Authors Marty S. Knepper and John S. Lawrence are putting the finishing touches on a book that includes what must be the most comprehensive list ever compiled of films made in or about Iowa.
Knepper, chair of the English Department at Morningside College in Sioux City, is past president of the American Popular Culture Association and serves on the editorial board of the international academic journal, Clues.
Lawrence is Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at Morningside and coauthor of The Myth of the American Superhero (2002). In addition to a filmography for The Landscape of Hollywood Westerns (2006) he also created filmographies for the Film and History Association books Hollywood's White House (2003), Hollywood's West (2005), and Why We Fought (2008).
The release of their self-published book coincided with a State Historical Museum of Iowa exhibit, "Hollywood in the Heartland." The exhibit debuted in June, examining Iowa's historical ties to film and featuring "Field of Dreams" prominently. It's on the second floor of the museum and is scheduled to run through December 2016.
Knepper and Lawrence shared their list (below) with The Register, with films sorted into six categories, which are:
I. Iowa settings, fictional films. These are fictional stories set at least partially in Iowa.
II. Iowa settings, historical films. These include historic episodes in Iowa, ranging from the Mormon crossing in Brigham Young—Frontiersman to the tragic 1989 air disaster at Sioux City portrayed by Crash Landing: The Rescue of Flight 232.
III. Traveling Iowans. These feature at least one fictional Iowan as a significant character in a location outside the state.
IV. Iowa documentaries. These films, at a minimum of 30 minutes in length, present some aspect of Iowa in a factually informative style.
V.Made in Iowa. These films are recognizably Iowa in physical setting, but their fictional stories place them elsewhere or give them a generic, "anywhere" setting. The fact that they are shot in Iowa often fades into the recollection that they are "about" Iowa—particularly when communities remember the experience of filming. An example is Children of the Corn (1984), filmed in Whiting, Hornick, and Sioux City, but set in Nebraska. Many independent films have been shot in Iowa without reaching film festivals or any other kind of distribution. These are the "ghost films," often a tribute to the hospitality, grants, and technical assistance of the Iowa Film Office (now Produce Iowa) and the local communities that assist producers. We have been able to see and to describe quite a few ghost films, thanks to producers who lent them to us, but like much older films, they might be quite difficult to obtain. A few films have been shot by foreign companies, who later distribute their films in other languages; such films rarely migrate back to American screens. One significant exception is Bix: The Interpretation of a Legend (1991), by Italian filmmaker Pupi Avati, who has shot several films in Iowa.
VI. Films that mention Iowa. Numerous films briefly mention Iowa or Iowans to evoke some stereotype of place or character. While such films lack Iowa focus, their references become part of Iowa's cultural identity as safe, nice, or benightedly rural. For example, in Made for Each Other (1939), a character quips that "Hollywood is the place where people from Iowa mistake each other for stars." And the First Husband in Kisses for My President (1964) welcomes a lisping Campfire Girl from "Thioux Thity"—perhaps suggesting that kids from Iowa are challenged residents of Greater Hicksville. The "mention" films are described only in this list short entry listing, not in the Annotated Library.
THE COMPLETE LIST
(Copyright 2014, Marty S. Knepper and John S. Lawrence)
1918: The Strange Woman, I. Parisian Inez exposes hypocrisy of Iowa town but settles down there
1919: Bill Henry,III. Iowa lady claims farm in Alabama, foils schemers, sells property with oil on it
1919: Crooked Straight, III. Iowa boy tricked into life of crime in big city but goes straight finally
1921: Get-Rich-Quick Wallingford,I. Men aim to con small Iowa town, but ended up marrying locals
1921: Stardust, III. Iowa girl with musical talent succeeds in opera, despite forced marriage to rich brute
1921: The Wonderful Thing,I. American hog farmer's daughter marries Englishman; scenes in Centerville
1922: Watch Your Step, I. Elmer, who thinks he has killed a cop while speeding, hides in Iowa
1923: The Covered Wagon, VI. Pioneer epic with colorful Jim Bridger bringing goods from Council Bluffs to Rockies
1924: That French Lady, I. Remake of The Strange Woman (1918)
1925: Night Life of New York, III. Father plots to keep Iowa son from settling in NYC; scheme fails
1925: A Slave of Fashion, III. Iowa girl assumes identity of NYC woman whose purse she has taken
1927: A Harp in Hock, VI. A boy who fights bully in NYC is sent to foster family in Iowa
1927: With Sitting Bull at the Spirit Lake Massacre, aI. Indians abduct two young women and attack frontier settlement
1929: Midnight Daddies,III. Iowa vacationers in big city nearly get duped by greedy ex-Iowan cousin
1930: High Society Blues, III. Rich Scarsdale families feud: native Iowans vs. native New Yorkers
1933: As Husbands Go, III. Pair of women from Dubuque meet men in Paris who visit them in Iowa
1933: Design for Living, VI. George paints a rotund woman from Des Moines, Iowa, in Nice, France
1933: State Fair, I. Depression comedy based on Phil Stong novel: the Frakes go to the fair
1933: TheStranger's Return, I. Phil Stong tale on adultery and squabbling over who gets the farm
