5 Movies That Were Filmed in Jacksonville

Jacksonville has a lengthy history as an ideal location for filming movies.

While demand for filming locations in the Bold City has certainly declined since its heyday in the early 20^th century, film crews still pass do through Jax for scenes every now and then.

Most locals probably know that the Denzel Washington-led The Manchurian Candidate filmed in Jacksonville – but the film shot just a few scenes in the area.

We’ve put together a list of movies where significant portions were filmed here in Jacksonville.

G.I. JANE (1997)

Directed by Ridley Scott, the 1997 high-budget action film G.I. Jane brought film crews to Huguenot Memorial Park and Craig Airfield. But much of the film was shot at Camp Blanding, a state National Guard training facility in Clay County which provided a realistic backdrop for Navy SEAL training scenes. Scenes were also filmed in Richmond, VA.

The film starred Demi Moore and Viggo Mortensen. Moore’s performance in the film was heavily critiqued; she even won a Razzie Award for Worst Actress. In general, the film garnered a lukewarm reception and, while it did recoup its $50 million budget and then some, it didn’t perform anywhere near as well as was hoped.

SUNSHINE STATE (2002)

Set in a fictional town in North Florida, Sunshine State filmed extensively in Amelia Island – including the historic American Beach. Filming also took place in Yulee, at and around Regency Square Mall, and at the Orange Park Kennel Club.

Sunshine State was directed by John Sayles and starred Angela Bassett and Edie Falco. Bassett and Falco both won awards for their performances in the film – Bassett won an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture, and Falco won a Satellite Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role.

It won several other film festival awards, making it the best-received film on this list.

BASIC (2003)

Like G.I. Jane, Basic brought a $50 million budget to Jax. Unlike G.I. Jane, Basic failed to recoup that budget.

The film was directed by John McTiernan, notable for having also directed Die Hard. It reunited John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson, who’d previously starred together in Pulp Fiction years earlier. It also starred Connie Nielson and Giovanni Ribisi.

Several scenes were shot in Jax, specifically at Cecil Commerce Center, Herlong Recreational Airport, and Club Continental in Orange Park.

The film was panned by critics, and as mentioned, it failed to turn a profit.

LONELY HEARTS (2007)

Based on the story of the Lonely Hearts Killers of the 1940s, Lonely Hearts was directed by Todd Robinson, grandson of one of the detectives who investigated the original case. It featured an ensemble cast that included Jared Leto, John Travolta, James Gandolfini, Salma Hayek, and Laura Dern.

Scenes for Lonely Hearts were filmed in downtown Jax, Riverside, Springfield, and Cecil Commerce Center.

The film wasn’t received particularly well, and it made less than $200,000 domestically.

WHO’S YOUR MONKEY? (2007)

Unlike the other films on this list, Who’s Your Monkey? is specifically set in Jacksonville.

The film stars Scott Grimes, Jason London, and Scott Michael Campbell; it was directed by Todd Breau.

Jax is featured prominently in the film, with scenes shot in Five Points, downtown Jax, Ortega, and around the Main Street Bridge and Dames Point Bridge.

The film was released first at a film festival, then as a limited theatrical release. It received mixed-to-positive reviews.