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Alabama: ‘Fried Green Tomatoes’ - The 1991 comedy-drama film based on the novel ‘Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe’ tells the story of a disillusioned housewife who befriends an older lady in a nursing home. The film was nominated for two Academy Awards.

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Alaska: ‘Into the Wild’ - The 2007 biographical film is based on the true story of Christopher McCandless, a young man disillusioned with his capitalist life who travels through North America to reconnect with himself and the meaning of life. The film was nominated for two Academy Awards for Best Editing and Best Supporting Actor.

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Arizona: ‘Little Miss Sunshine’ - The 2006 comedy-drama follows the life of an eccentric family from Arizona on a cross-country trip to California, in order to get their young daughter into the finals of a beauty pageant. The film was nominated for four Academy Awards and won two.

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Arkansas: ‘Mud’ - The 2012 coming-of-age film centers around the relationship between two 14-year-old boys and a man who lives in a boat. The film was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival.

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California: ‘The Graduate’ - The 1967 romantic comedy-drama film tells the story of a disillusioned college graduate who finds himself torn between his older lover and her daughter. This Mike Nichols’ film is the 22nd highest-ever grossing film in North America and earned him the Academy Award for Best Director.

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Colorado: ‘The Shining’ - The 1980 horror film, produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick, is based on Stephen King’s classic novel by the same name. King was disappointed by Kubrick’s decision not to film in the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, CO, which inspired the novel. The film has become a cult classic, and is widely regarded as one of the greatest horror films ever made.

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Connecticut: ‘Revolutionary Road’ - This 2008 British-American romantic drama film stars ‘Titanic’ power couple Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio, the pair’s second onstage collaboration. Both were nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress and Best Actor respectively.

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Delaware: ‘Fight Club’ - The 1999 film is based on the 1996 novel of the same name by Chuck Palahniuk, which is set in Wilmington, DE. Unfortunately, director David Fincher was unable to get permission to film there. However, there are enough hints, like business cards and license plates, to suggest that the story takes place there.

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Florida: ‘Scarface’ - The 1983 American crime film centers around Tony Montana, a Cuban refugee played by Al Pacino becomes a powerful drug lord in Miami. The film is widely considered a cult classic and has inspired several rap and hip-hop songs, as well as TV shows, video games, and comic books.

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Georgia: ‘Gone with the Wind’ - The 1939 historical romance film is set in Tara, the fictional Georgia town where Scarlett O’Hara and her family live during the American Civil War in 1861. The film, which received generally positive reviews at the time, is now more often criticized for its historical revisionism and glorification of slavery.

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Hawaii: ‘The Descendants’ - The 2011 comedy-drama film follows the story of a father (played by George Clooney) who tries to reconnect with his 17- and 10-year-old daughters after his wife, who they recently discovered was having an affair, is rendered comatose following a boating accident. The film won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, and two Golden Globe Awards, including one for Clooney.

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Idaho: ‘Napoleon Dynamite’ - This 2004 comedy film was filmed in and around Franklin County, ID, and has gathered a pretty strong cult following since its release.

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Illinois: ‘The Breakfast Club’ - This 1985 coming-of-age film follows five high school teenagers who, after spending a Saturday in detention together, realize they’re more than the stereotypes that people categorize them as. In 2016, the Library of Congress selected the film for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.

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Indiana: ‘Hoosiers’ - The 1986 sports film is inspired by the Milan High School’s basketball team state championship win in 1954. In 2001, the Library of Congress selected the film for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.

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Iowa: ‘The Straight Story’ -

In this 1999 biographical film, David Lynch offers a rather uncharacteristically raw and straightforward account of an elderly World War II veteran who travels on a lawnmower to mend his relationship with his ill brother. The film was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival, and earned Richard Farnsworth a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor.

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Kansas: ‘The Wizard of Oz’ - The 1939 musical is a true American classic by all accounts, as evidenced by the fact that it’s one of the few films on UNESCO's Memory of the World Register. The film follows the journey of Dorothy Gale, a Kansas country girl, as she and her dog Toto are taken to a magical land after being swept away by a tornado.