1934: Men of the Night, III. Unsuccessful in Hollywood as actress, Iowa girl gets involved with police
1935: Times Square Lady, III. Iowa heiress shows New Yorkers she is no patsy, marries converted swindler
1935: Village Tale,I. A depressing small town tale about gossip and hostility, based on a Phil Stong book
1936: Farmer in the Dell, III. Satire on Iowans in Hollywood, based on a Phil Stong book
1937: The Law Commands, II. Conflict about land resulting from 1862 Homestead Act
1937: We Have Our Moments, III. Bride-to-be balks at Sioux City honeymoon, flees to Monte Carlo
1938: Keep Smiling, III. Secretary to out-of-work film director is pressured by fiancé to return to Iowa
1938: Penitentiary, V. An innocent convict learns about "the criminal code" in a drama shot at Anamosa
1939: Career, I. Small town Iowa drama about failing bank and father's and son's romances
1939: The Flying Deuces, III. Dumped by heartthrob,Ollie, from Des Moines, joins the Foreign Legion with Stan
1939: King of the Underworld, VI. Crime boss's henchman mistakes Napoleon's Waterloo for Waterloo, Iowa
1939: Made for Each Other, VI. Hollywood called "place where people from Iowa mistake each other for stars"
1939: Union Pacific, II. DeMille movie about bringing transcontinental railroad to Council Bluffs
1940: Brigham Young—Frontiersman, II. Mormon trek through Iowa after Joseph Smith's murder
1940: Lillian Russell, VI. Biopic about turn-of-the-century singer who was born in Iowa
1941: Cheers for Miss Bishop, I. Tribute to unmarried teacher, adapted from Aldrich story
1941: High Sierra, VI. Ex-con Roy Earle tells a cautionary tale of a robbery in Iowa: a talkative man got killed
1941: Let's Go Collegiate,III. Alum sports fans from Des Moines hold a cop hostage so Rawley can win at rowing
1941: Melody Lane, III. Singing group from Yuba City, Iowa, brought to NYC to sing for ads
1941: Navy Blues, III. Shy sailor Homer Matthews is from a farm with corn and more than1000 pigs in Aplington
1941: One Foot in Heaven, II. Based on Hartzell Spence memoir about his minister father
1942: Don't Get Personal, III. Iowan inherits pickle fortune and foils scheming company execs
1942: The Major and the Minor, III. Iowa woman poses as a child to get home from NYC: a comedy
1942: Orchestra Wives, I. Marriage of swing band member reaches crisis during Iowa City gig
1943: Gung Ho, VI. The "Good Old Dubuque" steamroller helps the WWII Marine invasion of Makim Island succeed
1943: Happy Land, I. Small town father grieves over death of son in WWII
1943: The Hard Way, VI. Katie, with her "stage sister," joins a vaudeville act, playing Des Moines and all over
1944: Buffalo Bill, VI. Buffalo Bill and Sgt. Chips take train from Council Bluffs to head east
1944: Double Exposure, III. Native Iowa journalists, Pat and Ben, manipulated by NYC editor
1944: Double Indemnity, VI. Cynical Walter Neff observes that "native" Californians are all from Iowa
1944: Hollywood Canteen, VI. The Andrews Sisters sing about Des Moines; Slim's girl is possibly from from Altoona, Iowa
1944: The Sullivans, II. Five Irish Catholic brothers from Waterloo all killed together in WWII
1945: Blonde from Brooklyn, III. Vet from Dubuque wants to sing, dance; ends up in radio
1945: Bud Abbott and Lou Costello in Hollywood, III. A and C become agents to aspiring singer from D.M.
1945: Keep Your Powder Dry, I. WACs at Camp Fort Des Moines fight and bond
1945: State Fair, I. Pa and Ma Frake win prizes and the kids find romance at the fair: a musical
1945: They Were Expendable, III. Iowan nurse Sandy and Rusty Ryan, USN, have a WWII romance in S. Pacific
1945: You Came Along, I. Air Force buddies and Ivy Hotchkiss visit Des Moines and elsewhere to sell war bonds
1946: The Best Years of Our Lives, I. WWII vets return to "Boone City" to find things changed
1946: Johnny Comes Flying Home, I. Vets return to Iowa, but end up in business with pal from Calif.
1946: The Postman Always Rings Twice, III. Cora, from Iowa, and drifter Frank murder her husband
1946: Sioux City Sue, VI. Gene Autry croons popular song about "Sioux City Sue" from Ioway
1947: Angel and the Badman,VI. John Wayne's Quirt Evans remarks on Sioux City's wild reputation
1947: High Barbaree, I. Story of romantic pair from Iowa small town at war in Pacific theater
1947: It Happened on Fifth Avenue, VI. Rich girl claims to have 13 sibs and a drunken father in Dubuque
1948: A Foreign Affair, III. Primly moralistic congresswoman from Iowa visits post-WWII Germany
1948: Sealed Verdict,III. Iowa grandparents want to raise child of their murdered soldier son and a German woman
1949: Hideout, I. Gang leader steals diamond necklace and disguises self as solid citizen of Hilltop, Iowa
1949: The Seven Little Foys,I. Eddie Foy performs in Dubuque, unaware his wife is dying, leaving him with 7 kids
1950: The Mormon Battalion, IV. Historical episode in which Mormons were recruited to fight in Northern Mexico
1950: The Rock Island Trail,II. Reed Loomis fights to build the first railroad bridge over the Mississippi into Iowa
1951: Detective Story, VI. NYpoliceman rethinks his rigid moral code; Des Moines mentioned
1951: Go for Broke!, III. Story of a U.S. Nisei 442nd Regimental Combat Team, including former Iowa egg farmer
1951: The Home Economics Story, IV. Four girls at ISU pursue home economics in college—and later in careers
1951: You're in the Navy Now,VI. Harkness mentions recruiting in Iowa—an unlikely place for sailors
1954: Go, Man, Go! I. Dubuque man helps promote Harlem Globetrotters
1955: Mister Roberts, VI. WWII cargo ship crew fights boredom; one recalls selling booze to U of I students.
