The American Midwest is known for cornfields, expansive highways, long winters, and its modest, hardworking people. These unique attributes of Midwestern life have appeared in various ways in film over the years.
And while the region is united by geography and common values, the Midwest is a vast region. There are a plethora of unique stories that come from the Midwest, some stories are smaller dealing with inner conflict, others fighting against Mother Nature herself. A movie set in America's heartland could take you through a snowstorm, a baseball field, or a jazz club, but it will have a certain je ne sais quoi that is undeniably Midwestern.
10 'Twister' (1996)
Rotten Tomatoes Score 63%
Twister is one of the most iconic man vs. nature storylines that we see in film. A storm chaser Jo, played by Helen Hunt, has a long history with tornadoes. As a child, her father died in a tornado that also destroyed her family farm. Jo then devotes her life to chasing, studying, and fighting tornadoes. She does this for most of her career with her husband Bill, played by Bill Paxton, who has given up storm chasing to be a weather forecaster.
RELATED: 10 Best Movies Made in Chicago (and Where to Stream Them)
Much of Twister was shot on location in Oklahoma, at the behest of the director Jan de Bant, and things were chaotic. Shooting involved script rewrites, director and crew changes, abrupt schedule changes due to weather. Yet the film has become a cult classing, even warranting an upcoming sequel, set for release in 2024.
9 'Rudy' (1993)
Rotten Tomatoes Score 78%
Rudy is commonly accepted to be one of the most inspirational sports films ever made. It's inspired by the true story of Rudy Ruettiger, a steel mill worker who decides to follow his dream to play football at the University of Notre Dame. As Rudy sets out on his own, he is supported by his classmate D-Bob (played by Jon Favreau), a local priest, and the head groundskeeper named Fortune. Although Rudy has bad grades, trouble studying, is physically small, and has no connections at Notre Dame, he is brave enough to leave his life at the mill and pursue something new.
RELATED: From 'Rudy' to 'Varsity Blues': 9 Essential Football Movies
Rudy is set in South Bend, Indiana, one of the most unassuming towns in the county. Rudy not only faces the challenge of getting into Notre Dame and getting on the football team, but he has to tackle the unforeseen challenges of the lack of support he gets from his family and friends as he tries to reach his dreams.
8 'American Honey' (2016)
Rotten Tomatoes Score 79%
American Honey shows the darker side of the Midwest. It's an unconventional coming of age story of eighteen-year-old Star, break away from her abusive father in a getaway car (or van) made up other college-age kids, driving around the Midwest, selling magazine subscriptions. Star doesn't know much, just that they are headed to Kansas City, their leader Jake (Shia LeBeouf) is charming and inviting, and whatever they have to offer can't be worse than what she's currently dealing with.
This movie is gritty and raw. It doesn't paint the Midwest as idyllic and quiet. Rather, it's harsh and inhospitable - a place where Star must rise to the occasion with her own grit. Our main character is played beautifully by Sasha Lane, who was scouted by the firm's writer/director Andrea Arnold while out sunbathing one day. Many of the other teenagers in the film were also scouted by Arnold.
7 'The Virgin Suicides' (1999)
Rotten Tomatoes Score 80%
The Virgin Suicides, written and directed by Sofia Coppola, sets out to capture the stifling angst of adolescence, in tandem with the limitedness of suburban life. The movie follows the story of the Lisbon family, consisting of five teenage girls and two overprotective parents living in Gross Pointe, Michigan. After a failed suicide attempt by the youngest sister, the parents reluctantly attempt to help the girls recover by helping them have more of a social life. When this proves to be too much for the parents, the girls are taken out of school and not allowed to leave home.
RELATED: 11 Essential Performances by Kirsten Dunst, From 'The Power of the Dog' to 'The Virgin Suicides'
Sofia Coppola's directorial debut explores the angst of teenage and suburban life, both offering their own confines. This angst is best embodied by one of the middle sisters, Lux Lisobn, played by Kirsten Dunst. The troubles the girls face, and their reaction to it is a mystery to the boys in the neighborhood, but telling stories from the female perspective is what Coppola does best.
6 'Super 8' (2011)
Rotten Tomatoes Score 81%
Super 8 takes place in a small town in Ohio in the 1970s, and follows a group of teenagers trying to make a movie together to submit to a local contest. While shooting, strange things begin to happen in their town, all pointing to alien activity covered up by the U.S. government. The kids' summer of fun becomes something much more, as their town becomes a military battleground, and the kids eventually are able to help the alien leave earth as it desires.
