Pennsylvania isn’t very represented in this year’s crop of Academy Award-nominated films, but the state has a long history on the silver screen.
Delco diners, Butler County farms, and Pittsburgh steel mills are just a few of the Pennsylvania settings that have gotten the Hollywood treatment over the years.
Which films are absolutely unmissable? To assemble a (non-comprehensive) list of essential Pennsylvania-set films spanning eras and genres, PA Local consulted film experts from across the commonwealth, as well as movie lovers on Spotlight PA’s staff.
Find 20 of their picks for must-see movies below, from beloved cult classics to recent independent short films.
Comedies and rom-coms
The Philadelphia Story (1940)
Spotlight PA editors Lisa Scheid and Matt Dempsey both gave thumbs up to this Main Line-set story starring Carey Grant, Katharine Hepburn, and Jimmy Stewart, which was adapted from a popular Philip Barry play focused on aristocrats in the Philadelphia suburbs. Dempsey counted this in his “top three movies of all time.” The movie’s team picked up six Oscars nominations and won in two categories: Indiana, Pa.’s own Jimmy Stewart for Best Actor, and Donald Ogden Stewart for Best Adapted Screenplay.
Mannequin (1987)
Erin Negley, a Spotlight PA newsletter writer, has fond childhood memories of watching this tale of a time traveler-turned-mall mannequin — filmed at both the Wanamaker building in Philadelphia and a Boscov’s in Camp Hill — over and over. She noted that it’s not exactly Oscar-worthy: “So bad, it’s good!” (While the movie itself didn’t earn any Academy Award nods, its theme — “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” — was nominated for Best Original Song.)
Groundhog Day (1993)
This tale of a day repeated over and over comes recommended by both Jackie Fiorillo, adjunct professor of TV production at York College of Pennsylvania, and Spotlight PA reporter Ed Mahon. While Punxsutawney is the setting within the story, the movie was actually filmed in Illinois.
Coming of age
My Girl (1991)
Dempsey recommended this “very well done sad kids’ movie” that takes place in Madison, Westmoreland County. Anna Chlumsky stars as a preteen who lost her mother and lives with her father in his funeral parlor, and Macaulay Culkin plays her best friend.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)
Directed and written by the author of the eponymous book, Pittsburgh-born Stephen Chbosky, this work is “proudly Pittsburgh” and boasts several recognizable local locations, said Morgan Seiff, programming and brand manager at Film Pittsburgh. It’s a “quintessential coming-of-age drama that handles teen angst with tenderness and sincerity,” Seiff said.
Baba I’m Fine (2025)
Also recommended by Seiff, this short film directed by Pittsburgh-born and -raised Karina Dandashi follows a teenage girl dealing with heartbreak and her relationship with her dad. It features “multiple iconic Pittsburgh locations providing a backdrop for their connection,” said Seiff. You can see it on YouTube for free.
Docs, biopics, and period pieces
The Molly Maguires (1970)
Jeffrey Hinkelman, director of the Film & Visual Media Program at Carnegie Mellon University, recommended this historical drama, in which an undercover detective (Richard Harris) infiltrates a secret society (whose leader is played by Sean Connery) of immigrant coal miners in Northeast Pennsylvania who push back against dangerous working conditions. “The interesting thing here is that the town where it was filmed is a historic site in the middle of the state,” Hinkelman said. The movie was shot in Eckley Miners’ Village in Luzerne County, which was “chosen because it’s basically a mining town that hasn’t changed since the later nineteenth century,” according to Hinkelman. The movie was nominated for an Oscar in Best Art Direction.
1776 (1972)
This adaptation of a stage musical about the summer the Declaration of Independence was signed takes place in — you guessed it! — Philadelphia. Spotlight PA’s Mahon gave the following rundown: “Watched it and listened to the soundtrack a bunch when I was a kid. Is it good? Who knows! Do a bunch of people argue and sing and dance? Yes!” Cinematographer Harry Stradling picked up an Academy Award nom for his work on the movie.
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019)
Rural reporter Marley Parish’s must-see Pennsylvania movie is this biopic about Fred Rogers — of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood fame — told through the lens of a journalist assigned to profile him. While he was in the Steel City to film the movie, Tom Hanks, who played the Latrobe-born legend, met a stranger who told him, “We take Mr. Rogers very seriously here in Pittsburgh.” (Or maybe that was a warning?) Seems like Hanks took Mr. Rogers pretty seriously too, at least according to the Academy: He ended up earning a nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
A New Voice (2023)
Karen Redrobe, undergraduate chair of cinema and media studies at the University of Pennsylvania, recommended this 16-minute documentary about Pennsylvanians who’ve found success and made a difference in their communities after incarceration. It was directed by Mike and Debbie Davis, former MOVE members who spent four decades in prison on third-degree murder charges. “The film opens a space for reflecting and imagining freedom, community and care for all in the context of PA,” Redrobe said.
