Top 5 Movies Filmed in Columbia, South Carolina by US Box Office

/ Columbia, South Carolina / By michelle

Table Of Content

Lights, Camera, Columbia: Explore the Movie Magic in South Carolina’s Capital!
The Waterboy – US Box Office: USD 161.49 million
Renaissance Man – US Box Office: USD 24.33 million
The Program – US Box Office: USD 23 million
Death Sentence – US Box Office: USD 9.53 million
Staying Together – US Box Office: USD 4.35 million

Lights, Camera, Columbia: Explore the Movie Magic in South Carolina’s Capital!

Lights! Camera! Action! If you’re a movie buff who’s feeling a little bored and looking for a thrilling adventure, we’ve got just the ticket for you! Prepare to embark on a cinematic journey right here in Columbia, South Carolina, as we unveil the hidden gems of the silver screen in one of the most underrated filming locations in the United States.

Key Takeaways:

Columbia, South Carolina, has served as the backdrop for numerous Hollywood blockbusters, and exploring these movie filming locations can be a unique and exciting way to experience the city.
From beloved classics to recent favorites, the movies filmed here have showcased Columbia’s picturesque streets, stunning landscapes, and vibrant energy.
Visiting these filming locations offers a chance to step into the shoes of your favorite movie characters and witness the magic of movie-making up close.

Lights, Columbia, Action!

Now, imagine strolling through the same streets where your favorite actors made movie history. Picture yourself immersing in the very locations that captured your imagination on the big screen. Isn’t that the ultimate thrill for any movie enthusiast? Columbia, South Carolina, offers you a direct ticket to movie magic – a chance to step into the vibrant scenes and explore the very settings that set your heart racing and your imagination soaring.

Feel Like a Hollywood Star on Main Street

As you wander along Columbia’s charming Main Street, you’ll spot hidden gems that might seem oddly familiar. These are the spots where Hollywood auteurs once expertly set up their cameras, ensuring that their stories would unfold against captivating backdrops. From quirky cafes to trendy boutiques, the magic of moviemaking has touched every corner of this vibrant city.

Oh, the Places You’ll Go!

Take a panoramic drive along the captivating streets of Columbia, and you’ll discover awe-inspiring vistas that have captivated audiences on the silver screen. Head to the jaw-dropping Riverbanks Zoo and Gardens, where exotic animals roam amidst lush greenery, and where “life finds a way.” Or visit the majestic South Carolina State House, an architectural marvel that has lent its regal presence to many films filmed in the city.

Feeling adventurous? Venture to the stunning Congaree National Park, just a short trip from Columbia. Here, you’ll find yourself surrounded by the breathtaking beauty of nature, which has been immortalized in films where brave heroes traversed untamed wilderness or embarked on incredible quests. Can you imagine being part of the adventure?

Unlock Your Inner Star Power!

Visiting movie filming locations isn’t just about sightseeing; it’s about connecting with a shared cinematic experience that has touched millions. Whether you’re a die-hard film fanatic or simply love exploring new places, experiencing the magic of movie-making firsthand is an exhilarating and unforgettable experience. So, grab your camera and get ready to make some memories that will last a lifetime!

Lights, Camera, Columbia!

Now that you know about the movie magic hidden in Columbia, why wait? Unleash your inner movie star and embark on an unforgettable adventure through these iconic filming locations. Get ready to live the movies and create your very own blockbuster moments!

Lights, Columbia, Action!

The Waterboy – US Box Office: USD 161.49 million

Director: Frank Coraci

Main Cast: Adam Sandler, Kathy Bates, Henry Winkler, Fairuza Balk, Blake Clark, Peter Dante, Jonathan Loughran, Al Whiting, Clint Howard, Allen Covert, Rob Schneider, Todd Holland, Robert Kokol, Frank Coraci, Jennifer Taylor, James Bates Jr.

Release Date: 6 November 1998

Filming Locations: Stetson University – 421 N. Woodland Boulevard, DeLand, Florida, USA; Lakeland, Florida, USA; St. Cloud, Florida, USA; Citrus Bowl – 1610 W. Church Street, Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando, Florida, USA

Main Plot: Without any knowledge, Bobby Boucher has a special ability in tackling, which made his way to the University of Louisiana Cougars football team membership. He started as a waterboy and was later discovered by the team’s coach how his tackling ability outdraws the players who are bigger than him. He signs the membership but has to keep it a secret from his mother, who is overbearing and domineering. This opportunity is due to the former team he works with as a waterboy. He was bullied, and from there, he found his new talent, which made him the best linebacker in the said college football. This movie reminds us that we all have different skills that might seem funny in the eye of the beholders but are a great frustration for many. This movie creates more inspiring scenes that will surely make us believe in our dreams even if we see them as impossible to achieve.