1955: Why Study Home Economics?V. A HS counselor tells 1950s girls why they should pursue home economics
1956: Our Miss Brooks, III. Connie struggles to land bashful biology teacher Boynton, who has Iowa connections
1957: The Pajama Game, I. Workers in an Iowa pajama factory demand a 7 cent raise: a musical
1957: Small Town, USA, IV. A documentary about life in the rural small town of Anamosa, Iowa
1957: The Spirit of St. Louis, VI. Air exec says flying NY-Paris is not like "dropping off a mailbag in Keokuk"
1958: TheTarnished Angels, III. Teenage girl flees Iowa to follow stunt pilot in a carnival
1960: The Apartment, VI. Baxter's date for The Music Man loves a heartless Harold Hill type and stands him up
1960: Elmer Gantry, VI. Gantry hops a train to win over Sister Sharon after her revival in "West Iowa"
1962: TheMusic Man, I. Meredith Willson's musical about con man's stay in and transformation of "River City"
1963: All of Me, III. Aspiring model from Iowa is attacked and exploited in NYC; visits nudist camp
1964: Kisses for My President,VI. The First Husband welcomes a lisping Campfire Girl from "Thioux Thity"
1966: TheFat Spy, IV. In beach musicalcosmetics boss has Iowa farms speed up pig fat production for beauty creams
1966: The Hostage, I. A boy is trapped in moving van driven by violent men; filmed in Des Moines area
1967: Bonnie and Clyde, II. Bank robbers ambushed in a shootout at Dexter, Iowa
1967: In Cold Blood, VI. A man can give Dick and Perry a lift to Iowa; the two men steal a car from an Iowa barn
1967: TheLast American Hobo,IV. Documentary on hobo life, including hobo convention in Britt
1968: Fever Heat, I. Romance between stock car driver and Iowa widow who become business partners
1969: Gaily, Gaily, V. Shot partly in Dubuque, this comedy takes naïve Ben from Galena Illinois, to Chicago
1969: The Rain People, VI. Brain damaged football player travels and sees Nebraska sign pointing to Sioux City
1969: Trouble with Girls, I. Elvis manages 1927 Chautauqua troupe visiting Iowa
1970: Sidelong Glances of a Pigeon Kicker, VI. NYC taxi driver flees stressful city for Des Moines
1971: Cold Turkey, I. Comedy about Iowa town that takes a bribe to stop smoking
1971: What's the Matter with Helen?III. In this horror pic, two Iowa mothers of murderers flee to Hollywood
1972: A Thief in the Night, I. A Christian "Rapture" movie set in central Iowa
1972: What's Up, Doc?, III. Comedy about ISU musicologist and wife in California
1973: Dillinger, II. FBI Agent Purvis narrates the Dillinger saga, including a bank robbery with deaths in Mason City
1975: The Day of the Locust, III. Iowan Homer Simpson finds Hollywood disturbing and deadly
1975: Hearts of the West, III. A naïve writer of westerns from Iowa goes to Hollywood
1975: Huckleberry Finn, V. TV version starring Ron Howard was filmed along the Mississippi River
1976: TheBad News Bears, VI. Hollywood girl has sold maps to the stars' homes to "half of Iowa"
1977: All the King's Horses,V. A troubled couple near divorce finally commits to a Christian marriage
1977: The Goodbye Girl,VI. Elliott Garfield cynically says Ames, Iowa, is where to make it as an actor
1977: One in a Million: The Ron LeFlore Story, I. East Detroit kid moves from prison to Detroit Tigers via Clinton
1977: Ride the Wind, I. Two gangs of kids compete in building and racing homemade planes
1977: Sammy,I. A handicapped boy's disappearance unites a Des Moines family and leads them to Christ
1977: Telefon, VI. When double agent Barbara crosses from Canada to the USA, she claims to be from Sioux City
1978: TheBuddy Holly Story, II. Film climaxes with Buddy's final concert in Clear Lake
1978: F.I.S.T., V. Filmed in Dubuque, this movie presents a portrait of a Jimmy Hoffa-like labor leader
1978: Nite Song, I. Two teens--One black, one white--struggle to rid their neighborhood of drug pushers
1979: A Distant Thunder, I. Further Tribulations of Iowans "left behind" in Rapture of Thief (1972)
1979: Friendly Fire, II. Drama about Mullens' fight with Pentagon to discover truth after son dies in Vietnam
1979: Hardcore, VI. Midwest Christian youth go to decadent L.A. where one girl is lured into p*rno industry
1979: Ice Castles, I. An Iowa skater finds success, is blinded, and learns to skate again
1980: Dribble [Alt. title: Scoring], I. Des Moines women's basketball team plays to survive in this comedy
1980: Heaven's Heroes, I. A war hero and Christian family man risks his life as a Des Moines cop in this true story
1980: Image of the Beast, I. Continuing struggle (Thief, 1972; Distant, 1979) of wavering believers to resist the Mark
1980: Whitcomb's War, I. In "Hurrah, Iowa," a minister, David, brings light to businessman Phil Esteem
1981: Bill, II. The story of a mentally retarded man who becomes part of U of I community
1981: Bix: Ain't None of Them Play like Him Yet, IV. On jazz great Bix Beiderbecke of Davenport
1981: For Ladies Only, III. U of Iowa theater grad becomes a male stripper in NYC
1981: TheFunhouse, I. Teens spend night at carnie funhouse in horror film with Iowa setting
1981: Home Safe, V. Filmed in Des Moines area, a family learns meaning of Bible teachings on discipline
1981: Pennies from Heaven, V. Musical about sheet music salesman, filmed in Dubuque
1981: Take This Job and Shove It, I. Local boy returns to run Dubuque brewery
1982: Airplane II: The Sequel, VI. Man with bomb mentions sex institute in Des Moines
1982: Face in the Mirror, I. Friends and family of a suicidal teen experience guilt and turn to Christ
1983: Bill: On His Own, II. More life events for Bill, mentally retarded kiosk operator at U of I
1983: TheHealing, I. A despairing, drunken M.D. finds a new life on Des Moines' Center Street
1983: Heat and Dust, III. Iowan in this James Ivory drama is out of place in India
1983: The Prodigal Planet, I. The end of post-Rapture Tribulation for Iowans begun in Thief (1972)
1983: Terms of Endearment, I. Married woman from Texas has affair with Iowa banker
1983: Who Will Love My Children?II. Dying Iowa mom strives to find loving homes for her 10 kids
1984: Children of the Corn, V. Stephen King story of crazed, murderous teens who emerge from cornfields
1984: Country, I. Drama about farm crisis focuses on the Ivy family's struggles
1984: Mass Appeal, VI. Two priests are threatened with possible posts in Iowa, as if Siberia
1984: Starman, V. Film about an alien come to earth, shot in Cedar Rapids area
1984: This Is Spinal Tap, VI. The world's loudest rock band has sunk so low Des Moines won't have them
1984: The Shepherd, I. Two Vietnam vets, now Iowa Air Guard pilots, conquer their pride, resentment
1985: Fraternity Vacation, III. Nerdy Iowa boy wins gorgeous woman in Palm Springs
1986: Out of Bounds, III. Naïve Iowa boy is pursued by drug dealers and cops in L.A.
