Movies The United States of Movies — 51 iconic films By EW Staff Updated on July 2, 2020 05:11PM EDT Close 01 of 52 The United States of Movies Illustration by Peter Oumanski for EW Movies have touched almost every aspect of the American experience — and just about every square inch of land. EW picks the one film that best captures the spirit and story of each state. 02 of 52 Alabama Atsushi Nishijima/Paramount Selma (2014) Ava DuVernay's drama about Martin Luther King Jr. (David Oyelowo) and his famed protest march uses historic locations, including the Edmund Pettus Bridge. Related: Inside the Best Picture nominees: A deep dive into Selma 03 of 52 Alaska Francois Duhamel/Paramount Vantage Into the Wild (2007) Christopher McCandless (Emile Hirsch) abandons his urban life for one in nature — with tragic results. The beautiful, brutal Alaskan landscape takes center stage. Into the Wild bus removed from Alaskan forest due to public safety concerns 04 of 52 Arizona Everett Collection Raising Arizona (1987) The Coen brothers' kidnapping comedy transforms the Southwestern desert into a cartoonish world of bizarre dialects, manic chases, and a bounty hunter from hell. What movie started the ''quirky'' genre? 05 of 52 Arkansas Everett Collection True Grit (1969) This Western, partially set in Fort Smith, follows crotchety U.S. Marshal Rooster Cogburn (John Wayne) and headstrong teenager Mattie Ross (Kim Darby) as they pursue her father's killer. John Wayne vs. Jeff Bridges — which one has more true grit? 06 of 52 California Everett Collection Chinatown (1974) In Roman Polanski's inky noir, Jack Nicholson investigates dark deeds and darker secrets in 1930s Los Angeles. A hard-boiled masterpiece. David Fincher, Robert Towne to co-write Chinatown prequel series pilot for Netflix 07 of 52 Colorado Kathy Bates in 'Misery'. Everett Collection Misery (1990) A psychotic fan (Kathy Bates) nurses an injured novelist (James Caan) in the snowy confines and rural disquiet of her Rocky Mountains home. Inside James Caan and Kathy Bates' Misery reunion for EW 08 of 52 Connecticut Everett Collection The Ice Storm (1997) Ang Lee's glimpse into the bleak heart of WASPs in moneyed Fairfield County reveals a spiritual funk that no amount of Scotch, self-help, or key parties can cure. Thanksgiving movies: The Ice Storm 09 of 52 Delaware Merrick Morton/Fox Fight Club (1999) Sometimes called "the Chemical Capital of the World," Wilmington (unnamed in the film) provides the setting for this antisocial opera that rhapsodizes about explosive violence and soap products. The blood, sweat, and fears of Fight Club 10 of 52 District of Columbia Everett Collection All the President's Men (1976) Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman play Washington Post muckrakers Woodward and Bernstein in this riveting procedural about speaking truth to power. 20 whistleblower movies to watch: All the President's Men, The Report, and more 11 of 52 Florida Universal Pictures Scarface (1983) Say hello to director Brian De Palma's Miami-set tale of gangsters and cocaine (and cocaine). Al Pacino stars as Cuban refugee-turned-criminal overlord Tony Montana. Related: Al Pacino utters iconic Scarface line 35 years later in exclusive clip 12 of 52 Georgia Everett Collection Deliverance (1972) More than just a nightmare of backwoods banjo players, this film suggests that within every upright Atlanta businessman hides a wild Appalachian hunter. 13 of 52 Hawaii Everett Collection Lilo & Stitch (2002) An alien crash-lands on rainy Kauai and learns valuable lessons about ohana and Elvis in a film that explores the meaning of sisterhood. Disney classics making live-action magic on screen 14 of 52 Idaho Everett Collection Napoleon Dynamite (2004) This cult classic is so Idaho, it sparked a flippin' festival there, complete with tetherball and a tater-tot-eating contest. Napoleon Dynamite cast remembers making the cult classic (Gosh!) 15 of 52 Illinois Everett Collection The Blues Brothers (1980) John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd bring the cool (and the shades) as bluesmen who burn serious rubber around the Prairie State to save their old orphanage. Dan Aykroyd recalls his "Blues Brothers" period 16 of 52 Indiana Everett Collection Breaking Away (1979) Beneath the surface of this tale of a blue-collar teen and his dream of being a world-class cyclist beats the heart of a life-affirming epic about us versus them. EW reunions — Breaking Away 17 of 52 Iowa Melinda Sue Gordon Field of Dreams (1989) When a farmer (Kevin Costner) replaces his cornfield with a baseball diamond, the town assumes he's lost his mind. But it tees up a tearjerker about fathers, sons, and the magic of the game. Kevin Costner reflects on his biggest roles, from Field of Dreams to Yellowstone 18 of 52 Kansas Judy Garland in 'The Wizard of Oz'. Everett Collection The Wizard of Oz (1939) Dorothy Gale might go over the rainbow but she discovers that there's no place like the Sunflower State. How the ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz became the ultimate Hollywood symbol 19 of 52 Kentucky Everett Collection Coal Miner's Daughter (1980) This rags-to-riches biopic tracks how country-music legend Loretta Lynn (Sissy Spacek) became the voice of her ol' Kentucky home. Movies about musicians: Coal Miner's Daughter 20 of 52 Louisiana Everett Collection A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) New Orleans is a city eternally preserved in the liquidy black-and-white lust of Tennessee Williams' pinnacle drama. 