The Life Of Chuck | 2024
The town isn't specified but the setting for Mike Flanagan's extraordinary film based on a Stephen King short story could easily be one of the author's little 'New England' towns. In fact, the film was shot in Alabama, around Mobile and in Baldwin County east of Mobile Bay.
The film is upfront about its three-act structure, though the acts play in reverse order.
Act Three centres on schoolteacher Marty Anderson (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and his ex, nurse Felicia Gordon (Karen Gillan) reconnecting as the world literally falls apart.
Marty's home is 8 Quail Loop in Fairhope, a city on the eastern shoreline of Mobile Bay.
As society grinds to a halt, Marty gets stuck in traffic while driving home on Dauphin Street, Downtown Mobile itself. It's here that he sees the first of many mysterious 'Thanks, Chuck' billboards atop the 'Midwest Trust Bank', which is 709 Dauphin Street at the junction of South Washington Avenue.
He walks home, chatting with funeral director and would-be weatherman Sam Yarborough (Carl Lumbly), along Dauphin Street near South Cedar Street. The tower with the golden dome in the background of the scene is Mobile's' Cathedral-Basilica of the Immaculate Conception (which looks much closer than it is due to the cinematic lenses used).
One little detail I noticed in the Google Streetview image – the real-life business on the right, on the corner of Cedar Street (sporting a red canopy in the movie), happens to be Chuck's Seafood Restaurant. Coincidence?
Marty leaves the old man sitting to enjoy the sunset at the entrance to 'Harvest Acres', which is D'Olive Boulevard, running west from Lake Forest Boulevard, Lake Forest a quiet subdivision between Spanish Fort and Daphne.
Act Two sees buskers setting up at the '8th Street Promenade', with Taylor (The Pocket Queen) on drums and finally introduces 'Chuck' – Charlie Krantz (Tom Hiddleston), a strait-laced banker who's suddenly prompted into an impromptu dance inviting Janice, still stinging after a break-up with her boyfriend, to join him.
This is at Downtown OWA, part of the OWA entertainment complex in Foley, further southeast toward Gulf Shore. Inspired by Southern small towns, OWA’s pedestrian-only streets are described as "Coastal Alabama’s destination for shopping, dining and entertainment". Pronounced like "oh-wah", the name is inspired from the Muscogee Creek language to mean “big water.”
Taylor sets up her drum kit in front of what was Lucy's Retired Surfers Bar and Grill, and is now the Towne Tap, 103 South OWA Boulevard.
As the sun goes down Chuck, Janice and Taylor divide up the proceeds from the street performance as they sit contentedly at a table beneath an umbrella alongside the fountain in OWA's water feature.
Chuck bids farewell to Janice in front of 'Eldorado' – which is the Cozumel Bar & Grill.
Act One goes further back to the childhood of Chuck (Benjamin Pajak) as an orphan brought up by his loving grandparents (Mark Hamill and Mia Sara).
Chuck's school, where he learns of Walt Whitman from hippy-dippy teacher Miss Richards (Kate Siegel) and late excels at the 'Twirlers and Spinners' dance club, is Bay Minette Elementary School, East 9th Street at North White Avenue, Bay Minette, northeast of Mobile.
The family funerals (no spoilers) are held at Old Daphne Methodist Cemetery, 1608 Old County Road in Daphne, north of Fairhope.
And the house with the cupola? There are no clues anywhere and I can't find a house that matches its unique appearance. I suspect that its design is so specific to the story it may well have been built for the film. If anyone knows more, please let us know.
Thanks to MobileAL on Reddit for helpful pointers.
