With the new Oppenheimer film releasing on July 20, 2023, I thought it might be interesting to take a look back at the rather large number of films that have been shot here in Los Alamos. Since the filming of Oppenheimer was so recent, most of us can recall the excitement of having movies crews, staging equipment, actors, and other film personnel hanging about town. But this isn’t the only large scale film to be shot here, nor were Matt Damon and Robert Downey Jr the “biggest” actors (of their time) who were here on location in Los Alamos.

According to IMDB stats, there are 42 films or filming projects that officially list Los Alamos in their “filming locations”. Some of these include shows like “Longmire” and half a dozen or more documentary series that were filmed here due to our connection to the Manhattan project. In 2017 most of us remember Only the Brave, which was a movie about the Granite Mountain Hotshots. But some of the other films and film projects might surprise you.

Twins

This 1988 comedy starring Arnold Schwartzenegger and Danny DeVito was wildly popular when first released. At one point in the story, the very opposite fraternal twins go in search of their “test tube” origins. They find answers in a very small building at the Los Alamos Laboratory. The building used for filming is the one once located just “beneath” the hospital that was very recently torn down to make way for the new apartments just off Trinity Dr. Residents at that time gathered to gawk at the stars. Of course, many excited fans were trying to get a look at just how “enormous” Arnold’s physique actually was in person! If you haven’t seen this film, it is a funny trip back to the late eighties. The scenes in Los Alamos are tastefully done and the scenery certainly looks genuine, even if those parts of the story were pretty minimal. And, I don’t think anyone here at LANL (or LASL) was ever involved in utilizing test tube babies to create super humans. But I suppose we’ll never know, will we?

Silkwood

This 1983 suspense drama was filmed both in Albuquerque and in Los Alamos. The plot is based on the real life story of Karen Silkwood who worked at a plutonium facility in Oklahoma and was exposed to radiation. The film starred Meryl Streep, Cher, Kurt Russell, and Craig T Nelson as well as many other well known actors. Considering the plot line, I think we can all imagine why they would use areas at LANL as sets for the plutonium facility. It’s still interesting to think that these folks were wandering around town when I was growing up here and I had no idea. But as I think back, we weren’t necessarily as up to date on films being shot on location. Our appetite for celebrity news wasn’t nearly the same in the world before social media.

The Milagro Beanfield War

Also filmed in 1988, the Milagro Beanfield War is a Robert Redford film starring heavy hitters from the time such as Richard Bradford, Christopher Walken, and Melanie Griffith. The story focuses on the difficulties with water rights in a small high desert community. A local tale from that time was that Redford’s horse wrangler was having issues with a horse being used on set up on North Mesa during filming. A local horsewoman helped out by volunteering her own gelding for filming and was thrilled to meet Robert Redford and “work” with him.

Tiger Eyes

Judy Blume’s book, Tiger Eyes, was set in Los Alamos. You can read more about that HERE. But the film adaptation made in 2012 did quite a lot of on location filming here in town. The film has quite a few deviations from the original story, but is well done and worth watching as a “coming of age” story about a teenager trying to overcome a severe family trauma. Judy Blume and her son Lawrence wrote the script together and Lawrence directed. I love this fact about the film because it means the author was able to have direct input on any changes to her original vision. Judy Blume actually lived in Los Alamos for a few years in the mid to late seventies. I wonder if it surprised her to see how much change had happened between her living here and her shooting her film here?

There are plenty more films shot here in Los Alamos. With our unique connections to history, the dramatic scenery, and in some cases the “time capsule quality” of our local flavor, it’s really no wonder we’re popular that way. The Secret City on the Hill has plenty to offer and so much character! When you’re ready to talk more about Los Alamos, give me a call! I’m your hometown real estate broker and I’d love to talk Los Alamos with you!