There was a time when a lot of famous movies were filmed in Vermont
Many of the movies filmed in Vermont listed below are independent or local productions that may be a little tough to find. Best bets for some of these would be Vermont bookstores. Also, see our Movies Filmed in Vermont Pinterest page for photos.
Vermont may be known for its quaint small towns, autumn foliage, and maple syrup, but for a brief period in the 1990s to 2000, it was also a hotspot for Hollywood film productions. Major studios descended upon the rural Green Mountain State to take advantage of its picturesque landscapes and old-fashioned charm. For a few years, Vermont rivaled more famous filming locations like Vancouver and New York.
Several high-profile films were shot in Vermont during this boom period. The 1994 drama The Spitfire Grill told the story of a woman starting over in a fictional Vermont town, with scenes filmed in Vermont communities like Waitsfield and Barre. That same year, the Kate Capshaw and Tom Skerritt romance A Far Off Place was shot primarily in and around Burlington. Other productions included Snow Falling on Cedars, Deconstructing Harry, and Me, Myself & Irene.
- Factory sealed DVD
- Ellen Burstyn, Marcia Gay Harden, Alison Elliott (Actors)
- Lee David Zlotoff (Director)
- English (Publication Language)
- Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned)
So why did Hollywood's affair with Vermont fade?
Some point to the state government's decision in 1998 to cap the amount of tax credits available for film productions as a turning point. This made Vermont less financially appealing to major studios. Around the same time, Canada was offering very generous tax incentives to attract filmmakers, luring many projects north of the border.
Additionally, some local Vermonters grew weary of the disruption caused by Hollywood film shoots, from locked down Main Streets to increased traffic. Environmental concerns were also raised about the impact of large-scale productions. The honeymoon period was over, and studios looked elsewhere to mountains and small towns that were more welcoming.
Nonetheless, Vermont still makes occasional appearances in films today, if no longer a go-to location. While the heyday of 1990s filmmaking has passed, the state's natural beauty remains unchanged, ready for its next closeup. The Green Mountain State may never rival California or New York as a filming destination, but its brief moment as Hollywood's darling lives on in the movies made there.
Hollywood Movies and Vermont in the Year 2000
A brief, but exciting boom time for movies filmed in the Burlington area seemed to be around the year 2000. At that time, Jim Carrey and Renee Zellwegger were in the area filming “Me, Myself and Irene”. It was pretty big news as film crews were spotted filming scenes in nearby Essex Junction and Milton, as well.
![Me, Myself & Irene [Blu-ray] by 20th Century Fox](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/513KdQYbdpL._SL160_.jpg)
Around the same time, Harrison Ford was in the area filming “What Lies Beneath“, a ghost/suspense story. Locations included the cemetery in North Burlington, the UVM area and the D.A.R. State Park in Addison. Lots of big name movie stars cavorting around the small city of Burlington in just one year. Harrison Ford was spotted at a local Irish pub, RiRa's on several occasions imbibing with some of the locals.
- Dennison Samaroo, Amber Valletta, Joe Morton (Actors)
- Robert Zemeckis (Director)
- Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned)
Why You Don't See Many Movies Filmed in Vermont Anymore
For quite some time, Vermont was a highly sought out venue for filming movies in Vermont but unfortunately due to skyrocketing costs and other factors, the Vermont Film Commission and the people behind it, ceased to exist. Vermont remains one of just a handful of states that offer neither a film commission or tax incentives. Here is another article about the demise of the VT Film Commission.
However, as of April 2023, there are efforts in place by Vermont representatives to bring back some type of Vermont film commission in some form.
Are There Any Movies That Feature Sleigh Rides in Vermont?
Explore the enchantment of winter with a sleigh rides in vermont experience. Picture cozy blankets, jingling bells, and snowy landscapes as you embark on a magical journey. While Vermont is renowned for its picturesque scenery, it has also been the backdrop for several movies that showcase the joy of sleigh rides. Immerse yourself in these films to relish the beauty and wonder of sleigh rides in Vermont firsthand.
List of movies filmed in Vermont
1920 – Way Down East, White River Jct./Hartland
1954 – The Trouble with Harry, Craftsbury Common
1962 – Hallelujah the Hills
1965 – Dr. Cook's Garden, Woodstock
1965 – Those Calloways, Vermont
1972 – Portnoy's Complaint Director: Ernest Lehman
1974 – The Catamount Killing, North Bennington
1975 – Leaving the Harbor
1976 – Last Stand Farmer, Chelsea
1976 – A Love of the Land
1977 – Deer Hunting in Vermont
1977 – The Stuff of Dreams
1978 – Pilgrim…Farewell, Post Mills
1979 – A Change of Seasons, Bennington/Wilmington
1979 – Terror Train, Bellows Falls
1980 – The Four Seasons, Edson Hill Manor, Stowe
