Oklahoma! Movies about my home state
73What a movie! It's the stereotypical image of Oklahoma.
Quite an assortment, not just cowboys & twisters
Oklahoma, the youngest state in the continental USA. Just celebrated its 100th birthday as a state! We certainly don't have a very high movie profile, but thought all you non-Oklahomans might get a kick out of this hub. (See "credit where credit is due" at end of this hub.)
You know I've got to start this with Oklahoma!. I mean, it's our official state song! The 1955 musical, shot mainly in soundstages but with some location shots from Arizona won four Academy Awards, mainly for the music. It was Shirley Jones' first movie! She went on to star in several great musicals, but became a TV icon in her role as Mom in The Partridge Family.
And, as a point of fun trivia...remember Billy Crystal/Meg Ryan singing "Surrey With the Fringe on Top" in the movie When Harry Met Sally?
What a group to land in Tulsa, OK
Cruise, Lane, Lowe..got their start in Tulsa, OK
Jumping into the 1980s, a totally NON western film: The Outsiders. The tag line for this movie was "They grew up on the outside of society. They weren't looking for a fight. They were looking to belong." Sounds more like a Spike Lee movie, not a Tulsa, OK movie. But Francis Ford Coppola put together a great cast of then un-knowns. Remember who they were? Don't worry, I'll tell you. REady? Tom Cruise, Diane Lane, Emilio Estevez, Rob Lowe, Patrick Swayze, Matt Dillon! This is where they started! I can't imagine what Tulsa would do if they all showed up in town again now that they're FAMOUS!
A stirring look at movie 'The Outsiders'
Because the book's always better
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Tense teens
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The master of westerns...the Duke, John Wayne
John Wayne, the king of western actors, won an Oscar for his role as the one-eyed Rooster Cogburn in True Grit (1969). This movie supposed to be set in Oklahoma, but was actually filmed in Colorado. Honestly, Oklahoma doesn't have anything as beautiful as the Colorado sights!
When accepting his Oscar, Wayne said "If I'd known this, I'd have put that eyepatch on 40 years ago."
For more about John Wayne as Rooster Cogburn, check out the hub about Oregon movies, It's a great one!
The Duke, now more movie royalty: Meryl Streep
Silkwood, starring Meryl Streep, Cher and Kurt Russell had Oklahomans seriously on edge. Corporate types with something to hide. Citizens worried about the portrayal of "folks" from Oklahoma (Rightly so. But if the shoe fits...) All three actors received Oscar nominations, as did Mike Nichols for directing (wouldn't I just love to own a copy of all Nichols' movies? I practically do!) and and Nora Ephron for screenplay.
The tagline for this tense, true story..."On November 13, 1974, Karen Silkwood, an employee of a nuclear facility, left to meet with a reporter from the New York Times. She never got there."
Movie trailer from "Silkwood." Movie based on true story about Karen Silkwood and her attempt to expose corruption at a nuclear plant in Oklahoma. If you apprec
Meryl learning hidden corporate secrets in Oklahoma
Cruise and Kidman: Believable pioneers.
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Twisters and Pioneers
The 1996 Twister had lots of location shooting in the state. But trust me, you can't belt yourself onto a drill pipe and live to tell about it! Kinda cool to watch though.
Far and Away with Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman (1992) shows an intriguing view of the circumstances that lead a couple who make the journey to become those among the state's first settlers. (The couple never came to OK for this one, it was shot in Montana). See videos below before moving on to other Oklahoma movies.
Video of "Far and Away," a moving film of the trials that brought Europeans to the Oklahoma prairie to make their home.
Ten minute "Twister" teaser about the movie that tries to reveal Oklahoma's tornado situation. Shows OK's geographical flatness, reliance on fancy pick-up truck
Another short video about the movie "FAR AND AWAY," about Irish coming to USA and ultimately settling in Oklahoma
Oklahoma shows up a lot in little spots in many movies. Remember Rain Man? Yep, Tom Cruise returns yet again to Oklahoma! This time with Dustin Hoffman. Stopping at a farm house so Raymond could watch a favorite Tv show? A visit to the doctor in downtown Guthrie! Thelma & Louise , with female stars Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis, took part of their ride through our prairies. Didn't Brad Pitt play an Oklahoma boy? Whatever state Pitt was supposed to be from...he did a mighty fine job in this movie!!!
Who knew? Tulsa was used for several location shots for the John Travolta Phenomenon, even though the movie was supposed to be taking place in northern California!
Orlando Bloom and film crew for 2005's Elizabethtown came through the state for some authentic location shots.
An Oklahoma book selection
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Nuclear contamination ... yikes!
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Rain Man in Oklahoma
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Credit where credit's due
*Got the idea for this hub from hubber, JDMurrah, his Texas movies of the seventies. http://hubpages.com/hub/Best-Texas-Movies-from-the-1970s So, write a movie hub centered on movies from/about your state! We'll all share! I know there's Hoosier movies and Louisiana movies and Georgia movies and Pennsylvania movies ...just right off the top of my head! How about it?!
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That is great. I never knew about Cruise getting his start in Oklahoma. I am also glad that you mentioned Elizabethtown. I enjoyed that movie and now feel a little more connected with it. A well done job.