15 classic Tennessee Williams adaptations 21 of 52 Maine Tobey Maguire in 'Cider House Rules'. Everett Collection The Cider House Rules (1999) Lasse Hallström directs the John Irving novel, where "princes of Maine and kings of New England" come of age in apple orchards beneath Yankee blue skies. Inside the making of Cider House Rules 22 of 52 Maryland David James/New Line Hairspray (2007) Perky, plus-size Tracy Turnblad (Nikki Blonsky) fights for acceptance (and dance fame) in this song-filled redo of John Waters' 1988 homage to his beloved Baltimore. Nikki Blonsky: My first taste of fame 23 of 52 Massachusetts Everett Collection The Departed (2006) Martin Scorsese's Oscar winner dives into Boston's underbelly. Matt Damon stars as a police department mole, Leonardo DiCaprio as a cop undercover in the local Mob. Martin Scorsese explains Leonardo DiCaprio's cryptic final line in The Departed 24 of 52 Michigan David James/Paramount Dreamgirls (2006) Set against Detroit's Motown scene, this adaptation of the Broadway musical follows the Dreams as they navigate the highs and lows of stardom. The holiday movie on center stage, Dreamgirls 25 of 52 Minnesota Frances McDormand in 'Fargo'. Everett Collection Fargo (1996) Despite bearing the name of a North Dakota city, the Coen brothers' northerly noir is quirky Minnesota to its core. Yah. Fargo at 20: William H. Macy recalls his wonderful wintry freakout 26 of 52 Mississippi Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger in 'In the Heat of the Night'. Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images In the Heat of the Night (1967) Norman Jewison's tinderbox Best Picture winner centers on a Black Northern police detective (Sidney Poitier) investigating a murder in Sparta, Miss. Sidney Poitier makes rare public appearance at In the Heat of the Night 50th anniversary fête 27 of 52 Missouri Merrick Morton/20th Century Fox Gone Girl (2014) David Fincher's exquisite adaptation of Gillian Flynn's thriller captures a landscape so expansive, a woman could vanish into it. Gone Girl: David Fincher brings the best-seller to the screen 28 of 52 Montana Everett Collection A River Runs Through It (1992) Director Robert Redford makes the big skies and clear waters of 1920s Missoula, Mont., every bit as striking as a young Brad Pitt. Brad Pitt's transformation 29 of 52 Nebraska Merie W. Wallace/Paramount Nebraska (2013) A delusional father, a depressive son, a road trip to Lincoln: What could go wrong? Alexander Payne's meditation on the past offers an unlikely vision for the future. Nebraska star Bruce Dern on his Best Actor nomination 30 of 52 Nevada Frank Masi/Warner Bros The Hangover (2009) What happens in Vegas doesn't stay in Vegas after three friends awake with no memory of the world's wildest bachelor party. Zach Galifianakis on The Hangover movies: "I wish we had just done one" 31 of 52 New Hampshire Everett Collection Our Town (1940) The film of Thornton Wilder's American classic visits Grovers Corners, where a young couple and their families face love, life, and loss. 32 of 52 New Jersey Natalie Portman and Zach Braff in 'Garden State'. K.C. Bailey Garden State (2004) No mobsters or housewives here: South Orange son Zach Braff showcases Joisey's eclectic spirit in this offbeat comedy about an actor's unconventional homecoming. Every song on the Garden State soundtrack, ranked 33 of 52 New Mexico Everett Collection Gas Food Lodging (1992) The dusty streets and striated skies of a small desert town provide the backdrop for this tale of two lonely girls and their waitress mother. Gas Food Lodging review 34 of 52 New York Spike Lee, Danny Aiello in 'Do the Right Thing'. Everett Collection Do the Right Thing (1989) On a hot day in Brooklyn, tensions simmer, boil, and explode. Spike Lee's masterpiece is a panoramic portrait of New York City at its best and worst: every neighborhood a city, every block a universe. Spike Lee breaks down the explosive Do the Right Thing scene between Mookie and Pino 35 of 52 North Carolina Everett Collection Junebug (2005) This beguiling drama glows with precise local details and mysterious characters, and Amy Adams' gentle star-making performance. Summer's movie-star MVPs: Amy Adams 36 of 52 North Dakota Everett Collection Three Faces West (1940) This Dust Bowl saga was overshadowed by The Grapes of Wrath, but star John Wayne, playing a proud farmer, delivers flag-waving sermons worthy of this state. 