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Kentucky: ‘How the West Was Won’ - This 1962 Metrocolor Western film stars a series of high-profile American stars including John Wayne, Gregory Peck, Debbie Reynolds, Spencer Tracy, and James Stewart. Set between 1839 and 1889, the film tells the saga of a family who moves to the West and experiences events ranging from the Gold Rush to the Civil War.

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Louisiana: ‘Beasts of the Southern Wild’ - The 2012 drama film earned the then 9-year-old Quvenzhané Wallis an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress, becoming the youngest nominee in history for her role as Hushpuppy.

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Maine: ‘Cujo’ -

The 1983 horror film is based on Stephen King’s novel by the same name. Set in the fictional town of Castle Rock, ME, it centers around a mother and her child’s desperate attempts to survive after being trapped inside their car by a rabid St. Bernard dog named Cujo. The film has gathered a major cult following, despite having received mixed critic reviews upon its release.

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Maryland: ‘The Blair Witch Project’ - The 1999 supernatural horror film follows three student filmmakers as they hike in the Black Hills near Burkittsville, MD, to document a local legend known as the Blair Witch. The film popularized the found footage technique, later seen in other horror films such as ‘Paranormal Activity’ and ‘The Last Exorcism.’

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Massachusetts: ‘The Departed’ - The 2006 crime drama film set in Boston, MA, stars some big names like Jack Nicholson, Leonardo DiCaprio, Martin Sheen, Mark Wahlberg, and Matt Damon. Martin Scorsese’s organized crime hit won four Academy Awards.

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Michigan: ‘The Virgin Suicides’ - The 1999 drama film centers around the lives of five teenage sisters in a middle-class suburb near Detroit in the 1970s. Sofia Coppola’s film marks the first of many collaborations with actress Kirsten Dunst.

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Minnesota: ‘Fargo’ - Despite its title, most of the film is set in Minnesota and not in North Dakota. This 1996 British-American black comedy crime film by the Coen brothers won two Academy Awards. In 2006, the Library of Congress was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry, one of only six films to be selected in its first year of eligibility.

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Mississippi: ‘The Help’ - The 2011 period drama film earned Viola Davis an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress for her portrayal of Aibileen Clark, a maid during the Civil Rights Movement. Davis is currently the only black woman to have been nominated for three Academy Awards, one of which she won.

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Missouri: ‘Gone Girl’ - The 2014 psychological thriller film begins as a mystery following the events around the disappearance of Amy Pike. The plot later shifts into a first-person account by the highly untrustworthy narrator.

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Montana: ‘A River Runs Through It’ - The 1992 period coming-of-age film, set around Missoula, MT, is often cited as the film that launched Brad Pitt’s career.

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Nebraska: ‘Boys Don’t Cry’ - The 1999 biographical film tells the real-life story of Brandon Teena, an American transgender man, played in the film by Hilary Swank. Even though the real events take place in Falls City, NE, budget constraints didn’t allow for the filming to take place there. Most of the film had to be shot in Texas instead.

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Nevada: ‘Ocean’s Eleven’ - The 2001 heist film is a remake of a 1960 film by the same name. The 2001 version stars George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, Andy García, and Julia Roberts, was the fifth highest-grossing film of 2001.

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New Hampshire: ‘On Golden Pond’ - This 1981 drama film earned Katherine Hepburn an Academy Award for Best Actress and Henry Fonda a Golden Globe for Best Actor.

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New Jersey: ‘The Wrestler’ -

This 2008 sports drama film follows an aging professional wrestler who refuses to quit, even though his career is in free fall. Darren Aronofsky’s film was an instant success, and it continues to be, as evidenced by its 98% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

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New Mexico: ‘The Outlaw’ - The 1943 Western film retells the old tale of Billy the Kid, Doc Holliday, and lawman Pat Garrett. The film marks Jane Russell’s breakthrough role, turning her into an American beauty symbol and Hollywood icon.

