: a movie titled after the state it's set in. Director Alexander Payne is from Nebraska, and consequentially sets most of his movies there.