1. Tammy (2014): Last summer’s comedy stars Melissa McCarthy, Susan Sarandon, Kathy Bates, Allison Janney and Ben Falcone. The movie was briefly filmed and set in Louisville, KY and features shots of the Gene Snyder Freeway as well as the downtown Louisville skyline.
2. The Ides of March (2011): Staring Ryan Gosling, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Marisa Tomei and Kentucky native George Clooney, the suspenseful drama covers an Ohio presidential primary. The motion picture was influenced by Nick Clooney’s (George Clooney’s father’s) 2004 campaign for Kentucky’s 4th District Congressional seat. Parts were filmed in Northern Kentucky (specifically Covington and Newport, KY) where the John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge and Riverside Drive River walk can be seen.
3. Secretariat (2010): The inspirational sports drama is based on the colt that made history as the Triple Crown winner in 1973, and the woman, Penny Chenery (played by Diane Lane), who bred and raced him. The movie was filmed and set in Louisville and Lexington and features extras from the surrounding area. The Derby scenes were shot at Churchill Downs while the Belmont was filmed at Keeneland Racetrack.
4. Elizabethtown (2005): This quirky romance takes place in (you guessed it!) Elizabethtown, Kentucky. Parts were also filmed in Louisville, Winchester, Versailles, and Oldham County (specifically Crestwood, and LaGrange). Kentucky’s own Ale-8 One is featured as well as native Louisvillian rock band, My Morning Jacket (under a previous band name, Ruckus). The Brown Hotel, Cave Hill Cemetery and Cherokee Park tunnel are also recognizable. The movie stars Orlando Bloom, Kristen Dunst, Susan Sarandon, Alec Baldwin, Jessica Biel, and Paula Deen.
5. Dreamer (2005): Based on the rehabilitation of Mariah’s Storm (a Thoroughbred racehorse from Lexington, KY), this feel-good movie stars Dakota Fanning and Kurt Russell. It was both filmed and set in Lexington with portions also shot in Frankfort, Kentucky. Ashford Stud (a Thoroughbred farm), Keeneland Racetrack and Marshall's Backstretch Diner are among some landmarks featured.
6. Seabiscuit (2003): The last equestrian-related film on our list is based on the unlikely racing career of Seabiscuit (a Kentucky Thoroughbred who became popular during the Great Depression). The movie stars Tobey Maguire, Jeff Bridges, Chris Cooper, Elizabeth Banks, and William H. Macy. Parts were filmed in Lexington at Keeneland Racetrack, as well as Paris, Kentucky.
7. The Insider (1999): Set and filmed in Louisville, the thriller stars Russell Crowe and Al Pacino. With a watchful eye, one can spot the Seelbach Hotel as well as the Colgate Clock located in Clarksville, Indiana.
8. A League of Their Own (1992): The Baseball flick starring Tom Hanks, Geena Davis, Madonna, and Rosie O’Donnell features the historic Soaper-Esser House in Henderson, Kentucky. The residence was the filming location for the boarding house where the Rockford Peaches girls lived during the season. The movie also highlights our neighbors across the river with filming locations in Huntingburg and Evansville, Indiana.
9. Rain Man (1988): Starring Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise, this heartfelt drama filmed at a variety of Kentucky locations. Scenes were shot in Covington, Kentucky at the Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International Airport, as well as Newport, Kentucky where Evergreen Cemetery and Pompilio’s Bar and Restaurant can be seen. Silver Grove, Kentucky and St. Anne’s Convent in Melbourne, Kentucky were also locations used in filming.
10. Stripes (1981): The military comedy starring Bill Murray and John Candy filmed its army base scenes in Fort Knox. The movie also filmed in Elizabethtown, Kentucky as well as at The James B. Beam Distilling Co. in Clermont, Kentucky. In the film, Murray can even be seen traveling north on Louisville’s Second Street Bridge towards Indiana.
11. Goldfinger (1964): That’s right, James Bond has visited the Bluegrass state. Fighting to protect the gold supply stored at Fort Knox, Sean Connery stars in the third film of the Bond series. The movie shot exterior scenes in Fort Knox, Lexington and Louisville Kentucky.
12. How the West Was Won (1962): A western classic, featuring The Duke (aka John Wayne), Henry Fonda and Jimmy Stewart. Portions of the movie were filmed in Paducah and Smithland, Kentucky, along the Ohio and Cumberland River.
Do you know of any other movies that were filmed in the Bluegrass? Leave them in the comments!
All photos are courtesy of the Internet Movie Database and are credited in the headings.
