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Jul 12, 2018

A film reel from Forrest Gump | Taylor's Auto MaxMontana’s natural beauty appeals not only to nature enthusiasts and the outdoorsy population, but also to large film production companies. Every year, producers and their casts travel to Montana to film full movies or television shows or to shoot individual scenes. You might be surprised to learn that many famous movies and TV series were produced in Montana. Here is a little sneak peek at some of them.

  1. Forrest Gump

This well-known 1994 romantic drama portrays the life story of Forrest Gump, a kind but slow-witted man from Alabama. Based on the 1986 novel by Winston Groom and directed by Robert Zemeckis, the movie stars Tom Hanks, Gary Sinise, Robin Wright, Sally Field, and Mykelti Williamson.

The movie’s two famous scenes in which Forrest Gump is running through Montana were filmed in or around Glacier National Park in Northwestern Montana. The first scene, where you can see golden wheat fields for a brief moment, was shot near Cut Bank, Montana. The other scene, picturing snowy mountain peaks in the background as Forrest jogs across a stone bridge, was filmed at the St. Mary Entrance to Glacier National Park.

  1. Beethoven 2

“Beethoven 2” is the first sequel of the famous 1992 family film “Beethoven.” “Beethoven 2” was produced the following year due to the unexpected popularity and financial success of the original “Beethoven.” The movie was directed by Rod Daniel, and it stared Charles Grodin, Debi Mazar, and Bonnie Hunt.

Though the Newton family’s home was in Pasadena, the scenes in the park were shot at Montana’s Glacier National Park.

  1. Always

A remake of the 1943 romantic drama, “A Guy Named Joe,” “Always” is a 1989 romantic comedy-drama directed by Steven Spielberg. It stars Richard Dreyfuss, Holly Hunter, John Goodman, Brad Johnson, and Audrey Hepburn.

“Always” is a true Montana film ― not only was it produced in Montana, but also features Montana residents. Its production took place at Kootenai National Forest, Montana. Several scenes were shot in and near Libby, Montana. “Always” recruited about 500 Libby’s locals for wild-land firefighter roles. The opening scenes with the plane hovering over the lake were filmed at Bull Lake, Montana.

  1. Yellowstone

This 10-episode cowboy drama from Paramount Network just aired in June of 2018. It stars Kevin Costner, Wes Bentley, Kelly Reilly, and Lude Grimes. In its production, “Yellowstone” took advantage of everything Montana has to offer ― its natural splendor, impressive estates, and historic sights.

The family’s ranch pictured in the series is the Chief Joseph Ranch in Darby, Montana, the state’s historic landmark. The production of court scenes took place in the Old Supreme Court chamber in Montana State Capitol in Helena. Some scenes were shot at the Crow Indian Reservation in Southern Montana, by the Big Hole River between Butte and Melrose, in a small town of Darby, and in the Bitterroot Valley.

These movies and TV series are just a few highlights of the numerous productions taking place in the state of Montana year after year. Next time you watch these movies, think about Montana.

 

Image by DRs Kulturarvsprojekt, Licensed via CC BY-SA 2.0