DC in the Movies
Washington has long served as the backdrop for Hollywood blockbusters -- at least 200, according to a tour company website. So, I had a lot of choices while making this list, which was largely inspired by our recent look at "State of Play". My instinct was to put "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" at the top of the list, but here's the rub: it wasn't filmed in DC. Background shots were taken in the city and projected onto a screen in Hollywood. Learn something new everyday, no? Here's a guide to sites used in a few of my favorite Washington-centric films, but please send more via the tipline.
Broadcast News
Hillyer Pl., between 20th and 21st Washington, DC 20009
[link]
The Pelican Brief
1213 U St NW
Washington, DC 20009
In their coverage of "State of Play," the Washington Post mentioned that one of the first movies to feature Ben's Chili Bowl was "The Pelican Brief," even though the … restaurant is unrecognizable in the John Grisham thriller. [link]
All the President's Men
2650 Virginia Ave NW
Washington, DC 20037
[link]
Being There
Between 3rd and 7th Streets at Constitution Avenue NW
It all makes sense. Peter Sellers plays a mentally challenged gardener working for a wealthy man in Washington. Sellers never strays from the property, getting all his … news from the TV. Wealthy man dies, gardener ventures outside and becomes the toast of Washington, obvs. As part of his introduction to the world, Sellers finds himself in the National Gallery, West Wing. [link]
