# Misrepresented cities in TV/movies **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 19, 2010, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misrepresented-cities-in-tv-movies/533047 "2010-03-19T18:58:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![ministryman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@ministryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ministryman)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2010, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misrepresented-cities-in-tv-movies/533047/61 "2010-03-23T15:15:58Z")
**Paul Blart, Mall Cop** - Trying to pass the mall in Billerica Mass off as Jersey. Yeaaaaaah right. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2010, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misrepresented-cities-in-tv-movies/533047/62 "2010-03-23T15:38:55Z")
There’s also _Transformers 2_ which had the following: 1. Cairo disappearing from the fight that took place at the Pyramids. To give an example of what the surrounding area looks like, check this [large jpg](http://www.satimagingcorp.com/galleryimages/quickbird-pyramids-egypt.jpg). 17 million people… gone. ☹ 2. Washington DC. Hero and Heroine enter the Smithsonians Air and Space Museum to meet with a hidden transformer. They leave, exiting the museum to face the plains, wheatfields, and distant mountains of downtown DC. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2010, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misrepresented-cities-in-tv-movies/533047/63 "2010-03-23T15:40:54Z")
Why do they **do** that? I man, if the film is set in Settingburg, why not film it in Settingburg? ---
**Author:** ![ministryman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@ministryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ministryman)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2010, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misrepresented-cities-in-tv-movies/533047/64 "2010-03-23T15:42:50Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Why do they **do** that? I man, if the film is set in Settingburg, why not film it in Settingburg? Money. The cost of permits, travel, hotel accomodations, etc. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2010, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misrepresented-cities-in-tv-movies/533047/65 "2010-03-23T15:45:51Z")
> [@Serenata67](#): > > I don’t know if they ever explicitly said he was living in Detroit proper. I know he was proud of Detroit, etc., but he could very well have lived in the 'burbs. People who live in the burbs of Green Bay here are proud of the Green Bay Packers (and the city as whole), but they still live in the burbs. I’m pretty sure it had to be the suburbs. I recall that in an early episode, Tim thought he had mice in his house. Wilson tells him it sounds more like he has a snake in the house. Tim looks surprised, and says, “I thought snakes lived in the woods?” Wilson answers, “This whole area used to BE woods, not so long ago.” Sounds like TIm is living in a (relatively) new neighborhood, a suburb that was only developed in the past few decades. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2010, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misrepresented-cities-in-tv-movies/533047/66 "2010-03-23T15:50:55Z")
Boston, even in scenes filmed there, in _Spenser for Hire_. Urich could just drive right up to any building, with no traffic around, and find an on-street parking spot _right in front!_ I mean, come on now … ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2010, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misrepresented-cities-in-tv-movies/533047/67 "2010-03-23T15:51:20Z")
I’ve never been to Lubbock, Texas, but people who DID live in Lubbock were either outraged or amused by much of what they saw in Gary Busey’s movie “The Buddy Holly Story.” First, Lubbock in located in the plains, which means it’s the highest ground for miles around. There CAN’T be mounains in the background… but there were in the movie. The other big screwup wasn’t geographical, but it annoyed the locals. Early in the movie, there’s a scene in which Buddy’s Dad is driving a truck saying “Holly.” In reality, the family spelled its name “Holley.” Buddy dropped the “E” when he went into show biz. ---
**Author:** ![Sehmket](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Sehmket](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sehmket)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2010, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misrepresented-cities-in-tv-movies/533047/68 "2010-03-23T16:09:35Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > Haz **z** ard County was given as in GA, but the town of [Hazard KY](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hazard,_Kentucky) is the nominal inspiration and setting. Very proud of the “Dukes” connection to this day. Hard to find a more backwards and remote area in the eastern US. I have a semi-relative who has family from there and actually owns a piece of a mountain near it. The tales about that place… On the same token, I live in Lexington, and have several friends from Hazard. While it IS about the most backwards place in