1986: Heaven's Heroes, I. A war hero and Christian family man risks his life as a Des Moines cop
1986: Star Trek IV, III. Captain Kirk—identified as Iowan—travels with Spock to California to find whales
1986: Wisdom,I. John and Karen raid banks to burn mortgages in Iowa and elsewhere
1987: Brother Enemy, V. After teens demolish a puppeteer's studio, they are sentenced to help him
1987: La Bamba, II. Rock 'n' roll singer Ritchie Valens dies in Clear Lake Charter Service plane
1987: Life Flight, I. Des Moines Life Flight crew members rescue citizens and search for God's will
1987: The Secret Government: The Constitution in Crisis,VI. PBS feature on Iran-Contra interviews Jim Leach
1988: Fort Figueroa, III. TV pilot about Iowans who have lost the farm becoming L.A. apt. owners
1988: Married to the Mob, VI. An FBI agent poses in Miami as a tourist from Dubuque
1988: Miles from Home, I. Angry brothers protest the loss of their family's farm
1989: Harry Hopkins . . . At FDR's Side, IV. Sioux City man who served as presidential aide and international envoy
1989: Field of Dreams, I. Fantasy of family reconciliation through baseball on an Iowa farm
1989: Your Mother Wears Combat Boots, III. Davenport mom sneaks into airborne training to keep son from jumping
1989: Zadar! Cow from Hell, I. Duck's Breath's satire on Hollywood films about Iowa
1990: The Civil War,IV. This acclaimed Ken Burns' documentary notes that 13,001 Iowa men died in the Civil War
1990: Luther the Geek, V. Chicken-themed horror movie is set in Illinois but filmed partially in Iowa
1990: Quick Change, III. Man in convertible with Iowa plates holds up unlucky bank robbers in Brooklyn
1991: Bix: An Interpretation of a Legend, I. Bix's playing and drinking disappoints his Davenport family
1991: Indian Runner, V. A failed farmer and a Vietnam vet, brothers, struggle in this family tragedy
1991: Lunatics: A Love Story, III. Michigan man and Iowa woman despair in LA
1991: Sleeping with the Enemy, I. Abused wife fakes death and takes refuge in Cedar Falls
1991: Soapdish, III. Girl from Des Moines becomes "America's Sweetheart" on a soap
1991: Where the Night Begins,I. Irving returns to Davenport to right wrongs of his father in this melodrama
1992: The Bodyguard, VI. An Iowa Rapids chaplain refers to God the protector as Frank Farmer scans the crowd
1992: Crash Landing: The Rescue of Flight 232, II. Story of plane crash and rescue response in Sioux City
1992: Ed and His Dead Mother, I. Shy guy from Manning plagued by murderous dead mom
1992: Incident at Oglala, IV. Film argues Peltier is a victim of government injustice; includes Cedar Rapids trial
1992: In the Best Interest of the Children, II. TV docudrama about neglectful Estherville mom
1992: Noises Off, I. Inept theater company begins road tour in Des Moines.
1992: Taking Back My Life: The Nancy Ziegenmeyer Story, II. True story of rape of Grinnell woman
1992: Whispers in the Dark, I. A Manhattan psychiatrist gets involved with a charter pilot from Keokuk
1993: Dave, VI. Iowa Senator Tom Harkin has a cameo in this political comedy about U.S. President
1993: Married to It,III. Comedy about young ISU graduates, establishing careers in NYC
1993: The Program, VI. Collegiate football film features a crucial game against the Iowa Hawkeyes
1993: Shimmer, I. Teens in Iowa youth detention facility speak code to help them envision better places
1993: What's Eating Gilbert Grape, I. Gilbert, from Endora, Iowa, struggles with family, economic burdens
1993: Whose Child Is This?, II. Story of the Iowa versus Michigan custody battle for baby Jessica DeBoer
1993: TheWoman Who Loved Elvis, I. Deserted wife from Ottumwa has Elvis shrine on her porch
1994: An American Love, I. An Italian prof. comes to U. of Iowa and is torn between a journalist and his wife
1994: Dumb and Dumber, I. Candidates for "dumbest guys in world" take road trip to Aspen, through Iowa
1994: ThePuppet Masters,I. Aliens invading Iowa take over the brains of natives
1994: The Room Next Door (La stanza accanto),I. Martin returns to scene of triple murder he witnessed in Iowa
1994: Sioux City, I. Native American doctor returns to Siouxland to investigate his past
1994: The Stand, I. Plague survivors prepare for a battle between good and evil; two survivors are Iowans
1994: Wyatt Earp, II. Saga of Earp begins in Pella, where he spent early years
1995: TheBridges of Madison County, I. Romance of Iowa farm wife and traveling photographer
1995: TheLast Supper, I. Liberal graduate students kill conservative guests in this satire
1995: Mommy, I. Muscatine mother devoted to daughter becomes crazed serial killer
1995: A Mother's Gift,I. Iowa teacher gives up opera in NYC to follow husband into Nebraska after Civil War
1995: Omaha, V. Partly shot near Council Bluffs, the comedy refers to Harkin, ISU, and Iowa kickboxers
1995: Operation Dumbo Drop, III. Disney comedy about a Green Beret caper in Vietnam War
1995: Tommy Boy, VI. Sweet, dumb Tommy travels Midwest to save family auto parts business
1995: Troublesome Creek: A Midwestern, IV. Documentary about family nearly losing their farm near Atlantic
1995: Tuskegee Airmen, II. Iowa pilot succeeds in Army Air Corps during WWII
1996: Citizen Ruth,V. Abortion groups battle over Ruth's baby in this movie filmed in Council Bluffs
1996: Harvest of Fire, I. Urban FBI agent investigates hate crimes in Amish community; her life changes
1996: Iowa: An American Portrait, IV. Sesquicentennial documentary about Iowa
1996: Joe's Apartment, III. Comedy about naïve Iowan in NYC who shares apartment with roaches
1996: Kingpin, III. Iowa man from Ocelot becomes big time bowler in Reno and saves an Amish town
1996: Michael, I. Angel transforms lives of cynical tabloid journalists doing a story in Iowa
1996: Mystery Science Theatre 3000: The Movie, VI. "I'll gas up [the spaceship] in Des Moines."