To Satori...Yep, I like the movies! As a former English and Humanities teacher, I wholly believe that movies are THE art form that all of the USA devours and enjoys! I used to encourage my students to see the movies that came out while I was teaching. I'd say..."watch the editing when..." or "note how the dialogue moves the plot when..." and I'd give extra credit when they'd write 250-500 words about a movie they'd just seen. So, speaking of little tidbits...do you remember the Surrey bit in "When Harry Met Sally"? I just adore my memory of Billy Crystal being a Oklahoma guy, hand on his hip, bouncing along like he was in a surrey...classic! Yeah, as a CA guy, where soooo many movies occur...you'd have to pick a year, a decade, as JD Murrah did about Tx, a theme, a category. California...soooo many movies take place in CAa!!! Juicy, but overwhelming!
To J.D...it was your TX movies from the 70s hub that got me inspired to write this one. THANKS! It will be fun to see what other hubbers take on the idea and write hubs for their states too!
How about the movie TULSA (1949) with Susan Hayward and Robert Preston?
I love Susan Hayward and Robert Preston, but mainly know him through Music Man and Victor/Victoria. With a title like that, I know it deserves to be on this list! Thanks for the information!
Fun hub! I had no idea that all those movies were connected to OKlahoma (which I always spell to the music). :)
So, even folks from Conn. spell this word to the music? Fun to know. Will you join in and write a Connecticut movie hub? The only one I can think of right now is Holiday Inn....and maybe Reversal of Fortune (?). But you might know better. Thanks for stopping by and the comment!
As a Okie, I love this hub. You are right about everything except that Oklahoma was the 46th state admitted to the union..but not the last one admitted for the continental US. Both Arizona and New Mexico were admitted after OK and before Alaska and Hawaii. Minor point, but in the interest of absolute accuracy,,and all.
Great Hub and what fun to learn things about my own home that I did not know.
Keep up the great work Blondie!
Thanks for the correction, TekgirlOKC! Well, at least we all know these hubs aren't just cut-and-paste from some other source! Guess I was having a stereotypically Blond moment! Thanks again for stopping by! Good luck with your hubs!
The Outsiders, wow that was an old one. This was a really fun page to read.
To Karen, glad you thought this a fun won! Thanks for stopping by!
Very fun!! I am amazed at the list of OK movies! :-) Steph
Great Hub! Love Oklahoma--really nice people everywhere I went in the state.
How about Grapes of Wrath? Nobody in California wanted the "Okies" settling there.
How about Will Rogers and the movies made about him? Can't think of any names just now but can see them re-playing in my head.
"The movies are the only business where you can go out front and applaud yourself." Will Rogers
To Ruthie17, Love the Will Rogers quote,...he's definitely one of Oklahoma's "favorite sons." Didn't include Grapes of Wrath because it's just so sad, and it's about people who've left Oklahoma. There was a recent musical about Will Rogers on Broadway, but I can't think off the top of my head about a movie "about" Will. Put on your thinking cap and if the name come's to you...let me know!
The movie "where the heart is" with natalie portman is also about oklahoma! And its one of my favorite movies! Don't forget this one.
Right!!! Don't know how I forgot that one! Great cast Natalie Portman, Ashley Judd, Stockard Channing...and shot on location, showing everybody just how 'ordinary' Oklahoma's scenery truly is....but great emotional chick-flick. Thanks for the reminder!
You're not related to Joel MacCrea are you?
Thought there was a resemblance in your two pictures.
No relation between Joel and me! But, after looking at the pics again, I must say...it does sort of look like we have the same strong chin....Yikes! Thanks for finding my hub!
Oklahoma where the wind comes sweepin'down the plain. You're singin my song as you know....I miss Oklahoma!! Loved this hub...makes me want to watch all those...and don't forget Carrie Underwood came from Oklahoma and so does the new idol...David Cook!! we have tons and tons of country singing stars...a whole other hub could be done on them!! A state of talent, yes?
I didn't know some of these were in Oklahoma or had forgotten...=)
marisue...thanks for looking..happy to give you a fun reminder of your home state! I'm from there...you're from there....so, YES, a state of talent ! LOL
Speaking of Movies.... Oklahoma City is home to the Deadcenter film festival and this week mark's the 8th annual event. Deadcenter is not a reference to the type of films.... It actually refers to downtown oklahoma city's geographic location within the united states. "dead center". My ex husband and three other of my high school pals made a movie (they call themselves "gang of four") "regret" which was accepted into the film festival a couple of years ago. Film maker's from across the globe attend this event. check it out at deadcenterfilm.org..... Another tidbit.
Thanks for filling all of us in...Okay, you movie-loving Oklahoma folks...support this festival!
How about "Tex" with Matt Dillon. It is set in Bixby,OK and one of my favorites...
Satori Level 3 Commenter 4 years ago
Great Hub! I'm continually impressed with your extensive familiarity with movies, performers, little tidbits of obscure information about them, and your ability to point out commonalities along a theme - like a state - is just amazing. Very well done! I live in California, so it would probably be too easy to write a California movie Hub, but it sounds like a great thing for Hubbers to do in general. Nice one! =)