Some scenes from the movie, "Sommersby," were filmed here in Lexington in 1993. It starred Richard Gere and Jodi Foster, and at that time I was teaching with a girl who adored Richard Gere. She was having such a fit we actually left school early to go into town so she might see him.That night he went with some of the crew to The White Column Inn and played his guitar for all of us. What a thrill! My nephew took a picture of him, but I cannot find it or the ones my friend and I took that afternoon :-(. So typical! A number of other friends were extras in the picture. Wish I could have found some pictures online of Main Street covered with tons of dirt because it was one huge mess! They brought it in one night by dump truck loads for shooting the horse and buggy coming down the street, and by the next morning it was all gone. Other scenes were filmed out in Bath County.
These pictures were found online ~ Main Street ~ Lexington, VA
This post is linked with Signs 2.
It is neat to see the transformation of a familiar place into something else for a movie shoot isn't it?!
ReplyDeleteInteresting post...will have to look for that movie. Almost anything with Jodi Foster is good....and did you Hatchie with Richard Gere? Wonderful movie...
ReplyDeleteGenie, I actually spelled it wrong, and didn't give the whole title. It is Hachi, A dog's tale. The story of a real dog. I cannot remember what the name means for the life of me. But it is a wonderfully done movie. Leaves me in tears, but wonderful anyway. The real story took place in Japan, and there is a statue of this dog there.
ReplyDeleteYah, Genie, it is really neat to watch the transformation of a building or street, when they are filming. What a great experience you and your friends had - you gotta search for those photos - Jodi Foster is a great actress - I adore her films.
ReplyDeleteHow fun was that! It is amazing that they went to all that work to transform the city.
ReplyDeleteAnimal House was filmed at the UO and around the Eugene area when we lived there, but I don't think they had to do much alteration. Some of my friends caught glimpses of the stars here and there. (But they weren't Richard Gere by any stretch of the imagination.)
Movie making sometimes leaves great signs, buildings, and sets. This one is fine.
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