the state, and your best bet for finding “good ole country boys,” it’s not like there’s nothing there. There’s a Wal-Mart, another grocery store, and several more independant stores for clothes, fabric, ammo, etc. It’s also within an hour of some other cities with more shopping, and about a two and a half hour drive from Lexington. Yes, Kentucky has plenty of rural area, and it’s fair share of poverty, but pretty much everywhere has reasonable access to water, electric, and shopping. On the same token, a friend of mine watched the new show Justified (I haven’t seen it yet), and apparently they show Lexington as a cute little town with a dozen five-story buildings. Now, Lexington isn’t as big as Louisville or Cincinnati, but it’s not small-town USA, either. It’s got a downtown with over-fifty story buildings. Not a lot of them, mind you, but a couple. There’s also a million-some people in the county, so it frustrates me to see Kentcuky, and Lexington in particular, portrayed as some rinky-dink place. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2010, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misrepresented-cities-in-tv-movies/533047/69 "2010-03-23T16:37:53Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Did the characters ever say that they lived in Detroit? I always assumed that it was a suburb or possibly a suburban-like part of the city (sort of like how Staten Island is to Manhattan). Tim’s neighborhood is clearly a suburb of Detroit. Detroit proper is very poor, and most neighborhoods are quite obviously blighted. Nicely-maintained neighborhoods like Tim’s are found in the 'burbs. They referred to I-96 a couple of times. That would suggest the western suburbs. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2010, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misrepresented-cities-in-tv-movies/533047/70 "2010-03-23T17:59:27Z")
The worst example I saw recently actually worked the opposite way from most: An American city was used to play a Canadian one: In _[Away We Go](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1176740/)_ there is a segment set in Montreal. But when I saw the movie I said to myself, “This doesn’t look like Montreal!” I was right – it was filmed in Connecticut. ---
**Author:** ![panamajack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/47e85d/32.png) [@panamajack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panamajack)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misrepresented-cities-in-tv-movies/533047/71 "2010-03-24T16:42:24Z")
The recent _Youth In Revolt_ was the first movie I’ve seen to reverse the longstanding trend - in this case, Michigan stood in for California. Especially bad was ‘Clear Lake’, which was shown in the movie to be surrounded by green forest in the summer, and far smaller than its actual size. A further insult to geography was the idea that [Ukiah](http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&source=hp&q=ukiah,+ca&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Ukiah,+Mendocino,+California&gl=us&ei=oD-qS_emJdK3rAfV1-T8AQ&ved=0CA4Q8gEwAA&ll=39.097029,-122.975464&spn=0.507312,0.917358&t=p&z=10) was apparently within walking distance. The large brick building that was the prep school is not of the sort likely to be found in or near Santa Cruz, either. While the shots of ‘Berkeley’ almost looked right (at least there was a hill), you had the same problem that’s commonly seen with extras (mostly White people, some Blacks, few if any of another race). > [@TV\_time](#): > > One I saw just yesterday was NCIS. Tony and Zevia were investigating a storage space in Washington and the Sierra Nevadas were rather prominant in the background. That seems unlikely; the Sierra Nevada are about 50 miles or so from LA, with other ranges blocking the view. The mountains often seen in the background from Burbank or nearby cities are the San Gabriel Mountains. ---
**Author:** ![Greg\_Charles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Greg\_Charles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greg_Charles)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misrepresented-cities-in-tv-movies/533047/72 "2010-03-24T21:44:11Z")
Catalina Caper, one of the MST3Ked movies, shows beaches backed by cliffs, so I assume it was mostly shot in Malibu. I suppose that was easier than schlepping cast and crew out to the island every day. It’s one of the few riffable points that ever escaped the notice of Joel and the Bots. The Saigon scenes of “Tomorrow Never Dies” were shot in Taiwan. You can see Chinese characters on signs. (Vietnamese uses a modified Latin alphabet.) Going the other way, Veronica Mars was really shot in and around San Diego, which made the show that much cooler to me. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misrepresented-cities-in-tv-movies/533047/73 "2010-03-24T22:20:48Z")
