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by Brianne Chandler
Back in 2007 I got married. Shortly after that my husband and I decided to look for homes to buy (since he was a child actor, he has some money saved away). This was one of the worst possible times to buy a home. Of course our realtor felt it was the best time, but he has no incentive to tell us the truth – he was more concerned to Always Be Closing. Over the course of a year I saw what I would consider some of the worst homes I have ever seen in my life for outrageous prices.
I started thinking about what house would be the most ideal home to live in. It made me think of some homes that I have seen in movies. So, if I was to pick out a “dream home” and money was not an issue, here are a few that I would select.
Susan Evers’ Golden Oak Ranch in Carmel, California from The Parent Trap (1961). This was the home that Susan Evers lived in with her father Mitch Evers. It is a Spanish Style ranch home that features two stories, jack-and-jill bathrooms, a covered patio/courtyard in the center of the house, a lake pool, horses, cattle, a full time housekeeper, and a ranch foreman. The house Disney used for this movie stood on a lot south of Carmel on Placerita Canyon Road. The exterior of the house was all they created on the lot, there was nothing inside. The interior of the home was constructed on a Disney soundstage. Supposedly, Disney still receives requests for copies of the floor plans of this home.
The Banks’ colonial home from Father of the Bride (1991). I had the privilege of taking a driving tour of Pasadena (Pasadena Audio Tour – available on Amazon, use the Schmoes Amazon click through to get it). The tour takes you by this house from the movie. It is located at 843 S. El Molino Avenue in Pasadena, California. In the movie, the home is supposed to be located in San Marino. Now that I have lived in Los Angeles for over 10 years, this fact bothers me. I think what bothers me the most is that they live in San Marino (which some might call the Valley equivalent of Beverly Hills), he owns his own brand of shoes – or at the very least he is the president/head honcho, and yet he is complaining that his daughters wedding is going to be too expensive. Get real, buddy. I digress, now back to the home; it is 2 stories, white with green trim, and has a white picket fence. Supposedly the fence needed some serious repair and was ready to fall apart before production began.
The interior of the home is just as fabulous. What I find spectacular about it is the fact that it still looks up-to-date despite the movie being 22 years old.
Noah’s plantation white house with blue shutters in The Notebook (2004). All of the homes featured in The Notebook are stunning (even the home when it is run down). While this house is beautiful, I find the story behind it to be a little— um… obsessive. Seriously. Noah (Ryan Gosling) builds a house exactly to the liking of Allie (Rachel McAdams) even when he hasn’t heard from her in years and sees her with another man. People may say that it was restored out of his love for her, but honestly, in real life, I would think there is something disturbingly wrong with Noah. Just saying.
The Stratford’s beautiful Victorian-style home from 10 Things I Hate About You (1999). While I wouldn’t want to live in Washington, (mainly because I’m semi-allergic to rain) I find the specs of the house to be an appealing residence. The corner home has a large lot and is high up enough to overlook Puget Sound. Impressive. Built in 1906, the house has 5 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and 4,330 square feet of living space. For the shoot, the filmmakers used the interior and exterior of the house as-is. There was some obvious set dressing, but the homeowners provided the furniture in the film.
Doc Brown’s craftsman style home in Back to the Future (1985). Aside from the school district, this home would meet most of my location parameters: Excellent town (Pasadena), walking distance to the Rose Bowl (convenient for a variety of reasons), close to my in-laws (I actually like them!), and a driveway that can hold all of my husband’s cars. Doc’s house is The Gamble House. Originally made by architects Greene and Greene for the Gamble family (of Proctor and Gamble) as their summer home. Now it is a museum that is open daily to the public. Since there is no filming allowed inside the house, the filmmakers needed a different location to shoot the interior shots of Doc Brown’s home.
The McCallister’s Georgian style house in Home Alone (1990). While this house looks almost identical to the house in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, it is actually not. In 2011 this house was listed for 1.9 million and is located in Winnetka, Ill. It sold for 1.585 million and the floor plans for the house are now available for anyone looking to recreate the 4,250 square foot, three-story home. In all honesty, who wouldn’t want to live in the home where Kevin McCallister booby-trapped robbers? My favorite part of the house is the entryway. The part in the movie where Kevin slides down the stairs reminds me of sliding down the stairs in a sleeping bag with my cousins while visiting their home during Christmas time. If you haven’t tried it, I would consider it. Disclaimer: I am not liable for any injuries you may face by attempting this. I only said you should “consider” it, not actually do it.
Scarlett O’Hara/Clark Gable’s house at the end of Gone with the Wind (1939): This house is on the Culver City Studios lot. I heard a story once that Lucille Ball was so upset about not getting the part of Scarlett that once the film wrapped she decided to buy the studio (or at least buy the house). I think it would have been pretty interesting to see Lucille Ball in that part. Anywho, anyone who doesn’t think of this home or Tara as one of the best in cinema is probably someone that hasn’t seen the film. Both of these homes are impressive, sweepingly grand estates. While it is fantastic, I think it requires more maintenance than I could provide – and definitely more children than I could provide.
Honorable mentions: Clue, Casa Walsh (Beverly Hills, 90210), The Game, The Hand that Rocks the Cradle, What Lies Beneath, Rush Hour, Rebecca, The Sound of Music, To Gillian on her 37th Birthday, Something’s Gotta Give, Bettlejuice, The Holiday, The Housesitter, Houseguest, Liar Liar, North by Northwest, The Women, Money Pit, The Proposal, and Twilight
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Mother of 2, wife of 1; Brianne started writing reviews for Hit or Miss Movies in 2004, joined The Film Vault Podcast in 2007, and started her own podcast – Miss Movies Minute – in 2012. She is also a former USC Song Girl, Theatre major, blue belt in Karate, and a certified SCUBA diver.
Source:
http://schmoesknow.com/?p=9957