When a movie needs scenes filmed at a school or some sort of campus, local colleges are usually the most convenient to the filmmakers. Whether or not they match the setting of the film depends on the story but there are plenty of popular films that have been filmed on real college campuses.
Being an alumnus of a school and knowing that you are a part of the same history as a handful of classic films can come with some bragging rights. Recognizing some of the popular spots on campus in a particular scene is a cool moment that can be shared forever with fans of the film. Some movies acknowledge the college and others don't, but the two will always be intertwined in the viewing experience.
When Harry Met Sally... (1989): University of Chicago
The classic romcom When Harry Met Sally tells the story of two old college friends who move to New York and run into each other by chance over 12 years. The Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan-led film is seen as a blueprint for many romcoms today, telling a genuine and heartfelt friends-to-lovers story.
With every romcom, the main couple needs to start somewhere and the titular Harry Burns and Sally Albright got theirs at the University of Chicago in 1977. There are a few scenes on campus at the beginning of the film, following the two's graduation and right before their road trip to New York. Only a slight portion of the film is shot in The Windy City but it serves as an introduction to the story that follows.
Breaking Away (1979): Indiana University
The Little 500 bicycle race at Indiana University has been held almost every year since 1951 and served as the primary inspiration for the 1979 film Breaking Away. The film sees four friends post-high school graduation, unsure where their lives are headed. The film's primary protagonist Dave (played by Dennis Christopher) is obsessed with cycling and he and his friends form a team to compete in the Little 500.
Much of the film was shot on location in Bloomington, Indiana with many scenes taking place at IU's old Memorial Stadium. The film is an ode to one of the best college towns in the country and one of its biggest events that locals and alum look forward to every year.
Spider-Man (2002): Columbia University
The 21st century has seen three live-action iterations of Peter Parker hit the big screen but Tobey Maguire's is arguably the most influential to the superhero genre. The Spider-Man origin story is probably one of the most well-known in all of fiction and it was brought to life by Sam Raimi in 2002's Spider-Man.
Viewers know that without the radioactive spider bite, Peter wouldn't have received his powers. In Spider-Man, this occurs on a field trip that Peter and his classmates take to Columbia University. While the scene itself wasn't filmed at Columbia, the campus's Low Library was used for exterior shots at the beginning of the film when Peter first meets Norman Osborn.
Drumline (2002): Clark Atlanta University
When looking into the culture that makes Historically Black Colleges and Universities so unique, Drumline is a film that many people watch to get a glimpse of what college is like at an HBCU. It's no secret that marching band is an important part of HBCU culture and it's explored in the film at the fictional Atlanta A&T University.
Most of the movie was filmed at real-life HBCU Clark Atlanta University and even featured CAU's famous marching band, the Mighty Marching Panther Band. Drumline and Spike Lee's School Daze are still considered the two most essential HBCU-based movies.
Rudy (1993): University of Notre Dame
Rudy is considered one of the most inspiring sports films in the genre, following the story of Rudy Ruettiger and his pursuit to play college football at Notre Dame. Based on a true story, Rudy faces many obstacles in his journey to Notre Dame Stadium but persists and gets to play for the first and only time in the final game of the 1975 season.
To add to some of the story's authenticity, all of the football scenes were filmed at Notre Dame Stadium with other scenes shot on the campus itself. The Fighting Irish is one of college football's most iconic teams and having one of its most popular stories brought to the big screen, it etched itself into sports film greatness.
Good Will Hunting (1997): University of Toronto
The Robin Williams and Matt Damon-led Good Will Hunting is still among both of their best films as the psychological drama is considered a classic amongst movie fans. Authentic in nature, Damon came up with the idea for the script while attending Harvard. The film follows janitor Will Hunting, who has a genius-level IQ and is taken under the wing of Dr. Sean Maguire who helps him reach his full potential.
Though the film is set in Boston and the story surrounds MIT and Harvard, many of the scenes were filmed at the University of Toronto as many of the classroom scenes that viewers see are UToronto's McLennan Physical Labs.
Forrest Gump (1994): University of Southern California
The emotional impact that Forrest Gump has is still being felt by viewers almost 30 years after its release, with a wide range of emotions being felt throughout its runtime. Viewing Forrest's life from childhood to adulthood showcases many of the pivotal moments in his lifetime, including his college days where he dominated as a football player.
Forrest attended the University of Alabama where he joined the football team and excelled as a kick returner due to the immense speed he was able to channel as a child. Though Forrest spent time with the Crimson Tide, the movie filmed all of the college scenes in Los Angeles. This includes the scene where Forrest graduates, filmed at USC's Bovard Auditorium.
Animal House (1978): University of Oregon
Animal House is one of the greatest party films of all time, arguably being the late John Belushi's defining role. Taking place in the early 1960s, the film follows a fraternity at the fictional Faber College that rebels against the dean. Serving as an introduction to the stereotypical college experience to many, it's genuine in that it used the University of Oregon's campus for many of the scenes in the film and even included Oregon students as extras.
Animal House and Oregon's history is intriguing, as the President of the University William Beaty Boyd was more than happy to allow the movie to be filmed on campus. Years earlier as an administrator at USC, he was advised to deny the filming of Mike Nichols' classic The Graduate on the USC campus but as the UO President, he made the right choice.
Legally Blonde (2001): University of California, Los Angeles
Reese Witherspoon's Elle Woods and Legally Blonde is an early 2000's staple. The legal comedy sees a college sorority girl and her journey in obtaining a law degree from Harvard to repair her relationship with her ex-boyfriend. The film is one of the handful of instances where Harvard College is the main plot point, but scenes were filmed on another campus.
Legally Blonde was filmed on a handful of college campuses as well as a high school one, including UCLA, which served as the inspiration behind the school Elle attends at the beginning of the film, the fictional CULA. One of the most notable scenes shot on the campus was when Elle first arrives at Harvard to pick up her schedule.
He Got Game (1998): Elon University
Spike Lee's He Got Game emphasizes the pressure put on top high school basketball prospects and the added conflict when it comes to familial drama. Though the film is based on sports, at the center of the story is a father and son who have a rocky relationship that's grounded in the game of basketball. Starring Denzel Washington and Ray Allen, He Got Game is a film that both fans and non-fans of basketball can enjoy.
As top prospect Jesus Shuttlesworth takes recruitment trips to different schools, he visits the fictional Tech University. The Tech University scenes were filmed on the campus of Elon University in North Carolina, with hundreds of Elon students playing extras.