Cinematic Tour of the Deep South
I’m a twelfth-generation Southerner on my father’s side, and a tenth-generation Southerner on my mother’s side. We had people here prior to the Revolutionary War, and I am absolutely the annoying person who will tell you too much about my genealogy — far more than you ever wanted to know. I’m like a vegan or marathoner: you’ll know all about my family history before you’ll know my name.
Naturally, I love a good Southern movie; the ones that reel you in and sing the song of a very particular people. Here’s what the (good) Southern film does that is rarely captured elsewhere: they make you long for a place. That’s the common thread in all of these films. They’re all about somebody who is born in a place, tied to it, drawn to it, trapped in it, fighting for it. And, of course, that place only matters because of the people there. There’s a line in the movie Cold Mountain:
Cold Mountain… How can a name, not even the real name, break your heart? It's her. She's the place I'm heading. And I hardly know her. I hardly know her!
I love that sense of yearning, probably because I feel so drawn to my own childhood home. Getting home is part of my journey. It’s important that I’m away and experience the other. It’s important to build a life of your own and to wander this earth in search of your own purpose. It isn’t true for everyone, but home is where I am my truest self. I breathe deeper there. Home is what I reach for.
The South has been captured in moving pictures since the dawn of film, and I’ve loved creating this map (below) to help you find your way. There are many more wonderful films, but these are my top 30. I’m much less biased to Georgia than I anticipated. I’ve listed them in alphabetical order, because some things just can’t and shouldn’t be ranked. How could I pick a favorite *coughDrivingMissDaisycough*? Do you have any favorites among these? Any winners you think I’ve missed?
“Here’s what the (good) Southern film does that is rarely captured elsewhere: they make you long for a place. That’s the common thread in all of these films.”
How many of these have you seen? Any you just loved or completely disliked? Let’s talk movies!