While the plot is simple, this J.J. Abrams film reveals a lot of heart. The supposed safety of the small Midwestern town is overshadowed by personal issues between characters, grudges between families, substance abuse, and the recent death of our main character's mother. And while the film pays homage to earlier monster movies, it's an origianal story, providing something fresh and new for audiences to relate to.
5 'Chicago' (2002)
Rotten Tomatoes Score 86%
Chicago is an adaptation of a much-beloved stage musical, depicting perhaps the darkest side of the Midwest: prohibition era Chicago, Illinois. Murder, drinking, and jazz are everywhere, and they're the primary reasons our three main characters Roxie Hart, Velma Kelly, and Billy Flynn are able to get ahead in the world. Roxie and Velma are both in prison for murder (allegedly), and they have the best lawyer in Chicago, Billy Flynn to help them get out.
RELATED: 'Wonka' and 6 Other Musical Movies Debuting in 2023
While it's adapted from a simple Broadway musical with minimal set design, the movie spares no expense with costumes, sets, and mesmerizing visual stimuli. This film contains dazzling performances by Renee Zellwegger, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Richard Gere, and Queen Latifah, and the ruthlessness of their characters is only matched by the ferocity of the city.
4 'Field of Dreams' (1989)
Rotten Tomatoes Score 88%
Field of Dreams is set in rural Iowa and follows the story of Ray Kinsella, a corn farmer, played by Kevin Costner. Ray has lived a quiet, cautious life, and he is afraid that he will never accomplish anything meaningful. One evening in the cornfield, he hears a voice whisper, "If you build it, he will come." This sets in motion a wild chain of events: Ray decides re-purpose part of his cornfield to build a baseball diamond.
Field of Dreams captures the understatedness and modesty of the Midwest, so often coupled with quiet passion. Ray's desire to reconcile with his dad, is a hope he clings to in his heart, and while it's never expressed, the desire is real and present. When they finally come together on that field, we are satisfied.
3 'What’s Eating Gilbert Grape' (1993)
Rotten Tomatoes Score 90%
What's Eating Gilbert Grape is set in Iowa. It follows the story of the Grape family, led by teenage Gilbert, played by Johnny Depp. After his father's suicide seventeen years previously, Gilbert and his sisters are left to care for their reclusive and obese mother and their mentally impaired brother Arnie, played memorably by Leonardo DiCaprio. Gilbert's lonely life of caring for his family, working in a grocery store, and having an affair with a married older woman is interrupted by the arrival of Becky, played by Juliette Lewis.
RELATED: 10 Movies With the Best Character Development, According to Reddit
Gilbert really is trapped in his small town. His family house is literally falling apart and his mother and siblings depends on him for survival. But deeper than that, when we meet Gilbert, he is mentally trapped. He sees no way out. Through meeting Becky, he starts to realize there is more for him. He realizes he can make choices and doesn't just have to accept things as they are.
2 'Fargo' (1996)
Rotten Tomatoes Score 93%
Fargo is a Coen Brothers film, set in their home state of Minnesota. Minnesota, with its desolate and hostile winter, sets a harsh tone as the backdrop of this movie. The story follows a ransom gone wrong, when car salesman Jerry Lundegaard has his wife kidnaped in order to extort money from his father-in-law. Jerry underestimates the tenacity of his father-in-law, who fights back against the kidnapers while attempting to exchange the money.
The deadliness of Minnesota winters, with seemingly no respite from the cold and darkness, parallels the way many of the characters we meet encounter the world. Likewise, when we meet Marge and her husband, their cozy home exemplifies the pocket of warmth that her character exudes.
1 'Meet Me in St. Louis' (1944)
Rotten Tomatoes Score 100%
Meet Me in St. Louis was directed by Vincente Minelli and stars Judy Garland. The story follows the Smith family in St. Louis Missouri. The year is 1903 and everyone is exciting about the upcoming World's Fair. Everything is perfect until their father receives a job offer in New York City, announcing that the family will relocate after the new year. Though very sad, the family decides to make the most of their last Christmas. The father eventually rethinks his decision to move to New York, and instead decides to stay.
It's considered one of Garland's best films due to the score and acting by Garland and the supporting cast. The movie was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Color, Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture and Best Music, Song (Ralph Blane and Hugh Martin for "The Trolley Song"). The movie was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry due to its cultural significance in 1994.
NEXT: The 7 Most Entertaining Movies To Watch On The 4th of July
