The Pacific Northwest has a wide variety of landscapes making it for ideal filming locations. From the Pacific ocean harbor towns, to big cities or small town life, high Cascade mountains, and flat desert landscapes, there has been a terrific variety of movies filmed here. Many of these have been nomiated for or won Oscars. Here are 11 that were entirely or partially filmed in the Northwest:
- One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. 1976 Won Best Picture, Best Actress (Louise Fletcher), Best Actor (Jack Nicolson.) Filmed in Salem, Oregon at Oregon State Mental Hospital at 2600 Center Street. The wing of the building where the movie was filmed has since been demolished, but on site there is a museum attached to the remainder of the building.
- Sometimes a Great Notion 1972 Nominated for Best Supporting Actor (Richard Jaekel), Nominated Best Original Song (“All His Children”) Filmed in areas around Newport, OR including Kernville and Yaquina Bay, and other locations along the Siletz River, as well as several scenes filmed in Mo’s Shanty Fish House.
- Officer and a Gentleman 1983. Nominated for Best Actress (Debra Winger) Won for Best Supporting Actor (Louis G0sset, Jr.) and nomated for best score, and best screenplay. Filmed in various locations around the Olympic peninsula including Fort Worden in Port Townsend, Washington
- War Games 1984 Nominated best Oringinal Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Sound Mixing. Filming on Anderson Island, Puget Sound and the Pierce County Ferry in Steilacoom, WA
- Mr. Holland’s Opus 1996 Nominted Best Actor (Richard Dreyfus) Filmed at Ulysses S. Grant High School in Portland, Oregon. The movie is based on a teacher from Portland.
- Snow Falling on Cedars 2000 Nominated Best Cinematography. Filmed in Cathlamet, a community on the Columbia River in southern Washington; and Whidbey Island and Port Townsend, Washington.
- Five Easy Pieces 1971 Nominated for Best Actor (Jack Nicholson), Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress (Karen Black) Best Screenplay. Filmed in mostly in Vancouver, BC but key scene (shown below) filmed at a Denny’s just off I-5 in Eugene, OR.
- Sleepless in Seattle 1994 Nominated for Best Original Song (“A Wink and a Smile”,) Best Original Screenplay. Filmed at Pike Street Market in Seattle where Tom Hanks and Rob Reiner go to lunch and talk about tiramisu, Lake Union where his houseboat is (off Westlake Ave.) and Alki Avenue SW where Meg Ryan watches the two playing on the beach.
- Stand By Me 1986 Nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay, Won Best Picture at the Golden Globes. Filmed in Brownsville, Oregon and also on the iconic red trestle bridge outside Cottage Grove on a trail which is part of the Covered Bridges Scenic Bikeway around Dorena Lake.
- Abe Lincoln in Illinois 1941. Nominated for Best Actor (Raymond Massey) and Best Cinematography. Filmed in around Eugene, Oregon and the along the McKenzie River.
- Wild (2014) Nomination for Best Actress (Reese Witherspoon) and Best Supporting Actress (Laura Dern.) Filmed along the Pacific Crest Trail including the Bridge of the Gods over the Columbia River, Paulina Lake Lodge, Crater Lake, and downtown Ashland, Oregon