1996: Ruby Ridge: An American Tragedy, II. An Iowa family is attacked by the FBI in their Idaho cabin
1996: Twister, V. Film about an Oklahoma twister shot in Iowa
1997: Boys Life 2 (Alkali, Iowa segment made in 1995), I. A young farmer discovers his father was gay
1997: I'll Be Home for Christmas, I. Tale of a small town that gets doctor through romance
1997: The Man Who Knew Too Little, III. Des Moines Blockbuster employee plays spy in London
1997: Mommy's Day (Mommy II), I. Murderous Muscatine mother is improbably rehabilitated
1997: Murder at 1600, III. Female Secret Service agent from Iowa helps solve White House murder
1997: Orgazmo, VI. Mormon missionary gets pulled into L. A. p*rn industry; accused of being an Iowan
1997: AThousand Acres, I. Based on Jane Smiley's Iowa version of the King Lear tragedy
1997: Titanic, III. An aged but still spunky Rose, from Cedar Rapids, tells her story about the sea disaster
1997: Touch, I. An ex-priest/celebrity with healing powers escapes from LA to Iowa at film's end
1998: The Big One, IV. Michael Moore's tour of downsized businesses brings him to Iowa
1998: A Civil Action, VI. This environmental litigation drama refers to "the Farmers Bank of Iowa"
1998: Le cerveau en ȇmoi, IV. French documentary presents brain/mind explorations of U of I's Damasio team
1998: Crimes of Passion: Nobody Lives Forever,V. TV cop movie filmed in Davenport and Kalona
1998: Dreamfield,IV. Documents fan culture/pop religion surrounding Field of Dreams
1998: Mercury Rising,VI. Woman gives up sales trip to a safe Des Moines to help protect hunted autistic boy
1998: Overnight Delivery, I. Boy-girl road trip from Minnesota to Memphis has stops in Iowa
1998: Saving Private Ryan, III. WWII mission to find a private from Iowa after his three brothers die
1998: Streetcars of Omaha and Council Bluffs, IV. History of streetcars in the two cities, 1947-55.
1998: The Truman Show, VI. In the script of Truman's life, his father is from Des Moines
1998: Yidl in the Middle, IV. Documentary on growing up Jewish in Iowa in the 1950s and 1960s
1999: Alert 3: The Crash of UA 232, IV. The video documents the plane crash and rescue
1999: Alert 3: Lessons Learned from the Crash of UA 232, IV. Sioux City area's emergency responses to crash
1999: Ann Landers: America's Confidante, IV. Sioux City figures in early life of advice columnist Ann Landers
1999: Donna Reed: Intimate Portrait, IV. Biography of Denison film actress, TV star, and anti-war activist
1999: Bleeding Iowa, I. A felon, Iowa Jackson, returns home to find Iowa in bloody distress
1999: Election,V. Satire on an ambitious senior's drive to be student council president; filmed partly in Carter Lake
1999: Freestyle: The Victories of Dan Gable, IV. Documentary about Iowa's legendary wrestler and coach
1999: Galaxy Quest,VI. In this Star Trek spoof, Commander Taggert gets Iowa beef because he was born in Iowa
1999: It's Yesterday Once More! IV. History of state of Iowa through focus on Mason City's growth
1999: TheStraight Story,II. Story of Alvin Straight, who rides mower from Laurens to Wisconsin
1999: The Surf Ballroom,IV. Documentary about ballroom in Clear Lake, site of Buddy Holly's last concert
1999: Take My Advice: The Ann and Abby Story,I. Eppie and Popo grow up in Sioux City and reconcile there
1999: Trekkies, IV. A documentary with footage of Kirk's "birthplace" and memorial statue in Riverside
1999: TheTrue Story of the Fighting Sullivans,IV. Interview based reconstruction of the deaths at sea
1999: Whiteboyz, I. White boys, hip-hop fans, disdain Iowa until their deadly trip to Chicago's Cabrini Green
2000: Bamboozled, III. A writer of the "new millennium minstrel show" is from Iowa
2000: Cora Unashamed, I. PBS drama about black maid Cora and white family in 1930s small town Iowa
2000: Dvorak and America, IV. Documentary about Spillville's influence on composer Antonin Dvorak
2000: Happy Accidents, III. Sam, claiming to be from "future Dubuque," charms Ruby
2000: Running Mates, III. Katie from Cedar Rapids is youngest delegate to the Democratic convention
2000: Silverwings, V. Star Trek fantasy with Renaissance era setting amid Des Moines landmarks
2000: Thirty Year Cold Turkey Reunion, IV. Short documentary of return of Cold Turkey stars to Iowa
2000: The True Story of the Fighting Sullivans, IV. Documentary on the Sullivan brothers in WWII
2001: Forgotten Journey, IV. 1844 Stephens-Townsend-Murphy group left Council Bluffs and made it to California
2001: Hybrid, IV. Documentary about idiosyncratic centenarian who pioneered corn hybridization
2001: Rain, I. This arty melodrama set in Iowa County is perhaps the bleakest of all Iowa films
2001: Real Time: The Siege at Lucas Street Market, I. Punks hold up Davenport convenience store and take hostages
2002: About Schmidt, VI. Schmidt, retired, is replaced by a young business graduate from Drake.
