“Little Children” (2006)
“Rain Man” (1988)
“Tiger Bay” (1959)
“Reversal of Fortune” (1990)
“There’s Something About Mary” (1998)
“True Lies” (1994)
“Thirteen Days” (2000)
“Amistad” (1997)
“The Ring” (2002)
“Romper Stomper” (1992)
Notice anything unusual? At least five of those films have no Rhode Island in them whatsoever. A thousand Kevin Bacons couldn’t make the connection. The only Rhode Island link to “Romper Stomper,” starring a relatively unknown Russell Crowe in a film set in Melbourne, Australia, is the fact that in 1992 I was in Melbourne, watching it.
The Ocean State is carving out a reputation as a Hollywood back lot. From the third season of “Brotherhood” on Showtime to the Richard Gere dog-bonding movie “Hachiko: A Dog’s Story,” Rhody locations from Woonsocket to Westerly are getting a digital workout (which sounds, come to think of it, like one of those phrases we should never use again). The Rhody celluloid universe has even made it to France, where the romantic comedy “Dan in Real Life,” (2006) starring Steve Carrell and Juliette Binoche, is known as “Love at First Sight in Rhode Island.”
Leading to this week’s question: What is your favorite Rhode Island movie moment?
My choice is a bit of a cheat, since the movie was actually filmed on Martha’s Vineyard, but it’s the scene of Quint (Robert Shaw) drinking Narragansett lager in “Jaws.” In the 1970s, nothing said Rhode Island better than slamming a Gansett and crushing the can.
Only in Rhode Island
Sports fans succumb to occasional tribal madness, but you don’t often see them actually run onto the court during games to protest non-calls by a referee. Providence College Friar fan Jonathan Xavier’s on-court confrontation at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center was captured on national television. What makes the deed so Rhody-worthy is that he was defending the honor of his brother Jeff, a PC point guard who had been struck in the eye by a Marquette player. And what elevates it to Spinal Tap 11 status, giving it that little bit extra Rhodiness, is the fact that he was arrested and held without bail for allegedly breaking the terms of his probation from a 2005 drug conviction. When it comes to stories, the Naked City has nothing over Friar Town.
Wicked Pissah nominees
In a special category for best use of the adjective, “wicked,” we bring you the following quote by cellist Yo-Yo Ma from the Perspectives page in this week’s edition of Newsweek. The cellist was commenting on the decision by event planners to broadcast a recording of classical musicians playing at the Presidential Inauguration, rather than their live performance:
A broken string was not an option. It was wicked cold.
