PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Philadelphia has been many things throughout its centuries of history, from the cradle of liberty to a renowned food city, to one of the most passionate sports cities in the world.
But it's also a great city for movies. Philadelphia has produced legendary films and filmmakers. It's played host to some of the greatest actors of all time, and has inspired some of cinema's most iconic stories.
So this week, we're looking at some of the best Philly movies ever made. And while we love a certain Italian Stallion just as much as the next person, we're starting with something a little different.
"Blow Out"
One of the most critically acclaimed thrillers ever made, "Blow Out" uses its Philly setting for maximum tension. John Travolta plays Jack Terry, a movie sound technician who accidentally records a late night car accident on Lincoln Drive. However, the accident is really a political assassination.
Jack befriends the only survivor of the crash, a prostitute named Sally (Nancy Allen), but they find themselves in the crosshairs of an unscrupulous hitman (a particularly chilling John Lithgow), who chases them from the Gallery to 30th Street Station, leading to a heart-rending Fourth of July climax on Penn's Landing.
Director Brian DePalma was a Philadelphia native, and his love of the city shows in each frame. And Travolta has never been better than here, as the increasingly paranoid hero whose obsession threatens to doom not only him, but Sally as well. In this watcher's opinion, "Blow Out" is the greatest Philly movie of all time.
"Blow Out" is available to rent on Amazon Prime.
"Rocky"
...but a case can always be made for "Rocky." The Oscar-winning sports drama not only put Philadelphia on the entertainment map, but did the same for its writer and star, Sylvester Stallone. Stallone has rarely equaled his performance here as lovable underdog Rocky Balboa.
What many people don't remember is just how much of a character study "Rocky" actually is, with excellent performances across the board. Burgess Meredith added yet another legendary role to his CV as crusty trainer Mickey, Talia Shire underplayed to the hilt as shy pet store employee Adrian, and Carl Weathers was perfect as the preening, arrogant Apollo Creed.
But the movie's centerpiece is obviously the iconic training montage, taking Rocky all over the city, from the Italian Market to the Art Museum steps. To this day, tourists and residents alike recreate that run by the thousands each year. Even the Rocky statue from the third movie has become an icon unto itself, giving Philadelphians a tangible representation of a character that represents their grit and perseverance. Maybe "Blow Out" is the best Philly movie ever made, but "Rocky" is easily the most Philly movie of all time.
The entire “Rocky” series could probably fit on this list – maybe with the exception of the justifiably maligned fifth entry. “Rocky II” features the culmination of Rocky and Adrian’s romance in a sweet moment at the Philadelphia Zoo. “Rocky III,” of course, debuts the Rocky statue. “Rocky IV,” well, gives us a glimpse of a wealthy Rocky living on the Main Line. The series’ comeback, “Rocky Balboa,” is Stallone’s beautifully shot love letter to the city that made his name.
The critically acclaimed “Creed” movies could have made this slot too, with an older Rocky training the son of Apollo Creed (Michael B. Jordan) while facing down his mortality and the ghosts of his past. The “Rocky” series is beloved and lengthy for a reason – generations of Philadelphians have seen themselves in Rocky Balboa and Adonis Creed, battling adversity with hard heads and full hearts.
All six "Rocky" films are available to stream now on HBO Max, while "Creed" is available to rent on Amazon Prime.
"The Sixth Sense"
M. Night Shyamalan became one of cinema's most popular directors, and a Philadelphia institution, with his breakthrough third movie. Shot almost entirely in Philly, "The Sixth Sense" is still one of the scariest supernatural thrillers of all time, light on special effects but long on filmmaking mastery.
Shyamalan also rejuvenated Bruce Willis' career with this movie. Willis stars as a child psychiatrist whose latest patient thinks he sees dead people. Except, he really can, and it's freaking him out. Haley Joel Osment earned his place in the child acting pantheon with his Oscar-nominated performance.
But it's the big twist at the end that got the world talking. If you've (somehow) never seen it, don't worry. We won't spoil it here. But we will urge you to go watch. "The Sixth Sense" is a Philly horror masterpiece.
“The Sixth Sense” is available to stream on Tubi.
"Philadelphia"
Speaking of Oscars, Tom Hanks earned his first in director Jonathan Demme's earnest, heartbreaking drama, as a gay lawyer who sues his firm for discrimination when he is fired, after they learn he has HIV. Denzel Washington co-stars as a rival lawyer who takes his case, despite his own unfounded misgivings about HIV and AIDS.
“Philadelphia” signaled Hanks’ transformation into a much-heralded serious actor, though Washington more than holds his own, inverting his signature charm to play a character forced to confront his own bigotry. The entire cast is filled with titanic actors, including Jason Robards, Mary Steenburgen, and Antonio Banderas. They bring to life a touching, powerful story that emphasizes the brotherly love Philadelphia has in abundance.
"Philadelphia" is available to stream on Hulu.
“Unbreakable,” “Split” and “Glass”
"Sixth Sense" isn't the only Philly-centric movie in Shyamalan's stable. In fact, the majority of the director's film and TV takes place in and around Philly, including “Unbreakable” trilogy.