Famous quotes:

Bobby Boucher: My Mama says that alligators are ornery because they got all them teeth and no toothbrush.

[after Bobby demonstrates his tackling ability]

Coach Klein: Bobby, can you do that for me every game?

Bobby Boucher: Coach, not only will I do it for you, I… I… I… yes, yes, I’ll do it for you.

Bobby Boucher: So that’s what opening up a can of whoop-ass feels like.

Coach Klein: Son, you just opened up a whole case of whoop-ass.

Mama Boucher: Bobby, deh ever catch dat gorilla that busted outa da zoo and punched you in da eye?

Bobby Boucher: No Mama, the search continues.

Coach Klein: Gatorade not only quenches your thirst better, it tastes better too.

Bobby Boucher: No, you people are drinkin the wrong water.

Coach Klein: Gatorade.

Bobby Boucher: H2O.

Coach Klein: Gatorade.

Bobby Boucher: H2O.

Coach Klein: [singing] Water sucks. It really, really sucks. Water sucks.

Sequel: The Waterboy 2

Fun Fact about The Waterboy:

This film is the highest-grossing sports comedy of all time, while another Adam Sandler vehicle, The Longest Yard (2005), is the second highest-grossing sports comedy of all time.

Renaissance Man – US Box Office: USD 24.33 million

Director: Penny Marshall

Main Cast: Danny DeVito, Gregory Hines, James Remar, Ed Begley Jr., Lillo Brancato, Stacey Dash, Kadeem Hardison, Richard T. Jones, Khalil Kain, Peter Simmons, Gregory Sporleder, Mark Wahlberg, Cliff Robertson, Ben Wright, Ann Cusack, Jeb Brown, Paul Abbott, Nat Mauldin

Release Date: 3 June 1994

Filming Locations: Fort Jackson, Columbia, South Carolina, USA; Sarnia, Ontario, Canada; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Port Huron, Michigan, USA; Stratford, Ontario, Canada

Main Plot: Danny DeVito is on a downhill in his career as a businessman, and his failure made him think of any job offers to be considered. On the other hand, underachieving recruits in an army camp are in need of someone to teach them and pass their basic training. The job was offered to Danny and was desperately accepted by him in the hope of regaining his losing career. His mission as a teacher in the U.S. army is to keep those misfit recruits from flunking out of the basic training. With Danny’s passion, he turned himself into someone who inspired these men and was able to create such an impact on how they see the field they are getting into. He was able to take a role in teaching these men such thinking skills, enabling them to be more conscious about being an army, and then, seeing that there was no structure for the class, he was able to fix everything and put all minds and hearts into places.

Famous quotes:

Soldiers: [chanting] Hamlet’s mother, she’s the queen / Buys it in the final scene / Drinks a glass of funky wine / Now she’s Satan’s Valentine.

Bill Rago: It says here that you’re from Detroit. What part?

Pvt. Roosevelt Nathaniel Hobbs: The part you drive through doing 85.

Bill Rago: Been there.

Pvt. Donnie Benitez: [Sgt Cass has just ordered Benitez to recite Shakespeare] “He that shall live this day, and see old age, Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbors, And say ‘To-morrow is Saint Crispian:’ Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars. And say ‘These wounds I had on Crispin’s day.’ Old men forget: yet all shall be forgot, But he’ll remember with advantages What feats he did that day:

[the rest of the platoon gathers around]

Pvt. Donnie Benitez: then shall our names, Familiar in his mouth as household words Harry the king, Bedford and Exeter, Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester, Be in their flowing cups freshly remember’d. And this story shall the good man teach his son; And Crispin Crispian shall ne’er go by, From this day to the ending of the world, But we in it shall be remember’d;

[Looking at the Double Ds]

Pvt. Donnie Benitez: We few, we happy few, we band of brothers; For he to-day that sheds his blood with me Shall be my brother.

[Looking back at the rest of the platoon]

Pvt. Donnie Benitez: And gentlemen in England now a-bed Shall think themselves accursed they were not here, And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks who fought with us upon Saint Crispin’s day”. That enough Drill Sergeant?

Sergeant Cass: [Quietly] Yes, Benitez. Good.

Bill Rago: Excuse me. Excuse me. I’m looking for the Army Education Center.

[reads referral]

Bill Rago: Captain Tom Murdoch.

MP Directing Traffic: Captain Murdoch’s not at the A.E.C. Captain Murdoch’s at the A.R.C

Bill Rago: [fumbling to write down directions] A.R.C., A.E.C.

MP Directing Traffic: [Walks up to Rago] You lookin’ for Captain Murdoch?

Bill Rago: Yeah.

MP Directing Traffic: The A.E.C. is building 2310. You want building 4475.

Bill Rago: 447…

MP Directing Traffic: Look, here’s what you do. You go right here. Take another right at the P.X. Go half a click ’til you see the D.P.T.M. Center. Then take a left.