2002: The Formula, IV. Docudrama about the experience of making a Star Wars fan film in Cedar Rapids
2002: I Spy, III. James Bond-like spy Carlos is, surprisingly, from Iowa
2002: Mr. Deeds, I. A NYC television reporter pretends to be from Winchestertonfieldville, Iowa
2002: The Formula, V. Docudrama about the experience of making a Star Wars fan film in Cedar Rapids
2002: The People in the Pictures,IV. Amateur photographer documents farm life during Depression years
2002: Picture Perfect: Iowa in the 1940s, IV. Amateur photographer makes snapshots of people of Ridgeway
2002: The Road to Perdition,V. Midwest gangster-hit man has son who sees him commit a murder
2002: Tully, V. A Nebraska farmer and his two sons learn about love and sacrifice; filmed partly in Iowa
2003: ACop's Christmas, I.Andy Griffith parody has Iowa humor, Christian evangelism, and realism (a meth lab)
2003: Crank: Made in America,IV. HBO documentary on 3 Iowa families whose lives are destroyed by meth
2003: Cutter, I. Farcical competition for lawn mowing contract at a large mall in Des Moines
2003: Discovering Dominga, IV. Algona friends/family help Denese Becker research her family's deaths in Guatemala
2003: Legally Blonde 2: Red, White, and Blue,VI. Minority whip in Congress is from Iowa; his wife just left him
2003: Lost/Found, I. A writer without hope meets a stranger who helps him give hope to others
2003: The Music Man,I. Disney remake that preserves the look of early 20th century Mason City
2003: Putting on the Glitz: The Restoration of the Sioux City Orpheum Theatre, IV. Funding, craftsmanship triumph
2004: A Century of Iowa Architecture, IV. Survey of fifty most significant buildings
2004: Death to Mental Slaves, V. Filmed in Cedar Rapids, this CD and DVD combo highlights black metal bands
2004: For Always, I. A young man, with no parents or girlfriend, follows a puzzle to confront a murderer and himself
2004: Her Summer, I. Two Iowa friends explore a crime case's artifacts: a rookie cop finds his brothers murdered
2004: Lights, Camera, Kill!, I. Horror begins with a stolen snuff film; The Killer gets indiscriminate revenge
2004: The Talent Given Us,I. The dysfunctional Wagners drive through Iowa en route to LA to see their son/brother
2004: Team America World Police, III. Actor Gary Johnston, U. of Iowa alum, saves world in Trey Parker satire
2004: University Heights, I. Four Iowa City men struggle with their identities and ethics in interwoven storylines
2005: America's Lost Landscape: The Tallgrass Prairie, IV. Promotes prairie restoration in Iowa and other states
2005: Bad Girls from Valley High, VI. Spoiled teen princesses prematurely age in a comedy that mentions Des Moines
2005: The Bag Man, I. A screwball horror film with a wimpy, abused video clerk becomes a serial killer
2005: Bonnie and Clyde: The Story of Love and Death, IV. Includes a scene of Bonnie and Clyde in Dexter
2005: Caveman: V. T. Hamlin and Alley Oop,IV. Comic strip creator Hamlin grew up in Perry
2005: Boone Style, I. We see a typical dysfunctional Des Moines extended family through the eyes of 8-year-old Ruby
2005: Eliot Ness: An Untouchable Life, V. One-man show on crime-stopper Eliot Ness, staged in Des Moines
2005: Invasion Iowa, I. Bill Shatner comes to Kirk's hometown, Riverside, to shoot a movie, really a reality TV series
2005: Iowa, I. Violent, depressing love and methamphetamine story set in Centerville, Iowa
2005: Villisca: Living with a Mystery, IV. Documentary on 1912 axe murders in Villisca and the aftermath
2006: The Bride Wore Blood,I. A Sergio Leone-style mystery/suspense movie with lots of narrative twists and turns
2006: Going to Tromadance, IV. Prescribed Films' self-documented journey from Ottumwa to Park City, UT festival
2006: Paul Conrad: Drawing Fire, IV. Passionate political cartoonist Paul Conrad has roots in Iowa
2006: Farmlands, I. Moralistic serial killer stalks teenagers on a hot night in Sioux City area
2006: Haunting Villisca, II. Community where notorious axe murders occurred restages trial and looks for ghosts
2006: Iowa's World War II Stories, IV. Iowans who served and still survive relate their experiences
2007: Arnold's Park,I. Mystery set in Arnolds Park with formerly bullied fat boy set up for a murder
2007: Bill's Big Pumpkins, IV. Bill Foss of Buffalo, MN, brings a giant pumpkin to the Anamosa Pumpkinfest
2007: The Final Season,I. True story of Norway Tigers' miraculous 20th state baseball championship
2007: Hall Pass, I. Johnson County foster child encounters sexual predators at home and at school
2007: The Hideout. [Il nascondiglio], I. A thriller about an Italian woman who opens a restaurant in Davenport
2007: Hollywood Dreams, III. Quirky actress from Mason City aims for Hollywood stardom, despite troubled past
2007: Indelible, I. Brutal film about "failed fatherhood, loss, and redemptive powers of love"; filmed in Des Moines
2007: King Corn, IV. A documentary on economic and health aspects of corn production is set in Greene, Iowa
