Washington, D.C.

by MovieMaker Staff | Published January 7, 2007

Lee Pace and Matt Damon in Universal Pictures’ The Good Shepherd - 2006

Our nationâ€™s capital is no stranger to film crews, which flock to the city to capture its long list of famous monuments and locations. From the Roman-inspired columns of the White House to the attractions on the National Mall, this city has seen countless productions use its alleys and byways. Political and historical movies like Oliver Stoneâ€™s Nixon (1995) have taken advantage of the steps at the Lincoln Memorial and the Watergate complex was the scene of the crime in Alan Pakulaâ€™s All The President’s Men (1976). On the non-political side, William Friedkin’s The Exorcist made famous use of the city’s Georgetown neighborhood, and Union Station was featured prominently in Alfred Hitchcock’s Strangers On A Train. Robert De Niro joined these prestigious ranks when his latest movie, The Good Shepherd, filmed at Capitol Hill in 2005.Founded in 1790, the “Federal City” is governed by a local municipalityâ€”with certain exceptions under the jurisdiction of the nation’s government. For moviemakers, that means acquiring special permitting at the U.S. Capitol Building and the most-desired monuments. But don’t fret: It’s all funneled through the D.C. Office of Motion Picture & Television Development. Permits and free parking, guidelines and location assistance are all part of the package. The film officeâ€™s online Production Resource Guide supplies the contact information for everything from local sound stages to animal talent, and its crew list helps moviemakers find professionals for most production positions.

Other politically-charged movies shot on location in Washington, D.C. include:

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
JFK
A Few Good Men
The Pelican Brief
Traffic

More information may be found here.

Sound Off: Woody Allen knows how to film the beauty of New York City and Peter Jackson always takes our breath away shooting New Zealand landscapes. What movie and/or director do you find best demonstrates his or her passion for Washington, D.C.?

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COMMENTS | POST A COMMENT

Comment by Ted on 1/08/07 at 4:20 pm

to paraphrase Lisa Simpson, “washington dc was built on a swamp. it stunk then, and it stinks now.”

i don’t think any filmmaker has gotten as close to capturing DC as Lisa Simpson.
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Comment by lisa (not simpson but close) on 1/10/07 at 4:05 am

basically, dc is a genre town. if their story isn’t about politics and/or the news then they don’t find a reason come here. and then when they do it’s usually for exterior or establishing shots. once a producer or director makes their flick about the president then they don’t do another one about the president so there is no repeat business either.