Bill Rago: [writing furiously] P.M., P.X.

MP Directing Traffic: If you hit the R.F.P.C., you’ve gone too far.

[returns to post]

Bill Rago: [reviewing notes] D.P.T.M., R.F.P.C.

[pause]

Bill Rago: Can I buy a vowel?

[Talking about Shakespeare to the class]

Bill Rago: He wrote plays. Plays…? You know, like TV without the box.

Fun Fact about Renaissance Man:

According to Penny Marshall’s memoir “My Mother Was Nuts,” the part of Sergeant Cass was originally offered to Ving Rhames. He turned it down, as a friend (Quentin Tarantino) had written a part for him, specifically in Pulp Fiction. When he turned the role down, it was offered to Gregory Hines. Penny Marshall’s only concern was that Gregory Hines was too nice. Even when he yelled at the troops, he came off as nice.

The Program – US Box Office: USD 23 million

Director: David S. Ward

Main Cast: James Caan, Halle Berry, Omar Epps, Craig Sheffer, Kristy Swanson, Abraham Benrubi, Duane Davis, Jon Pennell, Joey Lauren Adams, J.C. Quinn, Andrew Bryniarski, Leon Pridgen, Michael Flippo, Jeff Portell, Ernest Dixon, George Rogers, Bernard Mixon, Mary Holloway

Release Date: 24 September 1993

Filming Locations: Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA; University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, USA

Main Plot: The pressure of playing football at a major university intensified the struggles of the players. In spite of the individual’s burden, the team is expected to perform well for the retention of their coach. The way the team handled the pressure made an interesting twist in the movie. Some turned their heads to drinking to carry out the emotion, others have taken drugs to feel numb, and some put much attention into their study. The coach recruited a talented tailback who happened to be a female student and a girlfriend to one of his players. Her task is to help him understand and manage his studies and balance his college engagement as he has focused on playing football since it is the most important thing in his life. It so happened that he fell in love with her, and in the dilemma of losing either her or his player or both, he kept himself intact with the goal. The struggle for him is to deal with other players’ situations and try to help them figure out their lives so they can manage everything without compromising the team’s main goal.

Famous quotes:

Alvin Mack: Let’s open up a can of kick ass and kill ’em all, let the paramedics sort ’em out.

Darnell Jefferson: Darnell Jefferson, tailback.

Ray Griffen: Ray Griffen, *starting* tailback.

Darnell Jefferson: I know, that’s why they recruited me.

Alvin Mack: Hey Bud is it true, Joe’s out four fuckin’ games?

Bud-Lite Kaminski: Yea.

Alvin Mack: Shit, defense is gonna have to pitch shut-outs now…

[to Lattimer]

Alvin Mack: And you’re gone for three? What the hell did you take that shit for?

Steve Lattimer: Nobody seemed to mind when I was laying people out!

Alvin Mack: Sh*t, I bust chops too, you don’t see me all fu**ed up!

Steve Lattimer: Not everybody has your ability Alvin, you do what you do to play!

Alvin Mack: Well you ain’t playin much now are ya?

Steve Lattimer: Staring defense! Place at the table!

[smashes head through car window]

Steve Lattimer: I don’t know, its the battle, the going to war with the other guys, hanging together, having our own dorm, staying in hotels the night before the games, setting ourselves apart, being different than everybody else, having a chance to be somebody, to do something that people look up to you for, your strength, your courage, not everybody can play football… were the lucky ones

Fun Fact about The Program:

The original release of the film contained a scene where several ESU players lay on the yellow dividing line of a busy local road as a test of their courage. When two young men were killed and several others injured by imitating the stunt, Buena Vista excised the scene from the film. No post-theatrical versions of the movie feature the sequence, leading many to speculate that the studio destroyed the actual camera negatives of the scene. However, the scene can be found on YouTube.

Death Sentence – US Box Office: USD 9.53 million

Director: James Wan

Main Cast: Kevin Bacon, John Goodman, Kelly Preston, Garrett Hedlund, Jordan Garrett, Stuart Lafferty, Aisha Tyler, Matt O’Leary, Edi Gathegi, Hector Atreyu Ruiz, Kanin Howell, Dennis Keiffer, Freddy Bouciegues, Leigh Whannell, Casey Pieretti, Rich Ceraulo Ko, Beth Keener, Yorgo Constantine, Beth Keener, Yorgo Constantine

Release Date: 31 August 2007

Filming Locations: Columbia, South Carolina, USA; South Carolina, USA; Los Angeles, California, USA

Main Plot: A high school hockey star was sentenced to initiation but turned out to be murdered. It so happened that he was the son of Nick Hume, who is a mild-mannered executive who seemed to have a perfect life. Knowing this, his son’s case was put on trial, but he ended up losing hope in the justice system of the government. With this being said, this insurance executive who had a peaceful life turned to seeth for revenge. He purchased a long, double-barrelled 12-gauge Rossi Overland shotgun and courageously bothered the gang involved. Billy Darley and his gang of street thugs were set into war with Nick and caused the fall of each member until he found his final claim to Billy. This movie tells a great message that a father’s love for his built family takes no boundaries when compromised.

