Hoosier movie masquerade serves to spoil authenticity

Completely engrossed in the new film "The Judge" the other afternoon, I was immersed in a particularly interesting restaurant scene near the middle of the movie.

Pivotal to the story of Robert Downey Jr. returning to his Hoosier hometown as a big-time Chicago lawyer to confront the demons of his youth, his judgmental father (Robert Duvall as the aging judge) and his high school sweetheart (Vera Farmiga), the scene is set in a quaint little eatery adjacent to a babbling brook or a cascading creek or however Hollywood characterizes such waterways these days.

As Downey's character chats with his ex-girlfriend, the camera pans back, revealing an exquisite shot of rushing water, accented by a small waterfall (think Cataract), just outside the rural restaurant.

That's when my lovely sidekick leans over to whisper, "Where's this supposed to be?"

Now for the sake of the story and any ambiance created by the film, I wanted to fib and say Cataract Falls, of course. And it did look for all the world like a restaurant at Newburgh that I'd eaten at before.

But it's not. Not south of U.S. 40. Not at all Indiana. Not even in the Midwest.

"It's Maine or New Hampshire or someplace in New England," I respond, barely able to utter "New England" without frowning and thinking of scowling Bill Belichick.

"Hmm," is all she can muster in response, obviously not thrilled with my answer which effectively denied her any satisfaction of shared Hoosier empathy with those in the movie scene or even elsewhere in the theater.

Indeed it was kind of a letdown. Part of the fun watching a film or TV show that's supposedly unfolding in your neck of the woods is to be able to point out landmarks and enjoy that shared experience.

Yay, God may be good to Indiana, but Hollywood comes up a little short.

Granted, the Carlinville, Ind., setting of "The Judge" is a fictional Hoosier town, supposedly tucked somewhere east of Evansville near the Hoosier National Forest. But Madison or Corydon -- or Floyds Knobs for that matter -- could just as easily have served as a stand-in.

Instead, "The Judge" was primarily filmed in Shelburne Falls, Mass., with its rolling countryside masquerading as southern Indiana.

While truly not as much of a sacrilege as it might have been had "Hoosiers" been filmed in Kentucky or Ohio or Illinois, it still makes little sense artistically for Indiana to be such an intrinsic part of "The Judge" story yet the production take place elsewhere.

Like when "A Christmas Story" was supposedly set up in The Region at Hammond but was really filmed in Cleveland.

Sadly, the issue is apparently the Almighty Dollar. Hollywood types will tell you they often can't afford to shoot their movie or TV series where it is supposedly set.

And unfortunately, Indiana is currently void of tax-incentive opportunities for filmmakers. Massachusetts, meanwhile, reportedly offers a 25 percent tax credit for the film crew payroll and production costs, along with an exemption from state sales tax.

None of that seemed to matter when "Breaking Away" was filmed at Bloomington and on the Indiana University campus where the Little 500 unfolds each spring.

Neither did it matter when "Hoosiers" used old gyms across Indiana to represent high schools like Hickory and Terhune. Or identified real places like Oolitic and Bedford as opponents. And used venerable old Hinkle Fieldhouse in all its glory to showcase the state finals scenes.

Something like that could have been a powerful addition to "The Judge." But instead of the traditional Indiana limestone courthouse, the proceedings at the center of the story are staged in very much a New England-like municipal structure. Poetic license, sure. You don't have to be Robert Frost to get it.

Yet as Robert Downey Jr. climbed the courthouse stairs to tackle his father's case, I had to fight back turning to my partner in crime to ask, "So where's that courthouse?"

But I caught myself, knowing all too well we weren't in Kansas any more, Toto.

So where in the world is that courthouse?

Hickory? Hoboken? Hollywood?

It doesn't matter. For Indiana it's not ...