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The Main Line area has been a hub for film for nearly a century. Check out these movies with scenes shot in the region.
Located in America’s sixth most populous metropolitan area, the Main Line area has experienced a healthy dose of fallout from the cultural hub that is the Philadelphia movie scene. With dozens, probably hundreds, of movies filmed in the Philadelphia area, the Main Line region is well represented in film from the classics to modern-day Oscar winners.
The Blob (1958)
Phoenixville is a sleepy town of just under 20,000, but in 1958, this B-movie horror set piece drew in $4 million. Adjusted for inflation, that’s over $42 million in today’s money.
Most scenes take place in the small slice of 1950s Americana that is Phoenixville, but the most famous moment of the film takes place outside the famous Colonial Theatre when the Blob oozes out of the auditorium while a horrified crowd rushes before it. So beloved is this classic to Phoenixville that the scene is recreated every year during the annual BlobFest.
The Lovely Bones (2009)
This 2009 drama follows murdered 14-year-old Susie Salmon (Saoirse Ronan), who observes her grieving parents, played by Mark Wahlberg and Rachel Weisz, from heaven. Filming took place in Ridley Township, Phoenixville, Royersford, Malvern and East Fallowfield. In fact, the Salmons’ home featured in the film at 10 Bryan Ave in Malvern went up for sale as recently as 2020.
Obsession (1976)
This classic ‘70s thriller stars Cliff Robertson and John Lithgow, both of whom are involved the aftermath of a kidnapping. Though none of the film actually takes place on the Main Line, it’s notable for its mention of Bryn Mawr.
While reminiscing about his late wife, Michael Courtland, played by Robertson, talks about his wife’s “Bryn Mawr walk. A Bryn Mawr walk is a kind of a glide, you know? Those girls used to wear long polo coats in those old days, long raincoats. They kind of glide, like they’re late for class. They move fast and just kinda glide.”
Director Brian De Palma was raised on the Main Line and graduated from Friends Central in 1958.
The Sixth Sense (1999)
Almost all of M. Night Shyamalan’s films have at least one scene filmed or taking place in the Main Line area. As his debut film and greatest success, The Sixth Sense has left the greatest cultural impact. Starring Bruce Willis and a young Haley Joel Osmont, who “sees dead people,” most of the movie takes place in Philadelphia. However, several shots were taken in Bryn Mawr, chiefly at the funeral for the dead little girl at 207 Rodney Circle and for a grocery store exterior at 601 W. Lancaster Ave.
Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
This Oscar-nominated film from 2012 features an all-star cast with Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence and Robert De Niro as well as an unhealthy obsession with the Philadelphia Eagles. After being released from a mental institution, Cooper goes home to live with his family in Upper Darby, where most of the film takes place. The movie was filmed across Upper Darby, Ridley Park and Lansdowne. Several scenes take place at notable locations like Norristown Hospital, Bonner Prendie High School, Llanerch Diner and Lansdowne Theater.
Philadelphia (1993)
This 1993 Oscar-winning drama follows Tom Hanks, Antonio Banderas and Denzel Washington through the AIDS crisis during the late 20th-century. Though most of the film takes place in Philadelphia proper, Hanks’ character goes home to his family’s house in Merion in one scene. Exterior shots were filmed on location across from the Merion Train Station.
Mare of Easttown (2021)
We’re cheating a little bit here with a TV show, but Mare of Easttown features Delaware County so prominently it’s almost a main character. This series stars Kate Winslet as a detective with a thick Delco accent investigating a murder in Easttown Township. Filming took place across several parts of both Delaware and Chester Counties. Many scenes were specifically filmed in Coatesville and Aston Township. The cast became so entrenched in the local culture that Wawa became an important fixture in Winslet’s life. Apparently co-star Evan Peters became obsessed with the famous Gobbler.
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