It features well-known locations like Franklin Field, the Philadelphia Zoo and Ontario Street Comics. Bruce Willis plays hero David Dunn opposite Samuel L. Jackson's fragile Elijah Price and James McAvoy's Kevin Wendell Crumb, whose dissociative identity disorder manifests as The Horde. The three main characters are brought together by their unique gifts and shared experiences.
M. Night Shyamalan grounded the American superhero thriller and psychological horror trilogy in Philly's reality as opposed to a fictional world, and it is seen as more of a deconstruction of the genre.
As with all Shyamalan films, audiences get plenty of surprises and unexpected connections throughout the trilogy that we don’t want to spoil for anyone who hasn’t seen all three.
The "Unbreakable" trilogy is available to rent on Amazon Prime.
"Trading Places"
What can you say about “Trading Places” that hasn’t been said? It’s a comic tour de force, a near-perfectly constructed movie. And for men of a certain age, it’s a fondly remembered rite of awakening.
In his first of three collaborations with director John Landis, Eddie Murphy plays fast-talking hustler Billy Ray Valentine, whose life is literally turned upside down when he’s plucked from the Philly streets to unwittingly participate in a “social experiment,” switching lives with self-centered commodities broker Louis Winthorpe (Dan Aykroyd).
As Valentine thrives in the moneyed halls of the Union League, Winthorpe spirals into helplessness and even crime, with a tough but kind sex worker named Ophelia (Jamie Lee Curtis) as his only friend. But when they learn exactly how Winthorpe’s bosses engineered the situation, the three decide to turn the tables.
While debate continues over whether or not “Trading Places” is a Christmas movie, one thing is for sure – it’s a Philly movie, and a hilarious one at that.
"Trading Places is available to stream on Hulu.
"Silver Linings Playbook"
Philly boy Bradley Cooper returned home for 2012’s “Silver Linings Playbook.” The story itself takes place in Delaware County and was filmed in parts of Ridley Park, Lansdowne and Upper Darby. Scenes at Llanerch Diner and a decked-out Eagles living room just feel like home.
The dramaedy follows Patrizio “Pat” Solitano Jr. (Cooper) as he moves back in with his parents (Robert De Niro and Jacki Weaver) and navigates his bipolar disorder diagnosis. He meets a young widow (Jennifer Lawrence), who offers to help him reunite with his estranged wife if he participates in a dance competition with her.
Their stories of interpersonal struggles garnered eight Oscar noms and an Academy Award for Lawrence.
"Silver Linings Playbook" is available to stream on Netflix.
"National Treasure"
If you’re gonna steal the Declaration of Independence, you gotta do it in Philly. This Nicolas Cage favorite shot only a few scenes across Philadelphia’s historic district, as well as The Franklin Institute — and Urban Outfitters?
Rewatch for yourself and see how many Philly landmarks you can find. Just don’t be fooled by the ones faked on LA sets.
"National Treasure" is available to stream on Disney+.
"Witness"
Without 30th Street Station, this Oscar-winning 1985 thriller wouldn’t even have a plot to stand on.
After Samuel Lapp, a young Amish boy (Lukas Haas) witnesses (heh, get it?) the murder of an undercover cop in the bathroom at the station, he becomes the only key to solving the crime. Enter: Harrison Ford as John Book, the detective assigned to the case.
Quickly, Book realizes with the boy’s help that the calls are coming from inside the Philly police department, and the corrupt cops responsible for murder means he has to be very careful about who he trusts.
The drama follows the Book and Lapp family back to the typically quiet and rural Amish countryside, and Book is forced to go undercover with the Amish to lay low, dressing and living among them.
And if Harrison Ford living among the Amish while trying to solve a murder isn’t Pennsylvania enough for you, just wait until Detective Book defends his new Amish friends by going full Philly and hopping out of a horse and buggy to punch a bully right in the middle of downtown Lancaster.
"Witness" is available to stream on Hulu.
"Mannequin"
If you're missing Samantha from HBO's "And Just Like That," we have a solution for you. "Mannequin" (1987), starring Kim Cattrall and Andrew McCarthy is bursting with Big Cougar Energy. This movie is that rare treasure where the lead actress is older than the lead actor. McCarthy was a blushing 24 when he played Jonathan Switcher, the young artist who makes a mannequin so lifelike that he falls in love with it. And Cattrall was 30 when she played Emmy, that same mannequin, who comes to life when Switcher sees her in a department store window.
That department store (the fictional Prince & Co.), of course, is Center City's historic Wanamaker Building. For fans of that building, there is really no finer cinematic masterpiece than this. In one scene, Switcher sits at the famous Wanamaker organ, which some may know is actually the largest operational pipe organ in the world.
Even the rival to Prince & Co. in the movie has Philly roots. Scenes at that store were filmed at Boscov's, in Camp Hill, Pa.
The star of the movie still lives in this region – the original mannequin is currently on display at the South Fellini apparel shop in Center City’s Fashion District mall.