Now that we have toured the cinematic representations of European cities, let’s provide some context for how we ourselves look on film to outsiders. I have listed below nine films set in Florida that I can personally endorse. I have again limited my list to films made no more than a few years before today’s college students were born. These cover a variety of genres and eras, with themes related to family life, wholesome tourist attractions, unwholesome strip clubs, racial tensions, economic inequality, hedonistic partying, small town charms, and multi-cultural cities. Yep, that’s Florida.
The films are listed below in chronological order. I included year of release, genre, and overall IMDB rating. I also added a sentence or two of background and context.
Parenthood 1989 comedy IMDB: 7.0/10
A family comedy about, well, parenthood filmed mostly in Orlando. But the real reason to include this middling 1980s Steve Martin vehicle on my list is the scenes filmed at the University of Florida. An un-athletic kid is relegated to right field on the Little League team, but then a fly ball is sent directly his way, and his onlooking dad goes through a range of emotions about the possible outcomes. This sequence was filmed at UF in Turlington Plaza and next to Century Tower with UF students as extras. Dianne Wiest was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. The film was also the basis for an NBC television series that ran from 2010-2015.
Doc Hollywood 1991 comedy 6.2
Another middling comedy, and again I included it because this one was filmed entirely in Micanopy near Gainesville. A big-city doctor gets temporarily stranded in a small town and unexpectedly begins to fall for the place. During the filming, stars Michael J. Fox and Woody Harrelson were periodically seen around Gainesville at local eateries.
Rosewood 1997 historical drama 7.2
Based on one of the most horrible and shameful events of Florida history, when as many as 250 African-Americans were killed in a 1923 race riot by Whites against Blacks. The eponymous Florida town was burned to the ground and the story was covered up and kept secret until investigative journalists publicized it in 1982. Directed by John Singleton, the first African-American to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director.
Dolphin Tale 2011 family drama 6.9
Set at an aquarium in Clearwater, this family film was based on the true story of Winter, a bottlenose dolphin whose tail was damaged and had to be amputated. Rescuers developed a silicone prosthetic tail for her and she became a huge inspiration for visitors to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. The film was successful enough to spawn a sequel in 2014.
Spring Breakers 2012 crime 5.3
Four college girls on spring break get in trouble and a local drug dealer helps them in their hour of need. Why include an apparently objectifying and exploitive film like this on the list? The indie filmmakers intended this as an art film about modern superficiality, and James Franco’s performance was highly lauded. In 2016, BBC Magazine ranked Spring Breakers in the top 100 films of the 21st century (so far). But it’s still a crime drama with lots of bikinis, beer, bongs and bullets. Filmed in St. Petersburg and Sarasota.
Magic Mike 2012 dramedy 6.1
Channing Tatum’s experiences as a teenaged stripper in Tampa inspired this one. Also starring Matthew McConaughey. It could seem like this offers equal opportunity objectification, this time of young men, but artful direction by noted filmmaker Steven Soderbergh together with strong acting deliver more than just sexy dudes. It says something that Florida is the setting for more than one high-profile film about strippers (Demi Moore’s much-mocked Striptease was filmed in Miami).
Chef 2014 dramedy 7.3
Starring, written, and directed by Jon Favreau of Avengers-fame, this heart-warming indie film is about a star chef who falls from grace and needs to rediscover his love of food. It’s only partially set in Miami, but Miami serves as the inspirational heart and soul of the narrative. Favreau was able to recruit his Marvel teammates Scarlett Johansson and Robert Downey Jr to co-star.
Moonlight 2016 drama 7.4
Winner of the Best Picture Academy Award and widely praised as one of the best films of the 21st century. The first LGBTQ-related film and the first film with an all-black cast to win Best Picture. A coming-of-age drama that examines the traumas of growing up as a gay black man.
The Florida Project 2017 drama 7.6
Set in the threadbare strip of motels in Kissimmee outside Disney World, a single mom struggles to make ends meet. The kids run around and cause chaos, but earnest and hardworking Willem Dafoe tries to keep the peace. Most of the cast were first-time actors, but Dafoe was nominated for Best Supporting Actor Academy Award. The film was included on many end-of-year top 10 lists. The Florida Project refers to the working name of the theme park as it was being developed.
Glaring omission: Bad Boys