37 of 52 Ohio Everett Collection Heathers (1989) From slushies at the convenience store to explosives in the school gym, this jet-black comedy exposes the horror lurking under the surface of suburban Sherwood. An oral history of Heathers 38 of 52 Oklahoma Everett Collection Oklahoma! (1955) Take a ride in your surrey with the fringe on top for this adaptation of Rodgers and Hammerstein's 1943 musical, featuring the catchiest anthem for a state ever written. All the times Watchmen referenced the musical Oklahoma! 39 of 52 Oregon Wil Wheaton, Jerry O'Connell, Corey Feldman, and River Phoenix in 'Stand by Me.'. Everett Collection Stand by Me (1986) The Stephen King story was set in Maine, but Rob Reiner's adventure about four friends searching for a dead body finds wonder in Oregon's green woods and wild rivers. An oral history of the blueberry pie scene in Stand by Me 40 of 52 Pennsylvania Sylvester Stallone in 'Rocky'. Everett Collection Rocky (1976) Few visitors can resist sprinting up the 72 steps outside the Philadelphia Museum of Art because of Sylvester Stallone's testament to a blue-collar state that stands tall. How Rocky nabbed Best Picture 41 of 52 Rhode Island Everett Collection The Witches of Eastwick (1987) Director George Miller brings demented mayhem to RI's pastoral estates and historic churches — with an assist from a devilish Jack Nicholson. 42 of 52 South Carolina Everett Collection The Big Chill (1983) In Lawrence Kasdan's baby-boomer classic, seven college friends reunite in an antebellum mansion for a funeral, and to examine what happened to their 1960s ideals. The cast and crew tell EW the lessons learned from The Big Chill 43 of 52 South Dakota Everett Collection Badlands (1973) Terrence Malick's films are steeped in nature, telling stories born from the land. The same is true of his first film: a hazy, bleak rehashing of the American dream. 44 of 52 Tennessee Everett Collection Nashville (1975) In his epic latticework set in the state's capital, director Robert Altman celebrates Nashville as the essence of America's thumping, generous, crazy heart. Robert Altman's Nashville: The quirky ensemble drama birthed an uncomfortable alliance between politics and country music 45 of 52 Texas Everett Collection As big and wide as the state it portrays, George Stevens' generation-spanning family saga strides across a Lone Star landscape of cattle barons and oil tycoons. Casting a Giant shadow: Rare behind-the-scenes photos from the classic '56 Texas-set shoulda-been Best Picture 46 of 52 Utah Chuck Zlotnick/Fox Searchlight 127 Hours (2010) Amid a topography so gorgeously spooky and remote it might as well be Mars, Aron Ralston (James Franco) must save himself when his arm is trapped by a boulder — a testament to nerve and endurance. The harrowing true story — James Franco and Aron Ralston talk about bringing Ralston's story to the big screen 47 of 52 Vermont Everett Collection Dead Poets Society (1989) Although shot in Delaware, the Robin Williams gem about a passionate teacher at a prestigious prep school captures the rebellious nature of this New England state. Josh Charles shares Dead Poets Society memories, 25 years later 48 of 52 Virginia Everett Collection Jimmy Stewart stars as a widower who wants nothing to do with the Civil War, until his son is apprehended by Union troops and he's forced to battle his conscience. The essential Jimmy Stewart 49 of 52 Washington Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart in 'Twilight'. Deana Newcomb/Summit Twilight (2008) The supernatural teen romance put the town of Forks on the map. Under perpetually gloomy Pacific Northwest skies, Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) finds forbidden love with gentleman vampire Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson). 16 Twilight obsessions that endure, 10 years later 50 of 52 West Virginia Everett Collection October Sky (1999) You can almost taste the coal dust in this story of future NASA engineer Homer Hickam Jr. (Jake Gyllenhaal), who grew up in a mining town in the state's lower cradle — and discovered the only way out was up. October Sky: Where are they now? 51 of 52 Wisconsin Universal Bridesmaids (2011) Friendships are tested when down-on-her-luck Milwaukee baker Annie (Kristen Wiig) is drafted to be the maid of honor for lifelong bestie Lillian (Maya Rudolph). Cue the Wilson Phillips. "We didn't want to wallow in grossness": An oral history of Bridesmaids 52 of 52 Wyoming Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal in 'Brokeback Mountain.'. Kimberly French/Focus Features Brokeback Mountain (2005) Director Ang Lee's gut-wrenching love story may have been shot in the towering Canadian Rockies, but the rugged hearts of its heroes — two ranch hands (Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal) who embark on a doomed romance — are pure Wyoming. Jake Gyllenhaal says Heath Ledger "never joked" about Brokeback Mountain, "This is about love"