2007: King of Kong, IV. Documentary about Donkey Kong championship set in Fairfield
2007: A Little Salsa on the Prairie, IV. Demographics change in Perry as Latinos take jobs in meat-packing
2007: Lost Nation: The Ioway,IV. Documentary on the small Ioway tribe and the loss of its lands and culture
2007: Michael Clayton, VI. Brief Council Bluffs scene in thriller about deadly law firm and chemical company client
2007: The Prairie Pirates, I. This family comedy filmed in Orange City shows four children seeking pirate treasure
2007: A Promise Called Iowa, IV. Iowa's welcoming SE Asian refugees aided in post-Vietnam War healing
2007: Sigma Die!, V. Slasher film/mystery filmed partly in Dubuque features sorority girls gone wild
2007: Slacker Uprising, VI. Michael Moore's 2004 get out the vote tour makes a stop at ISU in Ames
2007: The Thickness of Delirium, V. A depressed man travels across country to confront the day he left years ago
2007: Through the Night, I. Farmhouse horror-slasher film featuring escaped mental patients
2008: Being Lincoln: Men with Hats,IV. America's Lincoln presenters gather in Mt. Pleasant to discuss their craft
2008: Beneath the Mississippi, I. Doc filmmaker explores dangerous stretch of river, discovering terror and death
2008: The Coverup, II. Docudramatic interpretation of a man's death at Marshalltown while in police custody
2008: Epic Surge: Eastern Iowa's Unstoppable Flood of 2008,IV. KCRG covers the 500-year flood devastation
2008: Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed, IV. Stein interviews ISU prof denied tenure for espousing intelligent design
2008: Freakin' Records Freakin' Movie, IV. A concert DVD featuring three musical groups performing in Ottumwa
2008: A Friend Indeed: The Bill Sackter Story, IV. Biography of a loving Iowa City man with retardation
2008: Legend Has It, I. Low budget horror film self-consciously explores teen horror film plot formulas
2008: The Poker House, I. Agnes and her sisters live in a Council Bluffs house with prostitution, gambling, drugs
2008: Ready, Set, Bag!IV. A New Hampton woman and 22 others compete for title of Best Bagger in America
2008: A Ride along the Lincoln Highway, IV. Iowa highlights: Lincoln Café in Mt. Vernon, a Scranton Lincoln statue
2008: Sister Patchouli, I. "Patch" accepts her vocation--caring for Fairfield neighbors--despite her disapproving mom
2008: Spring Break Massacre, V. This slasher movie with mystery elements movie was filmed partly in Dubuque
2008: Wild Combination: A Portrait of Arthur Russell, IV. On Oskaloosa-reared avant-garde cellist, composer, singer
2009: By the People: The Election of Barack Obama, IV. Admiring portrayal of 2008 Iowa campaign
2009: Children of the Corn, V. Same director remakes 1984 film, this time with Stephen King's hand in the writing
2009: Diary of a Superhero, I. InIowa-made sci fi fantasy, characters struggle for Book of Bizarre and to save earth
2009: Fanboys, I.Star Wars fanson a road trip skirmish with Trekkies in Riverside and strip at a biker gay bar in Iowa
2009: Food, Inc., IV. A critical look at factory produced meat; includes views of Iowa State food scientists
2009: Landslide: A Portrait of Herbert Hoover, IV. Born in Iowa, Hoover became humanitarian and president
2009: Megafault, V. This improbable earthquake disaster movie was filmed in Davenport
2009: Peace Patch, I. Boone neighbors feud over how to mow lawns and then mediate their differences
2009: Sam Steele and the Junior Detective Agency, I. 40s-style P.I. Sam and friend Emma solve art thefts in D.M. area
2009: Something Blue, I. Documentary-style film shows the angst of moving from engagement toward matrimony
2009: Star Trek, I. A young James T. Kirk, from Riverside, Iowa, adventures his way into captaining the Enterprise
2009: Sugar, I. A young baseball pitcher from the Dominican Republic experiences culture shock in Bridgetown, Iowa
2010: 16 to Life, I. A day in the life and loves of workers at an ice cream stand along the Mississippi in McGregor
2010: 2001 Maniacs: Field of Screams, I. Dixie revenge fantasy with lots of gory killings and un-PC humor
2010: AbUSed: The Postville Raid, IV. Agriprocessors Inc and ICE abuse rights of immigrant workers
2010: Ash, I. An ex-cop and family man deals with his personal nightmares of abuse while holding an abuser captive
2010: Burlesque, III. Singing waitress leaves distressed Iowa background to find family in a west coast bar setting
2010: Brent Houzenga: Hybrid Pioneer, IV. Artist/musician transforms Des Moines young art, music scene
2010: Country School: One Room, One Nation. IV. Images and narratives of upper Midwest schools, some restored
2010: TheCrazies, I. Toxic chemicals turn Ogden Marsh residents into violent psychopaths
2010: Dead Awake, I. Mysterious, fatal taxi accident haunts funeral parlor employee in fantasy filmed in Des Moines
2010: Dog Jack, V. Slave Jed and dog Jack escape and join a Union regiment; filmed partly in Mt. Pleasant
2010: Driver's Ed Mutiny, V. Three troubled teens hijack their driver's ed car to drive from Chicago to L.A.
