Movies set in coastal New England.
September 12, 2010 8:14 PM   Subscribe

I'm looking for movies that take place in coastal New England towns.

I know that's a large geographical area, but I'm land-locked here in Minnesota and have only movie stereotypes to keep me going.

Genre doesn't matter, though I prefer movies from the past 20 years. "The Perfect Storm," is the only example I can muster, but I really enjoyed that movie specifically for the bit of the town it depicted. I'm also OK if it isn't a "true" depiction - a ramped-up Hollywood depiction is fine by me.

(If you know of a really terrific movie that takes place in a coastal town outside of New England, I'm open to that, too, but I'll take any and all suggestions for the New England portion of this question.)

Thanks!
posted by Laura Macbeth to Media & Arts (41 answers total) 7 users marked this as a favorite
 
Response by poster: Extra special bonus points if they're available on Netflix streaming!
posted by Laura Macbeth at 8:15 PM on September 12, 2010


Dolores Claiborne
posted by doh ray mii at 8:18 PM on September 12, 2010


This may be a good place to start: http://www.imdb.com/keyword/new-england/
posted by cmgonzalez at 8:20 PM on September 12, 2010


Best answer: Mystic Pizza (and, netflix has it)
posted by HuronBob at 8:20 PM on September 12, 2010


Pete's Dragon
posted by .kobayashi. at 8:21 PM on September 12, 2010


Jaws
posted by HuronBob at 8:21 PM on September 12, 2010 [1 favorite]


Mystic Pizza!
posted by SisterHavana at 8:21 PM on September 12, 2010


mystic river is set in boston...def coastal
posted by lakersfan1222 at 8:23 PM on September 12, 2010


Good Will Hunting

also Ghost Writer, but not on Netflix. Red Box, though.
posted by toodleydoodley at 8:24 PM on September 12, 2010


The Russians Are Coming the Russians Are Coming

The Witches of Eastwick

Technically any version of the Salem Witch trials.
posted by sammyo at 8:30 PM on September 12, 2010


The Little Girl Who Lived Down the Lane

(It takes place in NH but was actually shot in Ontario)
posted by cazoo at 8:31 PM on September 12, 2010 [1 favorite]


Best answer: To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday took place on Nantucket.
posted by cirripede at 8:32 PM on September 12, 2010 [1 favorite]


Carousel
posted by lovecrafty at 8:33 PM on September 12, 2010


Dan in Real Life, mostly set and filmed in RI.
posted by illenion at 8:39 PM on September 12, 2010 [1 favorite]


Next Stop Wonderland (set in Boston/Revere)
posted by sophie at 8:43 PM on September 12, 2010


Best answer: The Ghost Writer. I really liked this movie. Political thriller, and ... Martha's Vineyard? Nantucket? Can't remember which.
posted by Buffaload at 8:54 PM on September 12, 2010


Best answer: In the Bedroom is an excellent film set in a fishing town on the New England coast.
posted by Flashman at 8:57 PM on September 12, 2010 [1 favorite]


Buried on Sunday is set in the Canadian Maritimes with a spectacularly ridiculous plot - A fishing village responds to government cutbacks by declaring independence and uses the arsenal of a Soviet missile sub to back it up. Basically a Canadian "The Russians are coming" ripoff.
posted by Crashback at 9:00 PM on September 12, 2010


To continue with the Canadian Maritimes; Anne of Green Gables
posted by Crashback at 9:02 PM on September 12, 2010


Jaws
posted by Crashback at 9:03 PM on September 12, 2010


Sorry for not combining them in one post, but I think keep thinking of them right after I hit the post button.
Me, Myself, and Irene: takes place in various places around Rhode Island.
posted by Crashback at 9:11 PM on September 12, 2010


Moby Dick set in New Bedford, MA, although the movie was actually filmed in Ireland.
posted by octothorpe at 9:20 PM on September 12, 2010


Response by poster: Awesome suggestions so far. Thanks!
posted by Laura Macbeth at 9:59 PM on September 12, 2010


Peyton Place the novel was set in NH (only 17 miles of coastline) near the VT border but the movie was filmed in Camden, ME.

Muriel's Wedding was set in a fictional Australian beach town (Porpoise Spit!).
posted by brujita at 10:26 PM on September 12, 2010


The Proposal is set in Alaska but was actually filmed in Rockport, MA. Really threw me for a loop when I started recognizing some of the locations!
posted by platinum at 10:31 PM on September 12, 2010


Best answer: Here's a huge list. I found it by google searching "new england coastal movies."
posted by crunchland at 11:11 PM on September 12, 2010


The World According to Garp.
posted by goo at 1:22 AM on September 13, 2010


Message in a Bottle with Kevin Costner was set and filmed in Maine.
posted by Sukey Says at 4:50 AM on September 13, 2010


And then there's The Accused, which I remember as being very disturbing. It takes place in New Bedford, or New Beige as it's known locally.
posted by mareli at 5:30 AM on September 13, 2010


"Storm of the Century" was a written-for-tv project by Stephen King set on an island off the Maine coast, although I don't recommend it. I couldn't make it past the first 1/2 hour due to the awful, terrible, cringe-inducingly bad fake Maine accents.
posted by usonian at 6:11 AM on September 13, 2010


Summer Catch.
posted by Benny Andajetz at 6:28 AM on September 13, 2010


One Crazy Summer and To Gillian on her 37th Birthday were shot on Nantucket. The setting for the The Russians are Coming, The Russians are Coming was depicted as an island off Massachusetts but was actually filmed entirely in California. And 'Anne of Green Gables' was set on Prince Edward Island, Canada and not New England.
posted by birdwatcher at 7:10 AM on September 13, 2010 [1 favorite]


Really old one, A Stolen Life with Bette Davis. I accidentally surfed to it one day when it was showing on TCM, and although the story is sort of hokey, the settings are great--Nantucket.
posted by chocolatetiara at 7:27 AM on September 13, 2010


The Good Son
posted by dorisfromregopark at 7:36 AM on September 13, 2010


Best answer: The Ghost Writer.
posted by ericb at 8:49 AM on September 13, 2010


Norman Mailer's delirious film Tough Guys Don't Dance - adapted from his even more delirious novel of the same name - relies heavily on its Provincetown setting.
posted by Joe Beese at 8:50 AM on September 13, 2010


Shelter Island.
posted by ericb at 8:51 AM on September 13, 2010


Best answer: The Cider House Rules.
posted by ericb at 8:55 AM on September 13, 2010


Mermaids.
posted by ericb at 8:56 AM on September 13, 2010


Amistad.

State and Main.

The Scarlet Letter.
posted by ericb at 9:07 AM on September 13, 2010


The Iron Giant
posted by cross_impact at 1:51 PM on September 13, 2010


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