Five Great Movies Filmed In Oklahoma

When it comes to entertainment in Oklahoma, most people fall short on ideas insisting it's a "boring fly-over state," but you and I both know that's not true. If you've traveled enough in your life, you know that there are no boring places... just boring people.

There's always something to do in Oklahoma... For instance, watch a made-in-Oklahoma movie and take a weekend to see where it happened. With so many small towns included in Hollywood productions, you're almost guaranteed to find a museum or trinket shop dedicated to whatever movie was filmed there.

Here are the top five movies, in my humble yet absolutely-bias opinion, that came through Oklahoma while filming.

5
The Grapes Of Wrath
It might just be Oklahoma students that usually have an assignment to read this incredible book early on in their education, but the movie is pretty stellar too. With much of it filmed here in the state it's actually set in, Oklahoma shines with a dusting of 1930's real life drama. The question on everyones mind back then, "Do we leave or stay it out?" It really was a wild world ninety years ago.
The movie won a ton of awards, and both the book and movie are apart of scholastic curriculums today.
4
Where The Red Fern Grows
Another classic movie set and filmed in Oklahoma, which just so happens to be another topic of most students in the state at some point in their journey to adulthood, Where The Red Fern Grows is a tale of happiness, drama, sadness, and sorrow. Most children tend to grow in maturity by reading this story. The movie really drives the story home. Sure, it's old and campy, but a solid flick to sit down to any day of the week.
3
The Outsiders
I'm starting to think my English and literature teachers growing up were all somehow connected because The Outsiders was another book of required reading, and we celebrated after taking the test by watching this movie in class... That's three for three on this list so far. Perhaps, in all reality, these stories are just so good that they are and/or were a part of every school's curriculum at one point or another.
Starring so many young actors that went on to achieve legendary status in Hollywood, it's a no-brainer that The Outsiders was and still is such a hit. Middle-schoolers still grease up in leather and switchblade combs to act out their dreams of seeing where all the drama took place at. Filmed entirely in and around Tulsa.
2
Rain Man
Ok, Ok... Before you say it, I'm gonna get ahead of you. No, Rain Man wasn't entirely shot in Oklahoma... but any movie shot on Route 66 sweeps through the Sooner State in style.
Fun Fact: All but one of the Oklahoma locations where some of the most memorable scenes were filmed are still standing today, and locals are more than welcoming to anybody looking to make a visit. These locations include El Reno, Guthrie, and a tiny town called Cogar, OK.
1
Twister
What Oklahoma movie list would be complete without the most famous movie export of this state? Of course Twister is front and center! Filmed across locations across the Cherokee Strip and across NE Oklahoma.
While you may not share the thought that it's the best movie to come out of Oklahoma, it's certainly the biggest, achieving blockbuster status within a week of its release.
Fun Fact: When they filmed Twister, my hometown was their base of operation. I was Helen Hunt's paperboy in 1995 when she rented a home in my neighborhood. I cannot even begin to tell you how much excitement surrounded this film during that time.

Whether you consider yourself a movie buff or not, maybe the thing you need most is a quick weekend trip to go somewhere for any reason. Visiting one or more of these places, even if it's just to say you've been there, you would instantly be better for it exploring the state you live in.

If you'd like more great ideas to explore Oklahoma-made movies, there is a pretty extensive list of horror movies this state has produced over the decades... Do they stand the test of time? Yes and no... They're campy B-movies, but if you like that kind of cinema, solid choices for sure.

Check Out Oklahoma's Horror Movies

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