1981 – Ghost Story, Woodstock
1981 – Warriors Women
1982 – Exposed, UVM Campus, Burlington
1982 – Something Wicked This Way Comes, Jeffersonville/E. Montpelier,
1982 – I am the Cheese, Plainfield/Marshfield/Northfield/Montpelier
1983 – Survivors, West Fairlee
1983 – Dawn of the People
1983 – Granada: The Future Coming Toward Us
1983 – The Gift of Love: A Christmas Story, Chelsea/Burlington
1985 – Gayleen
1986 – A Return to Salem's Lot, Peacham, Newbury, St. Johnsbury
1986 – Baby Boom, Peru, Manchester, Weston
1987 – Blanche
1987 – Sweet Hearts Dance, Hyde Park
1987 – Beetlejuice, East Corinth
1987 – Funny Farm, Grafton, Townshend, Windsor
1987 – Wizard of Loneliness, Bristol
1988 – Welcome Home, Bennington, Woodstock
1989 – High Water
1989 – The Big Dis
1990 – Wolf Kahn: Landscape Painter
1990 – Black Dawn (animation)
1990 – Ten Minutes
1991 – Time Chasers, Rutland, Bennington, Burlington
1991 – Road Construction Ahead
1992 – Bridge of Fire
1992 – Journey Home: Accompaniment in Guatemala
1992 – Testament of the Rabbit
1992 – Ethan Frome, Peacham, Morrisville, Chester Area
1992 – Vermont is for Lovers, Chelsea, Tunbridge
1993 – Where the Rivers Flow North, Peacham, St. Johnsbury, Northeast Kingdom
1993 – Wolf, Roxbury, Waitsfield
1993 – Forrest Gump, Woodstock, Reading
1993 – Delivered Vacant
1994 – Brother Bread, Sister Puppet
1994 – The Spitfire Grill, Peacham, St. Johnsbury
1995 – Journey into Courage
1996 – A Man with a Plan, Tunbridge, Strafford, Chelsea
1996 – Diamond Run, Rutland
1996 – Paranoia, Bennington
1997 – My Mother's Early Lovers, Norwich, Thetford, Strafford, and various other locations
1997 – A Stranger in the Kingdom, Chelsea, Guildhall
1997 – Pressure Point, Rutland, Burlington
1997 – Wedding Band, Burlington
1997 – Spinning the Bottle, Barton, Crystal Lake
1997 – Home to Tibet
1997 – First Surface: The Story of a Twice Grown Boy
1997 – The Apartment
1997 – Snowriders
1998 – Mud Season, Montpelier, East Montpelier, Waterbury Center
1998 – American Road, Quechee, Shelburne, Montpelier
1998 – Home Coming, Stowe
1998 – The Cider House Rules, Dummerston, Bellows Falls, Weathersfield (written by John Irving of Dorset, VT)
1998 – Icebreaker, Killington
1998 – Where's Stephanie?
1998 – Fishbelly White
1998 – Gabriel Women: Passamaquoddy Basketweavers
1998 – Kingsbury Beach (experimental animation)
1998 – Peace Train to Beijing
1998 – Woodhead Saves The Day
1998 – Grieving
1998 – In Jest
1998 – Moving Targets
1998 – Freeriders
1999 – Signs and Wonders, Stowe
1999 – Sacrifices, Brattleboro
1999 – Peril, Rutland and surrounding area
1999 – Blood Rites, Brattleboro
1999 – Radical Jack, Rutland and surrounding area
1999 – The Newcomers, Pittsfield, Proctor, Rutland, W. Rutland
1999 – Lightning – Fire from the Sky, Rutland, Northfield
1999 – The Haven, Burlington, Charlotte
1999 – The Logger
1999 – The Whitehouse (CGI Animation)
1999 – Swimming on the Moon
1999 – Radiant Flux (animation)
1999 – Waiting for the Time Being (short)
1999 – Messages (animation)
1999 – Men With Teeth: Bread & Puppet Domestic Resurrection Crisis
1999 – The Last Monster (short)
1999 – Dim Stars Director: Bruce Gibbs
1999 – Peril, Clarendon, E. Clarendon, Proctor
1999 – The Banishing, Newfane, Brattleboro
1999 – Me, Myself & Irene, Burlington, Essex, Milton, Middlebury, Waterbury, and surrounding towns
1999 – What Lies Beneath, Addison, Burlington, Waterbury, Charlotte
2000 – Dressed Like a Hitman, Montpelier, Hardwick
2000 – Thief in the Night, Dorset, Poultney, Rutland
2000 – The World in Claire's Classroom
2000 – Losing Sleep (short)
2000 – Golgonooza (short)
2000 – Dyslexic Family Diary
2000 – Sun and Moon were Children and Walked on the Earth (
2000 – Ricochet
2000 – The Logger in New York
2000 – Soul Flight (animation)
2000 – Love of My Life (short)
2000 – Two Animations
2000 – A Matter of Moments (short)
2000 – A Moment in Time
2000 – The Shoemaker and the Elves
2000 – Empty, Berlin, Montpelier, E. Montpelier
2000 – American Gun, Fair Haven, West Haven, Rutland
2000 – Lightning – Fire from the Sky, Rutland, W. Rutland
2001 – Trapped, Killington, Rutland
2001 – Nosey Parker
2001 – Birth Stories
2001 – Because Of Mama (short)
2001 – Burgundy (short)
2001 – The Rabbi's Dilemma
2002 – The Mudge Boy
2002 – Nothing Like Dreaming
2003 – Killer Flood
2003 – Frozen Impact
2003 – Falls (short)
2003 – The Able's House is Green – Greensboro
2003 – Ghosts of Vermont
2003 – DA Speech
2004 – Bereft
2004 – Beyond 88 Keys: The Music of Michael Arnowitt
2005 – The Singers (Battle of White Plains)
2005 – Illegal Aliens, Rutland
2005 – Zombietown, Rutland
2005 – RADICALLY simple, Charlotte, VT
2006 – Disappearances
2007 – The Simpsons, Springfield, VT
2008 – Moonlight & Mistletoe, Chester, VT
2008 – Dumping Lisa, Burlington, VT
2009 – Star Trek – Granite Quarries, Barre, VT
2010 – The Blood in This Town, Rutland, VT
2010 – Tin Can, VT
2010 – The Summer of Walter Hacks, Chester, VT
2011 – Craptastic, Rutland, VT
2024 – Beetlejuice 2
Note: Some websites are reporting that a movie called “Before I Sleep” was filmed in Vermont in 2013. This is not accurate. Though the movie was created by Vermont film makers it was filmed in Franconia, NH at the Robert Frost house.
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