You know, it always seems that when Florida is featured on a TV show, the Hollywood folks get it wrong. Like the TV movie of Their Eyes Were Watching God. Most of the book is set in Eatonville, about a mile from my house. At one point, Janie is heading down to a lake for a swim–not that would any self-respecting Floridian go for a swim in a lake at twilight, when it’s gator feeding time anyway–and she walks through a twenty-foot swath of goldenrod to get there. Hello? Goldenrod doesn’t grow here! Or the more infamous and obvious oldie of mountains in the background in the old show Pensacola: Wings of Gold. Florida’s flatter than Dubya’s approval ratings, peeps.
This week’s screwup, tonight’s episode of Criminal Minds. It’s set in “Bridgewater, Florida,” somewhere off I-75 near Alligator Alley. Fine and dandy. DH and I sat back and waited for the errors. About thirty seconds later, cute blonde victim drives her Jeep into the state park. We know we’re in Florida because of the Florida tag on the Jeep. The one on the front bumper. The tag that’s not even freakin’ issued on Florida vehicles!
And I don’t even know where to start with the cheesy Southern accents. Everyone sounds like they’ll be breaking out the Dueling Banjos at any second. Florida Cracker accents don’t sound like deep-fried, Deep South, California voice coach Southern accents. Grr.
I know it’s cheaper to film in California, but dang it, people, just because you have palm trees doesn’t mean it looks anything like Florida! Please, please do some real research!
You’re missing one of my favorites – Amanda Peet heading into Frostproof, Florida at the end of the John Cusak film Identity. It’s a beautiful scene, driving an old pickup truck into the orange groves, the mountains in the background ….