Minnesota in Fiction (Minneapolis, Silver Lake, Tower: live in, rating, area)

[green_mariner]

Would Charlie Brown count?

[Campeador]

Great thread!

I picked up "Peace like a River" by Leif Enger this summer at some kind of community center garage sale in Balsam, MN last summer. Pretty solid narrative, I must say.

It takes place in various parts of western MN/ and North Dakota.

Glad to see Louise Erdrich here, as well as Robert Zimmerman (aka Bob Dylan), Nobel Laureate.

[2x3x29x41]

Originally Posted by Campeador

Great thread!

I picked up "Peace like a River" by Leif Enger this summer at some kind of community center garage sale in Balsam, MN last summer. Pretty solid narrative, I must say.

It takes place in various parts of western MN/ and North Dakota.

Glad to see Louise Erdrich here, as well as Robert Zimmerman (aka Bob Dylan), Nobel Laureate.

Thank you for that contribution.

I have not read Peace Like a River.

The first time I ever heard of it was some years ago, when accompanying my older son to his high school (9th grade) orientation. It consisted of maybe 15 minutes with each teacher/class. In the English class, after examining the syllabus, one of the parents complained about the fact that many of the reading assignments were works with depressing endings. Peace Like a River was onf of them. I think Of Mice and Men and Romeo and Juliet were a couple of the others.

I found this amusing.

[2x3x29x41]

Let's tackle television series set in Minnesota.

The Mary Tyler Moore Show
This is widely considered one of the greatest TV series ever made. Mary Richards breaks off her engagement (originally she was to be divorced, but that was too politically incorrect for CBS) and moves to Minneapolis where she wears pants and has a career of her own. Heady stuff in the 1970s.

Little House on the Prairie
Minnesota was quite the scene for major TV series in the 1970s. As I mentioned in a previous post, Little House on the Prairie is a book set in Kansas. I guess the title On the Banks of Plum Creek didn't test well with audiences. Anyway, Simi Valley, where most of this show was filmed, looks nothing like the Walnut Grove area - too hilly, too brown - but the setting is obviously Minnesota. Pa periodically goes to Mankato for supplies, for example. (in the series, the Mankato scenes were filmed in Tucson, of all places)

Fargo
I haven't seen the third season yet, but the first two mark this as a prime example of the golden age of television that we're in right now. The series is filmed outside of Calgary, though I'm pretty sure there was one scene with Duluth's Lift Bridge in the background in season one - maybe an isolated establishing shot? Also, season two implies that Luverne is not as far from Fargo as it actually is. But such things don't bother me.

Coach
For some reason, I once watched this series regularly. I occasionally see a scene or two here or there, and for the life of me I cannot figure out why. Anyway, the main character coaches the Minnesota State Screaming Eagles. During the run of the show, Mankato State had not yet rebranded itself, so Minnesota State was still a fictional name. I seem to recall that the coach had a cabin at Pokegama as well.

How I Met Your Mother
Okay, this one is set in New York. However, it deserves mention because one of the starring ensemble is Marshall Eriksen from St. Cloud. He and his family are all stereotypical flyover country rubes. His father was played by Bill Fagerbakke, apparently typecast from his Coach days. Minnesota stereotypes abound. A few episodes are set in Minnesota.

Golden Girls
Another entry with a character from Minnesota, this time Betty White's quirky Rose Nylund. She's from the town of St. Olaf, rarely seen but often mentioned, and peopled by bizarre Norwegian-descended yokels.

MacGyver
Like Richard Dean Anderson, MacGyver was from Minnesota. I once sold a canoe to a guy who bought it because he wanted a 'parts canoe' for his canoe of the same model. The canoe was small and extremely light (42 lbs) and came with a sail. Anyway, he related to me that he'd purchased his canoe from Anderson himself.

Rocky and Bulwinkle
I watched this as a kid, but somehow I never picked up that they lived in Frostbite Falls, Minnesota. I thought it was set in Canada. Must be Dudley Do-Right that made me think that.

The Louie Show
Louie Anderson is a therapist in Duluth. It lasted five episodes.

Lucan
I only vaguely remember this.

The New Land
This 1970s series was set in 1858 and is about Swedish immigrants in Minnesota. Kurt Russell starred. John Denver played the opening them. 13 episodes were filmed but only 6 ever aired before it was cancelled.

[Pincho-toot]

Hmm. Allen Askins wrote a script of The Life We Bury and I read it this past winter in a screenwriting work shop that he attended. I forgot there was a book about it. It definitely is set in Minnesota and partially Iowa.

[2x3x29x41]

Originally Posted by BadgerFilms

Hmm. Allen Askins wrote a script of The Life We Bury and I read it this past winter in a screenwriting work shop that he attended. I forgot there was a book about it. It definitely is set in Minnesota and partially Iowa.

I just happened to notice The Life We Bury on the bookshelf of my wife's mother the other day. She's often given me wonderful books to read (working my way through J.D. Vance's Hillbilly Elegy right now, courtesy of her - though that book has nothing to do with Minnesota).

[Izzie1213]

1996 movie
Feeling Minnesota
An ok movie
I know some of the scenes were film in Crystal, near where I live. It was at a rather blighted spot that had 10 or so 2 room cabin like structures that were probably from the 1930's or so that were rental homes. They were probably get away spots for summer at one time some kind of resort or hunting cabins. That area would have been a out of town area back in 1930's. They tore them all down after the movie finished. I'm sure the city of Crystal was happy to be rid of them. A few of the long time tenants were unhappy about being evicted.

[skippercollector]

New in Town is a 2009 comedy starring Renee Zellweger.

[Astron1000]

Originally Posted by 2x3x29x41

Moving on, let's discuss cinema - movies set in Minnesota.
A Simple Plan
Like Fargo, this film revels in the monochrome of a Minnesota's snow and ice. The novel, by the way, was set in Ohio. Much of the film's dialogue is lifted straight from the book, though there are some significant departures in plot. The novel manages to be significantly darker than the film, which is grim enough. Paul Magers (remember him?) had a small role as himself in the movie, and I seem to recall the the sheriff's vehicles indicated that it took place in Stearns County (I may well be wrong about this last bit, though).

There is also A Serious Man, created by the Coen Brothers, and set in St. Louis Park. And actually filmed in St. Louis Park. It was nominated for Best Picture at the 82nd Academy Awards in 2009.

A Simple Plan is a terrific little movie. Nothing spectacular, but really well done. Great performances by Bill Paxton, Billy Bob Thornton, Bridget Fonda & Gary Cole. Directed by the always interesting Sam Raimi, and nominated for 2 Oscars (Best Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor) and a Golden Globe for Billy Bob. Absolutely worthy of a Saturday Popcorn Night!!

And to round out the "Simple/Serious" trifecta, the movie "Blood Simple" is really brilliant, and, I'd argue, the best of the bunch.
Though not specifically set in Minnesota, the "Minnesota/St. Louis Park-raised-Local-Boys-Done-Good" Coen Brothers directed a new interpretation of Film Noir with this movie. And it's feindishly delightful .

[Izzie1213]

I just ran across something...had forgotten about.

The 1970's movie Airport. The terminal in the movie is the Minneapolis airport. Now I'm not sure if it was set in Minneapolis, I think it was Chicago but I'll have to go back to check.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/vxNCZb7EZkisEGf67

This was the beginning of the mega disaster movie trend. Towering Inferno, Poseidon Adventure. There were a bunch with mega casts.