Connecticut in the Movies: From Dream Houses to Dark Suburbia

by Illeana Douglas

Overview

Discover the Untold Story of Connecticut's Cinematic Legacy!
 
Join acclaimed actress and film historian Illeana Douglas on an exhilarating journey through the overlooked world of Connecticut cinema! In Connecticut in the Movies, Douglas shines a spotlight on over 200 films that have shaped the perception of this charming state, revealing the rich tapestry of Hollywood’s history intertwined with Connecticut’s landscapes.
 
From the whimsical charm of classics like Bringing Up Baby and Christmas in Connecticut to the poignant critiques found in Gentleman’s Agreement and The Ice Storm, discover how Connecticut has served as both a cinematic paradise and a canvas for darker narratives. With personal anecdotes and behind-the-scenes stories, Douglas’s warm and engaging style invites readers to explore the real locations behind these beloved films, making it a perfect companion for film buffs and casual viewers alike.
 
Uncover how the vision of Connecticut has evolved from an idyllic escape to a complex portrayal of suburban life. With insightful commentary and stunning visuals, Connecticut in the Movies is not just a tribute to the state—it’s a love letter to the art of filmmaking itself. Whether you’re a lifelong resident or a curious visitor, this book promises to change the way you see the movies and the hidden gems of Connecticut.
 
Don’t miss this chance to delve into the surprising legacy of Connecticut’s film history—get your copy of Connecticut in the Movies today and take your cinematic road trip with Illeana Douglas!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781493075737
Publisher:	Globe Pequot Publishing
Publication date:	10/03/2023
Pages:	352
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 11.10(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Illeana Douglas has starred in films like Cape Fear, To Die For, Grace of My Heart, and Ghost World, as well as in TVshows like Goliath, Shrill, Entourage, and Six Feet Under. Douglas is the granddaughter of two-time Academy Award–winning actor Melvyn Douglas. A classic film lover, she hosted Trailblazing Woman for Turner Classic Movies and participated in many film documentaries, including CNN: The Movies andKino Lorber’s Pioneers: First Women Filmmakers, which she also executive produced and hosted. Herfirst book, I Blame Dennis Hopper: And Other Stories from a Life Lived In and Out of the Movies was named Best Pop Culture book of the year in 2015 by Entertainment Weekly.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“Illeana Douglas’s well-written and highly readable book about the state of Connecticut in the movies, from the silent era to modern times is sparked by her wit and warmth, her deep knowledge of movie history, the originality of her ideas, and her impeccable research. —Jeanine Basinger, author of Hollywood: The Oral History and A Woman’s View, chair of Film Studies, Wesleyan University “In Connecticut in the Movies, Illeana Douglas puts on her historian’s hat and takes readers on a compelling tour of her adopted state’s surprising, colorful, and sometimes dark history in cinema. Her adoration of the state, and the movies, leaps off of these pages—and it’s infectious.” —Ronan Farrow, Pulitzer Prize–winning investigative journalist and New York Times best-selling author of Catch and Kill “What connects my favorite Barbara Stanwyck film to Sarah Jessica Parker’s most underrated movie, The Family Stone? The answer, I’ve discovered, is the Nutmeg State. Connecticut, it turns out, has a rich, engrossing cinematic history, brought to life by the best person for the job, Illeana Douglas. She left Hollywood during the pandemic and returned to Connecticut, where she grew up, bought a fixer-upper, much as Cary Grant and Myrna Loy—as Jim and Muriel Blandings—did in Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House. Turns out, she also wrote her Dream Book.” —Ben Mankiewicz, host, Turner Classic Movies, correspondent, CBS Sunday Morning “The best sort of movie book feels like a well-curated time trip. Illeana Douglas is the ideal guide here: She loves movies, and she loves Connecticut. One of the great pleasures of Connecticut in the Movies is the way the author both recaps the film story and gives us the inside location lore with equal ease. Connecticut’s role in the history of the movies reaches back beyond Griffith, and Douglas—with roots in Hollywood as well as the Nutmeg State—is the perfect docent.” —Michael McKean, actor, Better Call Saul, The Mighty Wind, screenwriter, and musician “As an aspiring New Englander who wound up in Los Angeles, I greatly enjoyed going through this lively, fact-filled, well-written book. Douglas illustrates why and how Connecticut becomes a character in so many movies, from Bringing Up Baby to The Last House on the Left”. —Leonard Maltin, film critic, author, and historian “This book should come with a warning: Highly Addictive.” —Sydney Stern, author, The Brothers Mankiewicz “Connecticut in the Movies is Illeana Douglas’s brilliant deep dive into the Constitution State’s heretofore overlooked but voluminous role in American films”. —Alan K. Rode, film historian and author, Michael Curtiz: A Life in Film