Whether it’s been mentioned by name or simply served as the backdrop for a scene, Northwestern has played a supporting role in several major films (sometimes without permission). An incomplete list of movies with a Northwestern connection:
Nothing in Common (1986) — Several scenes for this Chicago-based film — starring Tom Hanks, Eva Marie Saint and Jackie Gleason in his final movie role — were shot at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.
Major League (1989) — Jake Taylor (Tom Berenger), the washed-up catcher for the hapless Cleveland Indians, tries to explain his one-night stand with a flight attendant to the woman he is trying to win back (Rene Russo) in a scene shot inside the Charles Deering Library.
Mean Girls (2004) — Northwestern is mentioned by characters (including a high school student played by Lindsay Lohan) in the Evanston-based movie, even though the filmmakers never sought or received permission from Northwestern to use the University’s name.
Proof (2005) — Catherine (Gwyneth Paltrow) chooses to attend Northwestern over the University of Chicago, where her brilliant but insane father (Anthony Hopkins) works as a mathematician.
The Weather Man (2005) — Written by Steven Conrad (WCAS91), this movie chronicles the struggles of a Chicago weather man (Nicolas Cage) and includes a scene shot in a parking garage on the Chicago campus.
The Devil Wears Prada (2006) — Andy Sachs (Anne Hathaway) is a Medill School graduate and former editor in chief of the Daily Northwestern who snags a job as an assistant to the demanding and difficult editor (Meryl Streep) of a top New York fashion magazine. — R.H.