The miniseries _George Wallace_ starring Gary Sinise as the multi-term governor of Alabama was filmed in Charlotte, NC and so it’s the reverse of many films made about southern cities in that it shows it as too metropolitan. At the time of the events in the miniseries Montgomery’s tallest building was about 10 stories and its downtown area was absolutely dead after sunset, not the bustling big city with 30 story buildings and lots of traffic from the movie. Two landmarks used- the Dexter Ave. Baptist Church (bka MLK’s church) and the Governor’s Mansion were also completely wrong: the church is in reality a smallish red brick building and not the huge tabernacle like place in the miniseries while the governor’s residence is a late Victorian mansion behind gates and walls in a bad neighborhood and nothing like the rambling Greek revival place on a hillside in the movie.) A friend of mine who lived in India for several years said _Slumdog Millionaire_ was misrepresentative because the shots of Mumbai were… too clean.:eek: I didn’t realize Lima, Ohio (the setting of _Glee_) was a real place until recently. I’m guessing it’s a bit Californiaized- anyone know? Bueller, Bueller? ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misrepresented-cities-in-tv-movies/533047/74 "2010-03-24T22:34:08Z")
> [@AWB](#): > > I always thought that shot of the amusement park looked fakey. If you watch as the camera zooms out, the lake shifts a little, independent of the roller coaster. And now that I just rewatched it on youtube they also put the rollercoaster all by itself…on the beach…about 6 feet from the waterline. Also, at the Six Flags Illinois (where that would have been) that coaster (The American Eagle) is at the entrance, you drive under it to get on to the grounds. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misrepresented-cities-in-tv-movies/533047/75 "2010-03-24T22:40:27Z")
One of the great things about _The Blues Brothers_ was its magnificent showcasing of Chicago. The city was practically a major character in the film. The far inferior sequel _Blues Brothers 2000_ used Toronto as faux-Chicago. I suppose it wasn’t horribly misrepresentative - no shots of the CN Tower or a Cubs game at the SkyDome or anything like that - but it was all just terribly generic-looking. Just one of the many reasons that film was such a disappointment. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misrepresented-cities-in-tv-movies/533047/76 "2010-03-24T23:09:24Z")
In Blues Brothers they left the hotel at night around 9-10 PM, drove for ~15 minutes and somehow it was broad daylight in Chicago. I didn’t notice that until I watched the movie a bunch of times. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misrepresented-cities-in-tv-movies/533047/77 "2010-03-24T23:14:57Z")
> [@dragoncat](#): > > The fountain scene in of The Graduate was supposed to be filmed at Sproul Plaza in Berkeley, but was actually filmed in Los Angeles. At USC, to be specific. In _Silver Streak_, the train is supposed to be pulling into St. Louis, but you can see the Calgary Tower in the background. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2010, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misrepresented-cities-in-tv-movies/533047/78 "2010-03-25T01:40:41Z")
Sampiro writes: \> I didn’t realize Lima, Ohio (the setting of Glee) was a real place until recently. \> I’m guessing it’s a bit Californiaized- anyone know? Bueller, Bueller? I grew up twenty-five miles from Lima. I E-mailed my brothers and sisters recently to ask them if they thought that there is anything realistic about the show. They said that they found it to be completely unrelated to the real city. At least once on the program somebody in the school mispronounces the name. It’s pronounced like the bean, not like the city in Peru. The only thing that has some slight reality in it is that show choirs are indeed big in the area. ---
**Author:** ![panamajack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/47e85d/32.png) [@panamajack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panamajack)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2010, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misrepresented-cities-in-tv-movies/533047/79 "2010-03-25T05:12:05Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > The miniseries _George Wallace_ starring Gary Sinise as the multi-term governor of Alabama was filmed in Charlotte, NC and so it’s the reverse of many films made about southern cities in that it shows it as too metropolitan. Several scenes from that were shot in Sacramento, CA. I was almost an extra in that movie (they needed white males for a marching band), but I couldn’t make it as I had class. I’m pretty sure I recognized at least one street shot at night, I think when he’s sitting in a car. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2010, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misrepresented-cities-in-tv-movies/533047/80 "2010-03-25T07:37:42Z")
In The Alphabet Killer, a pretty forgettable serial killer movie starring Eliza Dushku, the city of Webster, NY is shown as a very built up area and the “police headquarters” is specifically shown as a high rise with a huge basement parking garage. The actual city of Webster is really residential and the police headquarters is located in the town hall, which looks more like an office park than a high rise. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misrepresented-cities-in-tv-movies/533047.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misrepresented-cities-in-tv-movies/533047.md?page=5)