10 Great Movies Filmed in South Carolina

From the coastal cities of historic Charleston and Beaufort to the mountainous region of the Appalachian highlands, the state of South Carolina has many versatile locations — urban and rural, historic and modern — for filmmaking. It is a quintessentially southern state, with numerous pre-Civil War mansions that have been preserved and are available for rental as film locations. It also boasts more contemporary locations as well as endless natural beauty. If you are searching for locations for photoshoots and movies filmed in South Carolina, Peerspace is an excellent resource. There are hundreds of different location options available to rent by the hour.

1. Days of Thunder (1990)

Tom Cruise plays race car driver Cole Trickle who meets a businessman (played by Randy Quaid) willing to believe in him and back his entry in the Winston Cup at the Daytona 500. After a terrible crash, Cole meets a doctor (played by Nicole Kidma)n who helps him regain his courage to drive race cars again. The racing scenes were filmed in Darlington, South Carolina, at the famous Darlington Raceway.

2. Something To Talk About (1993)

Julia Roberts plays Grace, a married woman who seems to have the perfect life, until one day she spots her husband (played by Dennis Quaid) in a restaurant with a woman she doesn’t recognize. She quickly realizes that her husband Eddie has been unfaithful to her and all hell breaks loose in her small southern town. While this sounds like the setup for a tragedy, the movie turns out to be a very clever comedy. It was filmed in picturesque Beaufort and Jasper, SC.

3. Forrest Gump (1994)

Forrest Gump (played by Tom Hanks) has a miraculous life. He falls in love with Jenny (played by Robin Wright) when they are both children and, despite the fact that he goes off on many adventures on his own, he stays faithful to her throughout his life. Forrest meets presidents and other famous and influential people on his travels, but always remains kind, caring, and grounded, remembering that his mama once told him that “life is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you’re gonna get.” It has become known as one of the greatest movies filmed in South Carolina since a lot of it was filmed in Beaufort, Colleton, and Hampton counties. 

4. Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls (1995)

Jim Carrey plays Ace Ventura, Pet Detective, in this screwball comedy sequel to the first blockbuster Ace Ventura movie. He is hired to travel to Africa to track down a sacred white bat that is precious to two African tribes. It seems that if the sacred bat isn’t found quickly, the two tribes will declare war on each other. Will Ace Ventura prevail? Even if he doesn’t, you won’t care because Jim Carrey is so ridiculously funny! Interestingly, you’d never know that this is one of the movies filmed in South Carolina, since it supposedly takes place in Africa. The movie was filmed in Berkeley, Charleston, and Colleton Counties in South Carolina.

5. Die Hard: With A Vengeance (1995)

Bruce Willis plays crime-fighter John McClane in this second Die Hard movie. Along with Samuel L. Jackson as a Harlem store owner, he takes on a German terrorist named Simon who is planning on robbing the New York Federal Reserve. You’d never really know that this is one of many movies filmed in South Carolina since the movie takes place in Manhattan, but there are some scenes that were filmed in Berkeley, Charleston, and Dorchester counties in South Carolina. The subway station crash scenes were shot on a stage built at a former large industrial facility in North Charleston, SC.

6. G.I. Jane (1997)

G.I. Jane is a war drama directed by Ridley Scott. It stars Demi Moore as Jordan O’Neill, the first woman to be admitted into the training program for an elite military combat unit like the Navy Seals. Of course she must work harder and be stronger than any of the men in her training program because she is there to prove that a woman can survive training and earn the respect of her fellow combatants. It was filmed in Beaufort, South Carolina which is intended to resemble the Marine Corps training facility on Parris Island, SC.

7. Forces of Nature (1999)

Sandra Bullock and Ben Affleck star in this romantic comedy about a man who is about to be married who unexpectedly meets a gorgeous woman on the flight he is taking to his wedding. When the plane suffers a catastrophic accident during takeoff, they find themselves stranded in New York until someone rents a car and they all pile in for the drive from NYC to Georgia. Along the way, he doubts whether he is making the right decision to marry his fiancee, since this fellow traveller is so alluring! The movie was filmed in Beaufort, SC.

8.  Legend of Bagger Vance (1999)

Based on a book by the same name and directed by Robert Redford, this film stars Will Smith, Matt Damon, and Charlize Theron. Damon plays an unhappy war veteran, Capt. Rannulph Junah, who reluctantly agrees to play a game of golf. His caddy, Bagger Vance (played by Will Smith), teaches him a miraculous golf stroke which changes his life. The movie was filmed in and around Beaufort and on the golf course in Kiawah, SC.

9. Cold Mountain (2003)

Nicole Kidman plays Ada, a young wife who was left by her Confederate soldier husband to care for their North Carolina farm during the Civil War. Ada struggles piteously until a capable drifter ( Renee Zellweger) arrives to help her. Meanwhile, Ada’s husband (Jude Law) deserts his unit and tries to come home after he is wounded in battle. The movie is well-reviewed for its naturalistic portrayal of 1860’s American rural folk under overwhelming stress during the Civil War. Parts of the movie were filmed in Berkeley and Charleston, SC.

10. The Haunted Mansion (2003)

Eddie Murphy stars in this horror comedy film as real estate agent Jim Evers, who is accused by his wife of working too hard and neglecting their family. They decide to take a family vacation where they visit a haunted mansion and Jim resolves to mend his ways. It was filmed in Beaufort, SC.

Movies filmed in South Carolina: conclusion

These are just a handful of the best movies filmed in South Carolina. To begin your film production journey, be sure to check out Peerspace for the perfect location. We have thousands of production-worthy venues in cities across the Carolinas and beyond that you can book by the hour.

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