Famous quotes:

Nicholas “Nick” Hume: Where are you, you bastard?

Billy Darly: You want to send me a reward for finding that wallet of yours?

Nicholas “Nick” Hume: You tell me where the fuck you are, right now!

Billy Darly: No, I’ll tell you where the fuck you are. You’re in my end of the fucking sewer, buddy. I say who lives. I say who dies. Now you better get that through your fucking skull, because there’s no more warnings. I’m coming for some fucking family time.

Nicholas “Nick” Hume: No. You listen to me. You go near my family, and I will cut out your goddamn guts like I did your fucking friend. Do you hear me?

Billy Darly: He wasn’t my friend. He was my brother. And now I’m coming for the rest of your family. You just bought them a death sentence, motherfucker.

Nicholas “Nick” Hume: [to Billy] Ready?

Billy Darly: Look at you. You look like one of us. Look what I made you.

[after displaying guns for Nick]

Bones Darly: Any one of these is bound to make you feel better about what’s bothering you.

Bones Darly: [after Nick chooses his guns] That’s three fucking grand worth of killing. You got three grand worth of killing to do?

Nicholas “Nick” Hume: [throwing down bundles of money] There’s five.

Bones Darly: Well, that makes you a preferred customer.

Sequel: Death Wish

Fun Fact about Death Sentence:

Based on the book, “Death Sentence” – the direct sequel novel to “Death Wish,” which itself was made into the movie “Death Wish (1974)” starring Charles Bronson. The 1974 version spawned four sequels, none of which were influenced by the novel series. The author, Brian Garfield, has disliked and does not care for each of the sequels due to how it departs from his original character and theme in the books.

Staying Together – US Box Office: USD 4.35 million

Director: Lee Grant

Main Cast: Sean Astin, Stockard Channing, Melinda Dillon, Jim Haynie, Levon Helm, Dinah Manoff, Dermot Mulroney, Tim Quill, Keith Szarabajka, Daphne Zuniga, Sheila Kelley, Ryan Hill, Rick Marshall, Michael Burgess, Leon Joseph Pinner, Ed Carter, Susan Aude Fisher, Jim Gandy

Release Date: 10 November 1989

Filming Locations: Columbia, South Carolina, USA; Ridgeway, South Carolina, USA

Main Plot: In the hope of inheriting the family business, three brothers diligently worked on their fast food restaurant. The business is run by their father, Jake McDermott, until one day, their father thought of his life dealing with chicken for a long time. He decided to sell the land where the restaurant was standing and told his sons that he hated working with the chicken anymore. For his life, he made enough with the business and left everything, and lived his life as a simple family man. But that is not what the three brothers want to hear from their father. As a result, the rebels made many heartbreaking decisions against the will of their parents. The eldest son left their home while the succeeding son worked for the man who sold the land and the other dated the buyer’s girlfriend. They were planning to ruin everything about the buyer, but it turned out that theirs was one ruined. The movie shows a dilemma between love for the family and love for yourself, as in the case of their father, who wants rest from the chicken business. This family-oriented movie presents how the family reconciled and how everything was put into place without diminishing the dream of everyone in the family.

Famous quotes:

Lois Cook: You know, I’ve been thinkin’ about that erection of yours. Are you, um, doing anything with it, say around eleven o’clock tonight? You know where I live? Bring it by.

Eileen McDermott: If you don’t eat in June, you’ll be dead in July.

Duncan McDermott: Kit, I hate to bring it up with this sumptuous repast, but it looks as if you’re drinking a glass of puke.

Kit McDermott: You’d know.

Jake McDermott: [handing over $20 per Duncan’s request] Will this be enough?

Duncan McDermott: You are a humanitarian, a benevolent presence in this age of frugality. If all fathers were such good examples to their sons, this world would be…

[Jake covers Duncan’s mouth]

Duncan McDermott: [entering restaurant bathroom and pulling down his pants] Hurry, Lois, we only got a couple minutes.

Lois Cook: What? What’re you doing?

Duncan McDermott: Oh, Lois, don’t pull the virgin bit again.

Lois Cook: Speak for yourself, baby boy.

Duncan McDermott: Lois, I’m hurting. I am BURNING. I have this erection. It is so big it’s like one of those Thanksgiving Day balloons. If I don’t do something about it soon – BANG! – I’ll be left without a dick for the rest of my life! I’m only seventeen!

Lois Cook: You’re jail bait.