By Suzanne Wilson for Phoenix.org
From its urban ‘burbs to its desert dwellings, the Valley’s diverse landscape has helped make movie magic for filmmakers over the years — some of them even Oscar worthy.
Stadium settings — we’ve got ‘em; a downtown metropolis — we’ve got that too. Need a racetrack, or a long stretch of roadway? Check and check. And we’re just scratching the surface. Here is a look at seven films shot in and around the Phoenix area that went on to earn Academy Award nominations and some — Oscar gold.
Bus Stop (1956)
Starring Marilyn Monroe and Don Murray, this romantic comedy classic borrowed heavily from the Valley’s landmarks and locales as Murray’s character Beau makes the trek from Montana to Phoenix to participate in a rodeo filmed in the Grandstand area of the Arizona State Fairgrounds. Monroe, as Cherie, is featured prominently in a number of the scenes on the Fairgrounds and is remembered for her captivating rendition of That Old Black Magic. Murray’s performance as the bullheaded cowboy in Bus Stop earned him an Oscar nomination and win for Best Supporting Actor in 1957.
Psycho (1960)
Consistently ranked among the greatest films of all time, Phoenix is proud to have been the cinematic scene opener and home for the other motel in Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho. That would be the old Jefferson Hotel on Central Avenue, which is now home to the Phoenix Police Museum. It was, then, the setting for a mid-day rendezvous between real estate secretary Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) and her boyfriend Sam Loomis (John Gavin) and the set-up for a bad decision that would lead to Marion’s shocking fate in Pyscho’s more infamous California lodging — the Bates Motel. Still, the opening scene of Psycho gives Phoenix its due with a panoramic view of the city’s downtown area and helped the movie to four Academy Award nominations including Best Director for Hitchcock, Best Supporting Actress for Leigh, Best Cinematography and Best Art Direction.
A Star is Born (1976)
ASU’s Sun Devil Stadium set the stage for Barbra Streisand’s big concert scene as Esther Hoffman in A Star is Born in 1976. Producers got more than 43,000 people to fill the stadium in Tempe after promoting a daylong concert that included headliners such as Peter Frampton, Santana, Montrose, Graham Central Station “and a lot of surprises.” The cost of admission — $3.50. One of those surprises was Streisand herself who later confessed that she was petrified performing before the crowd not knowing if she would be booed off the stage by attendees who came to hear the rock stars on the bill. During her set she tested a new song on the audience — “Evergreen.” It not only went on to earn an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song (one of four that the film received), it also won. Streisand’s “A Star is Born” co-star Kris Kristofferson also performed before the crowd that day and shot a motorcycle crash scene on the grounds at Sun Devil Stadium in between the musical acts.
The Grifters (1990)
Producers, one by the name of Martin Scorsese, settled on Phoenix’s own Turf Paradise to create a racetrack scene in the 1990 crime drama “The Grifters.” And why not? A movie about con artists, bookies and horse racing, should probably have a racetrack depiction or two amid its final cuts. Phoenicians will also recognize Old Phoenix City Hall and Sky Harbor Airport in a number of scenes throughout the movie. Starring John Cusack, Anjelica Huston and Annette Bening, “The Grifters”earned four Academy Award nominations, including Best Director for Stephen Frears, Best Actress for Huston, Best Supporting Actress for Bening and Best Adapted Screenplay.
Jerry Maguire (1996)
Featuring cameos from our own Arizona Cardinals and the team’s old stomping grounds at Sun Devil Stadium, Jerry Maguire secured its status as a box office hit and five Oscar nominations that included a Best Supporting Actor win for Cuba “Show Me The Money!” Gooding, Jr. Not unlike the crowd scene for A Star is Born 20 years earlier, Jerry Maguire producers would also require thousands of extras to help fill Sun Devil Stadium for football scenes involving Gooding’s football playing character Rod Tidwell. Coming off the fanfare of the Super Bowl that was held at Sun Devil Stadium just a few months earlier, the request was met — easily. Tom Cruise also earned a Best Actor Oscar nod for Jerry Maguire, playing the film’s sports agent title character. The film also earned nominations for Best Picture, Best Writing and Best Film Editing.
Transamerica (2005)
Felicity Huffman’s pre-operative transsexual character Bree makes a stop in Phoenix to reconnect with her estranged parents in the 2005 indie comedy-drama Transamerica. Valley landmarks such as the Camelback Inn and the Plaza Codorniz in Scottsdale were among familiar locations used in the filming of the movie, which earned two Oscar nominations — one for Felicity Huffman for Best Actress and another for Best Original Song for Dolly Parton’s “Travelin’ Thru.”
Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
The Valley’s freeways provided some much needed roadway for the quirky indie road trip comedy “Little Miss Sunshine.” Valley residents might recognize stretches of the Red Mountain Freeway Loop 202 in some scenes as the movie’s Hoover family make their way from Albuquerque, New Mexico to Redondo Beach, California so that 12-year-old Olive (Abigail Breslin) can compete in the Little Miss Sunshine beauty pageant (cue Rick James’ “Super Freak” here). Locations in Chandler were also included in filming of “Little Miss Sunshine.” The movie earned four Academy Award nominations and won two — Best Original Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor for Alan Arkin who played Olive’s grandpa Edwin — and dance coach, for better or for worse.
The post 7 Oscar Worthy Movies Filmed in the Valley appeared first on Phoenix.org.