BLOCKBUSTER BACKDROPS

North Carolina sets the scene for Hollywood family fun

BY MELISSA WISTEHUFF

The Tar Heel State has lured many Hollywood location scouts in search of the perfect setting for bringing their director’s vision to life. These North Carolina towns offer a glimpse of movie magic and opportunities for family fun. Go for the nostalgia, but stick around to discover what made them worthy of a highlight reel.

MOUNTAIN MAGIC

“Dirty Dancing” (PG-13)

Lake Lure

The fictional Kellerman’s resort is the real-life Lake Lure, where fans of this film can reenact favorite scenes from the 1987 classic.

“Forrest Gump” (PG-13)

Linville

Tom Hanks shot part of his famous running scene on what is now called Forrest Gump Curve on Grandfather Mountain. (See opposite page photo.)

“The Fugitive” (PG-13)

Robbinsville

Harrison Ford leapt off the Cheoah Dam in an action scene for this flick, and the site of the train wreck during his character’s prison transport is located about an hour east of the dam.

“The Hunger Games” (PG-13)

Asheville, Black Mountain and Shelby

The first movie in the bestselling book trilogy was shot entirely in western North Carolina. The Henry River Mill Village near Asheville—abandoned since the 1970s—came back to life as Katniss’ home of District 12, and DuPont State Recreational Forest was used for much of the games’ forested setting.

Piedmont Pictures

“Leatherheads” (PG-13)

Statesville and Spencer

The Historic Salisbury Foundation’s Depot and North Carolina Transportation Museum in Spencer both serve as backdrops for this George Clooney gem.

“The Color Purple” (PG-13)

Lilesville, Marshville and Wadesboro

This award-winning movie was primarily shot in Anson and Union counties.

Director Steven Spielberg approached a Lilesville homeowner in hopes of using his property for filming, perhaps due to its field of purple flowers growing in the front yard.

“Days of Thunder” (PG-13)

Concord

Charlotte Motor Speedway is the setting for much of this blockbuster hit, and City Chevrolet—the sponsor for Tom Cruise’s character—is a real-life dealership owned by Rick Hendrick of Hendrick Motorsports. Hendrick also supplied race cars for the movie.

“Patch Adams” (PG-13)

Chapel Hill and Asheville

In the summer of 1988, UNC–Chapel Hill’s campus was transformed into Virginia Medical University for Patch Adams, starring Robin Williams.

“Shallow Hal” (PG-13)

Charlotte

This comedy starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Jack Black was shot in and around the Charlotte area, with notable scenes filmed in Freedom Park.

“Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby” (PG-13)

Concord

Many of the scenes from this Will Farrell comedy were shot at Charlotte Motor Speedway, and Ricky Bobby’s home can be seen on the shores of Lake Norman.

Coastal Classics

“Iron Man 3” (PG-13)

Wilmington

Many of this movie’s action scenes, including the helicopter and parachute sequences, were recorded just off the coast of Oak Island. The penultimate dockside battle scene between Iron Man and Aldrich Killian was shot under the towering cranes at the Port of Wilmington.

“Muppets from Space” (G)

Wilmington

The exterior of the Muppet Boarding House is actually the Fennell-Crump House on North Seventh Street in Wilmington. Cape Doom, where Gonzo meets his alien family, was set at Fort Fisher State Recreation Area.

“Weekend at Bernie’s” (PG-13)

Wilmington

The Hamptons scenes were taped on Bald Head Island, and Bernie’s house was located at Fort Fisher. The ferry scenes were filmed on Wrightsville Beach. Old Baldy lighthouse (pictured below) takes center stage when one of the characters, Parker, is temporarily blinded.

For Parents’ Eyes Only

These R-rated movies were also filmed in North Carolina:

“Bull Durham” (R)

Durham

“The Conjuring” (R) Wilmington and Currie

“The Green Mile” (R) Blowing Rock

“I Know What You Did Last Summer” (R) Southport and Durham

“The Last of the Mohicans” (R) Chimney Rock

“Sleeping with the Enemy” (R) Wrightsville Beach

The 'Nicholas Sparks Effect'

An impressive 11 of North Carolina author Nicholas Sparks’ 21 bestselling novels have made it to the big screen, creating what is known as the “Nicholas Sparks Effect”—a tourism spike for the towns featured in his novels-turn-movies. These include:

“A Walk to Remember” (PG) New Bern

“Safe Haven” (PG-13) Southport

“The Choice” (PG-13) Wilmington

“The Longest Ride” (PG-13) Wilmington

“Nights in Rodanthe” (PG-13) Rodanthe

TRY THIS!

Want to have some fitness fun with your little ones? Here are a couple of physical challenges parents and children can do together.

Bear Crawls. Assume an all-fours position with your wrists under your shoulders and knees under your hips. Lift up on your toes and raise your knees off the ground slightly, actively engaging your core muscles. Move your right hand and left foot forward simultaneously, followed by left hand and right foot, while keeping your back flat. Move forward and backward.

Monkey Bar Pullups. Grasp a playground monkey bar (or pullup bar) with arms shoulder width apart. Pull up as high as you can without your shoulders moving toward your ears. Squeeze your back muscles to pull your chin over the bar. Slowly straighten your arms until you achieve a hanging position.