Movies from every state day 25- Indiana

 Wow, we're going to be half way through the states after tonight's visit to Indiana "The Hoosier State". Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be a definitive answer as to where or why Hoosier was adopted as the states nickname. Some have it coming into use after a poet by the name of Finley wrote a poem "The Hoosier's Nest". Hoosier was also a derogatory term used in the South for a hick or country simple man and that they supposedly moved North. Another possibility, and one that is easier for me to grasp is that early visitors to pioneer cabins would hail and be answered by " Who's yere?". Well, it's as probable as any explanation! 
Where else would we be going in Indiana, but Notre Dame. A movie that truly shows what tenacity and hard work can get you. Rudy is a great example of both. That dang kid wouldn't take "no" for an answer from anybody. Kind of reminds me of someone I know that has always put every thing he has into the game and brings the best out of his team with his effort, skill and attitude. I'm talkin' about the "Rally Man" himself, our son!

Movies from every state day 24-Michigan

 Ohioans gave Michigan the nickname "The Wolverine State" around 1835 during a dispute over a strip of land that became the Toledo War, because Michiganians were as mean as wolverines. I prefer the "Great Lake State" for a couple of reasons. It borders 4 of the 5 great lakes. It has more than 11,000 inland lakes and more importantly it beats the heck out of Walmart who claims you're never more than 15 miles from one of their stores. In Michigan you're never more than 6 miles from a lake! 
With that fantastic bit of trivia out of the way, we're going to visit two locations in Michigan tonight. Not only do we get to see Detroit, we get to visit Port Huron as well. I'm not a huge fan of Danny DeVito, but he does a pretty good job with his character in "Renaissance Man". He's out of work in advertising and takes a job as an instructor on a Army base where he ends up helping some struggling soldiers find themselves. For Michigan we could have gone with two other choices in our library, Grand Torino or Beverly Hills Cop, maybe next road trip we'll be in the mood for one of them. 
PS. Just finished it and I had forgotten that it's a dang fine "feel good" show.

Movies from every state day 23- Kentucky

Kentucky "The Bluegrass State" is on tonights schedule. Bluegrass isn't really blue, it's grass so it's green, but in the spring it produces a bluish-purple bud and when seen in large fields gives a blue cast to the grass. Early pioneers found it growing in the rich limestone soil and wanted "some of that there blue grass from Kentucky". The name stuck.
Tonight, since Karrie is such a good sport to sit though another dang action movie, we're going to watch U.S. Marshalls with Tommy Lee Jones and Wesley Snipes. Guys get shot, tow truck wreck, plane crash, more guys get shot, good guy swings from tall building to roof of moving train, even more guys get shot, good guy gets girl back and proves he's innocent. What more could anyone ask for? Oh, it does cover our state visit requirements by using film locations in Benton and Eddyville Kentucky. We're slowly moving West with hopes of finding a state with a somewhat lighter movie topic.

Movies from every state day 22- Ohio

"The Buckeye State" is our next destination. The name has native origins. The tree that once covered the hillsides and valleys has a nut with markings resembling the eye of a buck. They called it "hetuck" or "buckeye". Because he was know to drink and live in a log cabin built of buckeye, during his 1840 presidential campaign, William Harrison's backers walked with buckeye canes and rolled whiskey barrels in parades causing people to dub "Old Tippecanoe" from being the " Buckeye State " candidate. He won too.
Tonight's show shares a location with Shawshank Redemption. That movie and our feature tonight may have saved the Mansfield Reformatory from demolition. It had lain dormant for four years before being used in two films as a prison. In "Air Force One" it's used as the Russian prison. I'll vote for Harrison Ford for President if he'll be like the one in this show. He'd have to get new security people though, these didn't do a very good job and most of them are dead anyway. Does Air Force One really have an escape pod? The Air Force says no, but I too, wouldn't tell everyone if it did. Good deal of excitement, the good guys win, the President kicks some bad guy butt and the object was to visit Ohio. Mission accomplished.

Movies from every state day 21- West Virginia

West Virginia " The Mountain State" because of  the Appalachian Mountains. It was the only state formed during the Civil War. It's also home to the first organized golf club in America.
"We Are Marshall" is about a school, town and state that suffered a horrific disaster that killed most of the football team and many prominent citizens. I touch people all across the country. It's about Marshall University's President and a football coach, who's hope was to restore the program and community. It's a true story filled with sadness and humor that must have helped in healing. They did move on, but they've remembered the event, day and time every year since. No matter if you're a sports fan or not, the spirit required to overcome this test is truly amazing. Karrie must have been cuttin' onions again during this one.

Movies from every state day 20-Vermont

   
"The Green Mountain State" Verd Mont was a name given to the Green Mountains in 1761 by Rev. Peters. In 1791 Vermont became the first state after the original thirteen.
On one of our hottest days of the year what better way to celebrate Vermont than by watching "White Christmas" I'll not ruin one of our favorite holiday classics by telling you that the two trains shown taking them from Florida to Vermont never ran on the east coast or that the Columbia Inn Station Wagon that picks them up at the Vermont train station actually had black and yellow California license plates (because it was a shot in California) or that Vera-Ellen as Judy Haynes actually only sings one song, Probably because she was so weak from malnutrition. My God she could have worn Hunters collar as a belt. The part were Crosby and Kaye do the girls part wasn't in the script. They were goofing off and everyone thought it was great and left it in.
It's a great show not because of the music, dancing or goofs, but because it's all about friends helping out friends when their in a bind. As far as I'm concerned it will always end with a White Christmas in Vermont. 

Movies from every state day 19-Maine

Well, This is the last state on the Atlantic coast. It was tough finding movies for a couple of these upper East coast states. Maine, The Pine Tree State, for it's prolific white pine, we'll showcase "run" Forrest "run" Gump. I didn't realize that Forrest taught Elvis all his moves. Looking back it is amazing that segregation was still so deep seated. I'm real glad I went to Germany instead of Vietnam. Just like peas and carrots, Jenny and Forrest. He takes a little jog across America and on the West to East leg of the trip ends up at the Marshall Point Lighthouse, near Point Clyde, Maine. Forrest might have been considered "simple" but he'd do anything for people and that's the way it should. I could sure go for some Budda Gump Shrimp right about now! I still crack up every time I see Forrest jump off his boat to see Lieutenant Dan.  Sometimes in life "There's just not enough rocks" but "Life is like a box of chocolate, you never know what you'll get" This one sure has a good soundtrack even though they don't play much of each song.
We're working our way West from here.