Top San Francisco Movies
San Francisco has been a location for movies since the beginning of moving pictures. Many films take some creative license in their depictions of San Francisco geography, for example driving across the Golden Gate Bridge to get to the San Francisco International Airport, which is in the opposite direction. For a complete list of all movies that have scenes filmed in San Francisco, go to Northern California Movies. If you happen to be in the city on the second Thursday of the month, you may want to come hang out with some locals for the Dolores Park Movie Night, which is free and features San Francisco themed movies (bring a blanket and layered clothing for the cool San Francisco evenings). My favorite movies set in San Francisco include some really great movies that appear on many of these types of lists and some movies that are not so great, but I like them because they offer a good view of San Francisco.
Note: To purchase any of these movies from Amazon.com
Vertigo (1958)
Starring James Stewart, Kim Novak, Barbara Bel Geddes, Tom Helmore and Henry Jones. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock. If you are interested in watching this movie and then incorporating its locations into your San Francisco visit, there's a very helpful self-guided Vertigo Movie Tour of San Francisco.
The Maltese Falcon (1941)
Starring Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Gladys George, Peter Lorre and Sydney Greenstreet. Directed by John Huston. This movie features the now famous private detective, Sam Spade. The movie has a lot of fun and features some great gay innuendo, like when a police detectives partner is referred to as his "boyfriend."
So I Married an Axe Murderer (1993)
Starring Mike Meyers, Brenda Fricker, Nancy Travis, Amanda Plummer and Anthony LaPaglia. Directed by Thomas Schlamme. The very talented Mike Meyers makes this film a lot of fun. It also features some great San Francisco locations and shots. I have created a self-guided Axe Murderer Movie Tour of San Francisco that you might enjoy. It features the main locations of the movie as well as many typical tourist destinations.
Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)
Staring Robin Williams, Sally Field, Pierces Brosnan, Harvey Fierstein and Robert Rousky. Directed by Chris Columbus. I love to mention this film to visitors because the home where Sally Field lives is just up Steiner Street from me in Pacific Heights and Robin Williams rides the 22 bus, which makes a stop on my corner. In the film, Harvey Fierstein shines as "Uncle Frankie" the gay brother of Robin Williams.
Basic Instinct (1992)
Starring Michael Douglas, Sharon Stone, George Dzundza, Jeanne Tripplehorn and Leilani Sarelle. Directed by Paul Verhoeven. This thriller features an infamous scene with Sharon Stone when her character is being interrogated by Michael Douglas who plays a San Francisco police detective.
Pacific Heights (1990)
Starring Melanie Griffith, Mathew Modine, Michael Keaton, Laurie Metcalf and Tracey Walter. Directed by John Schlesinger. Pacific Heights homeowners battle with their downstairs tenant and the San Francisco rental laws.
The Rock (1996)
Starring Nicolas Cage, Sean Connery, Ed Harris, Michael Biehn and William Forsythe. Directed by Michael Bay. A general turned terrorist holds Alcatraz tourists hostage and threatens to launch missiles over San Francisco. An over-the-top action film, this movie features scenes filmed on Alcatraz and at the Fairmont Hotel on Nob Hill (950 Mason Street at California) as well as a scene of an exploding cable car.
Sweet November (2001)
Starring Keanu Reeves, Charlize Theron, Greg Germann, Lauren Graham and Jason Isaacs. Directed by Pat O'Connor. An unconventional love affair gets complicated when Keanu Reeves' character falls in love with Charlize Theron's character and discovers her secret. One scene filmed on the bridge to Dolores park from 19th Street features a greenhouse that doesn't really exist in the park. The movie's greenhouse hides the park's statue of Miguel Hidalgo, the excommunicated Catholic priest who is considered the father of Mexico for launching Mexico's struggle for colonial independence.
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
Starring Donald Sutherland, Brooke Adams, Veronica Cartwright, Jeff Goldblum and Leonard Nimoy. Directed by Philip Kaufman. Though this is not the 1956 classic version, it is filmed in San Francisco. One of the characters in this movie lives in one of the Painted Ladies across from Alamo Square and Donald Sutherland lives in a home on Telegraph hill with great views of the Transamerica Pyramid. I have also created a self-guided Body Snatchers Tour of San Francisco that you might enjoy. It features Alamo Square, City Hall and the Civic Center, Union Square, Chinatown and Telegraph Hill.
Guess Who's Coming To Dinner (1967)
Starring Spencer Tracy, Sidney Poitier, Katharine Hepburn, Katharine Houghton and Beah Richards. Directed by Stanley Kramer. Illustrating the racial tension that existed during the civil rights era, a woman brings her black fiance home to meet her family who live in Pacific Heights. Charlie and I jokingly refer to Pacific Heights as "Specific Whites", due to the racial mix of the neighborhood that still exists today.
Bee Season (2005)
Starring Richard Gere, Juliette Binoche, Flora Cross, Max Minhella and Kate Bosworth. Directed by Scott McGehee and David Siegel. I haven't actually seen this movie yet, but it made the tops list because I was an extra for the spelling bee scene, which was shot in the Masonic Center (1111 California Street at Taylor) on Nob Hill.
