10 Places You Recognize From Maine That Showed Up In Famous Movies
By Michelle|Updated on December 17, 2022(Originally published December 11, 2022)
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Michelle
Author
Michelle's life is a colorful map of exploration and adventure. From the iconic streets of New York to the sunny shores of Florida, the jagged coast of Maine to the rugged terrain of Montana, she's been fortunate to call some of America's most beautiful states home. Beyond the U.S., Michelle's wanderlust has taken her on a motorcycle journey through India, led her to teach English in Hanoi, and saw her studying Spanish in Guatemala. Michelle graduated with a communications degree from the S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University and in addition to a career in advertising has worked with OnlyInYourState since 2016, where her love for travel and storytelling converges. Alongside writing and exploring, Michelle finds joy in photography, staying active, and time with her family.
For questions, comments and inquiries please email: mstarin@onlyinyourstate.com.
We take great pride in knowing that Maine is still one of America’s best kept secrets. While many Mainers like keeping it that way forever, these Maine filming locations are too beautiful to be ignored. Undoubtedly, no matter how much we want to keep the flatlanders at bay by maintaining a low profile, we can’t help but be excited when we see something recognizable in a movie. These 10 places in Maine are certainly some of the most recognizable since they’ve been in movies you probably love.
1. Marshall Point Light, Port Clyde (Forrest Gump)
Marshall Point Lighthouse, Marshall Point Rd, Port Clyde, ME 04855, USA
While this beautiful spot is special without anything Hollywood, you might recognize the famous light from the Blockbuster film, "Forrest Gump." Forrest pounds the pavement to Marshal Point Light in Port Clyde on his epic run across the country. The film grossed about $557 million, which is incredible compared to the $55 million it took to make it.
2. Mount Hope Cemetery, Bangor (Pet Sematary)
Mount Hope Cemetery Corp. & Crematory, 1048 State St, Bangor, ME 04401, USA
This Stephen King masterpiece might be the most well-known movie filmed in Maine. With on-set locations throughout the state, watching it is like watching a tourism video. That is, if Maine tourism videos included the scariest scenes of all time. Some of the most well-known scenes were filmed in this cemetery that you can visit. Pet Sematary grossed about $57 million and cost roughly $11 million to make.
Although this film, starring Harvey Keitel and Cameron Diaz, is an oldie, it's certainly a goodie. And, most importantly, it’s filmed almost entirely in Phippsburg. The movie is based on a Norwegian film in which the main female character is topless for at least half of her time on-screen. Of course, that wasn’t exactly the case here in the USA.
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4. Bass Harbor, Mount Desert Island (The Cider House Rules)
While the fictional town of St. Cloud in Maine is not actually IN Maine, parts of the movie were indeed filmed here on the coast. Of course, we can't be sure if Charlize Theron had a lobster roll while here, but we like to believe it's true. Despite the fact that the entire movie was not filmed here, I’m sure at least a few of you tuck your kids in by saying, "Goodnight, you princes of Maine, you kings of New England."
This Martin Scorsese film starred Leonardo DiCaprio as a very believable federal marshal. You'll need to see the movie for all the twists and turns, but the scene where he climbs across rocks over the ocean was filmed at Acadia National Park. Turns out one of the most famous places in Maine is a pretty great backdrop.
As a film adaptation of the stage production, this film didn’t do as well as its soundtrack did at the time of release. Another fun fact? Shirley Jones was only 4 years older than the actress who played her 15-year-old daughter!
Rockport seems to be a favorite Maine town among Hollywood directors! Not only was Casper filmed here, but so was Mel Gibson's "The Man Without a Face." While Casper, starring Bill Pullman and Christina Ricci, is set in Friendship, it was actually filmed in nearby Rockport due to its "more authentic" feel according to the crew.
Old Orchard Beach is a quintessential stop on any trip to Maine. Additionally, it's a film that gets Maine exactly right. The movie is both set and entirely filmed in Maine. And, even the title is a reference to the lobster industry. Scenes from "In the Bedroom" were also filmed in Belfast, Owls Head, Camden, Rockland, Rockport, Trevett and Wiscasset.
Directed by Penny Marshall and starring Denzel Washington and Whitney Houston, parts of this movie were filmed in Portland. Although it wasn’t met with great reviews, it’s worth a watch to remember the talent that is Houston. This film grossed about $48 million, only $8 million more than the cost to make it.
10. North Berwich Company Mill, North Berwick (Jumanji)
One of the best characters played by the late, great Robin Williams, Alan Parrish is released from the board game when two children begin playing with it. The exterior of the Parrish shoe factory was filmed at the Hurd Mill in North Berwick, Maine. The building was once a prosperous mill that made wool products, but had been empty for many years.
Were you around for the filming of any of these? Did you meet any celebrities? If so, we’d love to hear about it in the comments. And, let us know what movie you think should be filmed here!
This state might be more famous than you think. In addition to these Maine movie locations, there are quite a few famous people who lived in Maine.
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