Top 5 Movies That Take Place In Ohio

It's my last week in Ohio before moving back to Philadelphia. So I thought I would commemorate the time with a post about the best 5 movies that take place in Ohio. 

Honorable Mention: The Last 5 Years

The movie is just as much about New York, but it felt a little too perfect to not include on the list. Cathy is worried about spending her summers in Ohio just east of Cincinnati, while Jamie stays in New York with a successful book career. The story works better for me on the stage, as the structure doesn't transition to film well, but the performances are fantastic and the story is poignant enough to still give you the feels. Plus, as a self-realized Cathy, I can proudly say, as I move on to the next part of my life, I'm just happy to be a part of that. 

​5) Little Giants

If I didn't put this on the list I'd be worried what all the Becky "The Icebox" supporters would have done to me. Based in the small town of Urbania, Ohio, the movie is a battle of two brothers played by Rick Moranis and Ed O'Neil. Little Giants has a lot of silly moments, not the least of which include John Madden's bus breaking down with Emmitt Smith and a slew of big time NFL players all on it for some reason. The annexation of Puerto Rico stands as an all-time great moment in sports movie history. And don’t forget about Junior. He's so dreamy. 

4) The Faculty

A criminally underrated movie, this film marks the debut of Jordana Brewster and Usher, along with a masterful performance by Jon Stewart. The theory behind this movie makes sense when Elijah Wood's character asks, "Would you blow up the White House 'Independence Day' style, or sneak in through the back door?" The movie makes a lot of timely references, which do date the story, but with an Invasion of the Body Snatchers feel, it's not without some still-scary moments, like when the kids doubt who they can trust. I don't know if younger people would like this movie but I am confident it prepared Frodo for the dangers he would face when traveling across Middle Earth.

3) A Nightmare on Elm Street 

The Faculty is good but Freddy Kruger is iconic. The series is based in the town of Springwood, Ohio and is about a dead man who kills teenagers in their dreams. If you saw this movie as a youngster I imagine it was difficult to go to bed after that. While it is similar to other low-budget horror movies in some respects, director Wes Craven adapted it to the times and made small changes that left a big impact, including not giving his killer a mask so he could talk with his victims. The franchise is credited with building New Line Cinema; it was the first movie the studio ever made and with a $1.8 million budget it made $25 million in the U.S. alone, and that's just the first movie. Freddy is one of the greatest movie villains of all time and one of Ohio's most notorious residents. 

2) Rain Man

This was the highest grossing movie of 1988 and also won several Oscars including Best Director, Best Actor for Dustin Hoffman, and Best Picture. When Charlie Babbitt finds out his father has died, he goes to Cincinnati to settle his father's estate. While in Cincy not only does he get the shits from eating Skyline Chili (probably) he also finds out that the bulk of his father's three million dollar estate went to his brother Raymond (Dustin Hoffman) who has savant syndrome. While Dustin Hoffman gets most of the praise for the movie, and no doubt he should, Tom Cruise may be even more important to the narrative. Raymond is the more memorable role, but if Cruise didn't draw you into feeling his frustration with his brother then all the emotion at the end of the movie would be lost. Rain Man is almost 30 years old, so if you haven't seen the movie it may seem like homework but it’s worth a viewing. 

1) Tommy Boy

That's right; a fat guy in a little coat beat out a movie that won the Oscar for Best Picture. But which movie had more of a cultural impact? Sure it's close, but this movie helped propel Chris Farley and David Spade past Saturday Night Live and would have made Farley a superstar had it not been for his untimely death two years later. While Tommy is traveling all across the Midwest to sell brake pads, his heart is in Sandusky, Ohio, where his family's factory is located. This movie is side-splitting funny and one I am comfortable saying everyone should see. Farley is one of the best slapstick performers maybe ever, and this movie stands the test of time.