2010: The Experiment, I. A psychological experiment gets sad*stic and bloody in a facility surrounded by corn
2010: Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead, IV. Phil from Sheldon and Siong from Waterloo get healthy via juice fasts
2010: Fell, I.Horror film set in Des Moines apartment; man kills girlfriend and keeps her in his bathtub
2010: Fortnight, I. Edme wants culture she feels Iowa lacks; houseguests change her views of Iowa and her marriage
2010: Ghost Player,IV. The Ghost Players from Field of Dreams keep the magic alive at home and abroad
2010: Go-Bama: Between Hope and Dreams,IV. A Sudanese-German films the Obama 2008 campaign
2010: High Times on Lower 4th, IV. Sioux City's 4th St. had ritzy shopping--and bars, brothels, and gambling
2010: Iowa's Radio Homemakers: Up a Country Lane, IV. These shows created community for Iowa rural women
2010: Janie Jones,I. Abandoned by her mom, Janie tours with and redeems her has-been rock musician father
2010: Louis Sullivan: The Struggle for American Architecture, VI. Includes images of Grinnell's "jewel box" bank
2010: A Million Spokes,IV. The documentary follows individuals and teams participating in 2009 RAGBRAI
2010: Peaco*ck, V. A train crash exposes double identity of Nebraskan John/Emma; filmed in Lorimer, Iowa
2010: Roll Out, Cowboy, IV. Saddened, populist singer tours Midwest to stir sentiment for income equity
2010: Train to Nowhere: Inside an Immigrant Death Investigation, IV. 11 dead migrants found in Denison train car
2010: Winnebago Man, IV. Outtakes of Jack Rebney's industrial video go viral, earning him fame as angriest man
2011: Bully, IV. An anti-bullying documentary features Sioux City East Middle School bullying victim Alex Libby
2011: Butter, I. Butter sculptors underhandedly compete in Iowa City and at the Iowa State Fair
2011: Capone's Whiskey: The Story of Templeton Rye, IV. Carroll County ran stills to survive the Depression
2011: Cedar Rapids, I. Naïve Wisconsin insurance agent grows up at a convention in Cedar Rapids
2011: Chasing Hollywood, IV. Docu-mockumentary about young Des Moines actors who audition in Chicago
2011: Farmageddon, VI. Government raids organic farmers; include Vermont sheep transported to/killed in Iowa
2011: Fertile Ground, V. Horror film in which urban refugees move into a haunted home with family history
2011: Gospel without Borders, IV. Christian take on immigration focuses on Des Moines' Trinity UM Church
2011: Green Fire: Aldo Leopold and a Land Ethic for Our Time, IV. Profile of an environmentally influential Iowan
2011: Haunted Iowa, I. Group of Iowa college "document" their encounter with ghosts at Villisca and other sites
2011: Henry Wallace: An Uncommon Man, IV. Documentary on Iowa intellectual, scientist, visionary, statesman, VP
2011: Husk,I. Slasher film in which young people face off against scarecrow monsters in a corn field
2011: Lucky, I. The Iowa lottery-winning "Council Bluffs Killer" plays mind games with his scared, greedy wife
2011: New York Says Thank You, IV. NYC helps Little Sioux rebuild a chapel where four Boy Scouts died in a tornado
2011: Ticket Out, I. Mother of abused boy and his sister flees with protector through Iowa to Canada
2011: Sick of Larry, I. Psycho-thriller after widow takes in student renters, then seems to die suspiciously
2011: Twelve Thirty, I. Iowa City family drama: agoraphobic mom, bisexual ex, two troubled daughters
2012: America's Darling: The Story of Jay N. "Ding" Darling, IV. On the Iowa cartoonist and conservationist
2012: At Any Price, I. A Churdan farmer/genetic seed salesman and his son learn the price of slippery ethics
2012: Black Web, I. Easton Denning returns to Dubuque to try to prevent his predicted death
2012: City of Literature, IV. Story of how Iowa City became one of UNESCO's three designated Cities of Literature
2012: Dropping Evil, I. A teen camping trip monitored by a mysterious corporation turns violent
2012: Finding John Smith, I. TV journalists seek in Iowa father of 12 year old Iraqi war refugee
2012: The Grey Area, IV. Stories of women in Mitchellville prison receive feminist analysis
2012: The Hope and the Change,IV. Anti-Obama campaign propaganda featuring Dems disillusioned with Obama
2012: Janeane from Des Moines, IV. Fake Tea Party activist draws out Republican candidates in 2012 caucus period
2012: The Matchmaker, IV. Two Iowa City filmmakers seek love at the Lisdoonvarna matchmaking festival in Ireland
2012: Molly's Girl, V. Dramedy about lying, abuse, gay marriage politics, and loving the face in the mirror
2012: Promised Land, III. Natural gas salesman from Eldridge markets fracking until he sees the light
2012: Smitty, I. Chicago boy learns life lessons from his grandfather and a devoted dog one summer in rural Iowa
2012: The Wedge, I. July 4th comedy about Iowa City pizza delivery guy with the worst (and ultimately best) luck ever
2012: Winning Favor, I. Four Orange City boys become state champions and good men on two different teams
2013: American Meat, IV. Iowa farmers discuss problems with industrialized farming--and organic alternatives
2013: Bonnie & Clyde, I. Retelling of the robbery and murder rampages; includes shootout in Dexter
2013: Dear Ann Landers, IV. A 1970s interview by David Susskind of Sioux City native Eppie Lederer (Ann Landers)
2013: Caucus, IV. Focused on Tea Party favorites, a detached tracking of 2012's Republican candidates
2013: The Farm Crisis, IV. Retrospective on collapse of Iowa's farm economy during the late 70's through 80s
2013: The Formula, I. Two engineering students develop a math formula to make themselves irresistible to women
2013: Great Plains: America's Lingering Wild, IV. Exploration of wildlife ecology visits Broken Kettle Preserve
2013: Lost Nation: The Ioway 2 and 3, IV. The continued history of the Iowa tribe in Iowa, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Kansas and Oklahoma
2013: Married and Counting, IV. 25-year partners celebrate with marriages in 7 locations, including Iowa
2013: More Than a Game: 6-on-6 Basketball in Iowa, IV. History of this popular Iowa girls' sport
2013: Movie Star: The Secret Lives of Jean Seberg, IV. Marshalltown star's life and early death after civil rights activism
2013: Spinning Plates, IV. Three restaurants profiled, one of them Breitbach's Country Dining of Balltown
2014: Mitt, VI. Romney presidential campaign shows flashes of Iowa City, Davenport, Cedar Rapids, Ames, Dubuque
(Copyright 2014, Marty S. Knepper and John S. Lawrence)
