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Arts & Culture

Broward-Set Films Screening For Free At Cinema Paradiso

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Tom Cruise in "Rock of Ages" performs at Revolution Live in Fort Lauderdale.

In the 1960 comedy “Where the Boys Are,” four female college students from the Midwest head to Fort Lauderdale for spring break.

Recognizable scenes, including one in the Elbo Room on Las Olas Boulevard, made Fort Lauderdale a spring break destination.

But since then, Broward County has been the backdrop for popular films such as “Caddyshack,” “Marley & Me” and “There's Something About Mary.”

These and more than 20 other films shot on location in Broward will be screened for free at Cinema Paradiso in Fort Lauderdale from July 9 to 16.

Click below to hear WLRN's afternoon anchor Christine DiMattei talk about the films with Gregory von Hausch, president of the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival.

And keep scrolling to see clips from six films in the lineup featuring Broward hot spots.

1. “Hoot” (2006)

This adaptation of Carl Hiaasen's novel was shot throughout Fort Lauderdale and Hollywood. Locations include the All Saints Episcopal Church off Las Olas, the Citrus Isles, and Chaminade-Madonna College Preparatory School in Hollywood.

“Hoot” tells the story of kids trying to save a burrowing owl habitat from being destroyed by a construction site.

2. “There’s Something About Mary” (1998)

This comedy starring Cameron Diaz featured scenes in Miami Beach and Broward County. Plantation City Hall is the setting for the high school scene in the film’s opening.

Ben Stiller plays Ted, a shy guy who's been in love with Mary, played by Diaz, since high school. Stiller’s character tries to track down Mary, who is an orthopedic surgeon in Miami.

3. “Caddyshack” (1980)

The Bushwood Country Club in the sports comedy “Caddyshack” is actually the Grande Oaks Golf Club in Davie. The AV Club reported that director Harold Ramis chose a golf course in Florida that didn’t have palm trees. He wanted to recreate a golf course from the Midwest.

4. “Rock of Ages” (2012)

The Revolution Live nightclub in downtown Fort Lauderdale helped recreate the Los Angeles setting for the adaptation of the hit Broadway show “Rock of Ages.”

The movie musical follows a young couple trying to make it in showbiz. Tom Cruise, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Julianne Hough perform classic rock hits from the 1980s. These include Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin,’” DefLeppard’s “Pour Some Sugar on Me” and Foreigner’s “I Want to Know What Love Is.”

5. “Marley & Me” (2008)

Based on the bestselling memoir by John Grogan, “Marley & Me” is about a couple and their misbehaved labrador. Owen Wilson and Jennifer Anniston star as the couple who move to South Florida, where they each write for competing newspapers The Palm Beach Post and the Sun-Sentinel.

Scenes were filmed at the Sun-Sentinel building and Nick's Bar and Grill in Hollywood. 

6. “Where the Boys Are” (1960)

The Elbo Room is as much a character as the college kids enjoying spring break in Fort Lauderdale. For more than 60 years, the oceanfront bar has been a local landmark and destination for spring breakers.

The Sun-Sentinel reported that new generations may not be familiar with “Where the Boys Are,” but still head to Fort Lauderdale for an experience much like one portrayed in the film.

Bonus clip

The Broward County Film Commission made this promotional video to showcase some of the places Broward can recreate in film. Every scene was shot in Broward.

For the full list of films in the Filmed in Broward lineup, visitfliff.com.

Alexander Gonzalez produces the afternoon newscasts airing during All Things Considered. He enjoys helping tell the South Florida story through audio and digital platforms. Alex is interested in a little of everything from business to culture to politics.
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