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New York: ‘Taxi Driver’ - The 1976 neo-noir psychological thriller follows the life of a 26-year-old Vietnam War discharged US Marine. The film was nominated for four Academy Awards and was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry in 1994.

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North Carolina: ‘Cold Mountain’ - The 2003 epic war film centers around a wounded deserter from the Confederate army who returns home to the love of his life. The film earned Renée Zellweger an Academy Award.

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North Dakota: ‘Northern Lights’ - The 1978 independent film centers its plot around the founding of the Nonpartisan League, a populist movement from the early 1900s. Partly filmed during the winter, outdoor scenes had to be shot in short bursts because the equipment would freeze up.

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Ohio: ‘Gummo’ - The 1997 dystopian art film takes place in Xenia, OH, a poor Midwestern town previously devastated by a tornado. Most of the filming however took place in Nashville, TN.

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Oregon: ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’ -

Starring Jack Nicholson, the 1975 comedy-drama film was the second to win all five major Academy Awards, and is often cited as one of the best films of all time.

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Pennsylvania: ‘Rocky’ - The 1976 sports drama film was made on a $1 million budget and went on to make $225 million, becoming the highest-grossing film of 1976. The film turned Sylvester Stallone, who is also the film’s writer, into a major star.

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Rhode Island: ‘Dumb and Dumber’ - This 1994 buddy comedy follows the adventures of two good-hearted (but incredibly stupid) friends from Providence, RI, and has inspired a cult following since its release.

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South Carolina: ‘The Birth of a Nation’ - One of the two families from this 1915 silent drama lives in the Palmetto State. The three-hour long epic is the first 12-reel film in the US, and one of the landmarks of film history.

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South Dakota: ‘Dances with Wolves’ -

In this 1990 Western film, Kevin Costner was also the director and producer. The film won seven Academy Awards, in addition to several others.

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Tennessee: ‘Walk the Line’ - The 2005 biographical drama revisits the life of singer-songwriter Johnny Cash based on his two autobiographies. The film was nominated for five Academy Awards, winning one (Reese Witherspoon for Best Actress).

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Texas: ‘Boyhood’ - This 2014 coming-of-age drama takes place in different parts of the Lone Star State, and was filmed over the course of 12 years.

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Utah: '127 hours' - The 2010 biographical survival drama tells the agonizing true story of Aron Ralston, who was trapped between a rock wall and a boulder while hiking at Utah's Canyonlands National Park. The film was nominated for six Academy Awards.

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Vermont: ‘The Trouble with Harry’ - Alfred Hitchcock’s 1955 Technicolor black comedy is set in a sunny autumn in the Vermont countryside, where the foliage highlights the perfect atmosphere for this murder mystery.

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Virginia: ‘Donnie Darko’ - The 2001 sci-fi film was shot in 28 days, mirroring the time lapsed in the plot. The film’s cover song, ‘Mad World,’ reached number one on the UK Singles Chart after the film’s release.

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Washington: ‘Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me’ - David Lynch’s 1992 psychological horror film was released as a prequel to his popular TV show in 1990 and 1991. The film was received poorly in the US, but has garnered critical acclaim in recent years. However, the film was an immediate hit in Japan.

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West Virginia: ‘Matewan’ - The 1987 drama tells the story of the Battle of Matewan, a 1920 coal miners' strike in Matewan, WV. The state’s mountains provide the perfect setting in this John Sayles’ film.

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Wisconsin: ‘Come and Get It’ - This 1936 drama film is based on the best-seller book by Edna Ferber, who was disappointed in the resulting film.

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Wyoming: ‘Brokeback Mountain’ -

Wyoming’s high plains, rocky mountains, and rushing rivers add several layers of depth to this 2005 neo-Western drama, centering around the forbidden love between two men in the 1960s.

See also:Half a century of greatness: 30 stars turning 50 in 2023

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