Drama
The Valley of Decision (1945)
This romance starring Greer Garson and Gregory Peck takes place in Pittsburgh and deals with “labor issues in the mills,” said Hinkelman of CMU. “It’s mostly a soap opera, but it uses the setting as an important part of the plot,” he added. Garson earned a Best Actress nomination for the film, and Herbert Stothart was nominated for an Oscar for the score.
Wanda (1970)
Redrobe shouted out this independent “feminist classic” that follows a recently divorced woman from Pennsylvania’s coal region who ends up on the run with a bank robber. Written, directed, and produced by Barbara Loden (who also stars in the title role), the movie was shot in Scranton and Carbondale for money and logistical reasons, and per Redrobe featured “a cast largely made up of PA non-actors from mining communities.”
Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
This dramedy — set in Lansdowne, Delaware County, and starring Jennifer Lawrence alongside Pennsylvania’s own Bradley Cooper — explores family, mental health, relationships, dance, and devotion to the Philadelphia Eagles. “The scene where Jennifer Lawrence goes off on [Robert] DeNiro about Philly sports juju lives rent-free in my head,” said Spotlight PA reporter Charlotte Keith. The movie picked up a whopping eight Oscar nominations, with Lawrence walking away with the Best Actress award.
Horror
The Blob (1958)
This sci-fi cult classic, set in Chester County, comes recommended by Berks editor Scheid and reporter Danielle Ohl. In it, teenagers, including Steve McQueen in his first leading role, try to protect their small town from a gooey invader from outer space that swallows up everything it touches. A festival celebrating the film and its local ties takes place in Phoenixville every summer. Its name? You guessed it: Blobfest.
Night of the Living Dead (1968)
Sean O’Riordan, Spotlight PA’s membership manager, calls this flick, along with subsequent films in the franchise, “culturally important for creating the modern zombie story.” Filmed largely in Butler County, the first movie focuses on a group of people trapped in a Pennsylvania farmhouse that’s under siege by human-eating “ghouls.” (But the creatures are totally zombies.)
The Sixth Sense (1999)
In Montgomery County-raised M. Night Shyamalan’s films, “Philadelphia itself has practically become a character,” says Fiorillo of York College. The film that made the director famous tells the story of a child psychologist (Bruce Willis) and a patient (Haley Joel Osment) who says he can see the dead. Spotlight PA editor Stephen Kearse said: “The film’s reputation has been diminished by Shyamalan’s reliance on twists, but the melancholic story remains gripping even if you know the ending. Shyamalan’s Philadelphia is foggy and moonlit, full of broken spirits encased in shadow. There’s freedom in this weary city, and once coaxed out the darkness, the characters find peace in the light.” The movie was nominated for six Academy Awards.
The Clog (2022)
Seiff of Film Pittsburgh recommends this 2024 Three Rivers Film Festival winner, a “playfully creepy, gritty, and lovable” horror comedy short — written and directed by local filmmaker Caleb Porto — that “features the dreaded Pittsburgh basement as a key setting.” It’s available to watch for free on YouTube.
While You’re Here
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Mysteries, action movies, and thrillers
Blow Out (1981)
Elizabeth Estrada, Spotlight PA’s democracy editor, touted this “dark and gritty Philly story” starring a young John Travolta as an audio engineer who accidentally records a crime. “There’s political corruption, a crazy chase scene around City Hall, and amazing shots in the Wissahickon,” Estrada said. But she had one reservation: “My main complaint (common for the time) is that the female character isn’t written with much depth and Travolta’s character is pretty gross to her.”
National Treasure (2004)
I, Asha Prihar, endorsed this gem. Although it starts out in the Arctic and ends in Boston, Philadelphia plays a key role in this Disney action-adventure about a history-loving treasure hunter (Nicholas Cage) trying to protect the Declaration of Independence from a seedy rival (Sean Bean). People familiar with Center City geography might scratch their heads at the speed with which characters dash from Old City to Reading Terminal Market, but it’s an exciting watch (albeit one that might get you a little too interested in conspiracy theories).
Jack Reacher (2012)
CMU’s Hinkelman recommended this “updated Western” that forgoes “dust and sagebrush” in favor of the Pittsburgh cityscape. Tom Cruise stars as the title character, a former army investigator who investigates a mass shooting. “A film that has every reason to look dark, ends up being an advertisement for Pittsburgh that could have come straight from the Chamber of Commerce (visually, anyway),” Hinkelman said.
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