5 Movies You Didn’t Know They Filmed on the Grand Strand
- October 25, 2022
- 11:45 am
Here’s your crash course in Myrtle Beach movies.
Did you know the Grand Strand has been host to at least 20 motion pictures? If Myrtle Beach was an actor, it’d have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. What a starlet.
Here are five you didn’t know they made here, plus some fun facts about the Grand Strand.
Fun Facts About Myrtle Beach
Before your trip, get to know your vacation destination better. Did you know …
- Shag is South Carolina’s official dance. It all began on Ocean Drive in the 1940s as a drunken version of the popular Jitterbug. True story.
- They filmed many movies here, as you know. Also, six TV shows (“One Tree Hill,” “The Strangers”), and two music videos to date.
The Grand Strand name is older than the city. In 1949, two newspaper columns referred to the area as the Grand Strand. The name stuck!
Now Showing: Grand Strand Movies
It’s your favorite summer getaway because of fun in the sun. Filmmakers love it because of many other factors, such as:
- Employee wage rebates
- No location fee for filming at state properties
- No state sales tax
- Supplier rebates
Swimming (2000)
Starring: Lauren Ambrose, Josh Pais, Jennifer Dundas Lowe, and Joelle Carter.
Plot: Frankie (Lauren Ambrose) balances friendship and romance in a Myrtle Beach summer. It’s a tale of a typical young person’s summer spent on the Grand Strand.
Trivia: Georgetown and Myrtle Beach hosted scenes in this film.
What reviewers say: “ANYONE that has ever been to Myrtle Beach can relate to this movie. Something in the air generates youth and nostalgia through you while visiting. You are never quite the same when you leave.”
Our rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Chasers (1993)
Starring: Tom Berenger, Erika Eleniak, William McNamara.
Plot: Navy patrollers (Tom Berenger and William McNamara) must escort a prisoner. Trouble ensues as the prisoner (Erika Eleniak) plots her escape.
Trivia: That’s the USS Carr sailing under the bridge in a key scene. It was at Charleston Naval Base at the time.
What reviewers say: “This movie has a bad rap but it’s actually quite fun. The movie is quite fun and most of the jokes hit right where they should. It’s also sexy and the three develop a believable and likable bond.”
Our rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken (1991)
Starring: Gabrielle Anwar, Michael Schoeffling, Cliff Robertson.
Plot: Sonora Webster (Gabrielle Anwar) wants to ride horses off of high dives. The movie outlines her troubles in doing so in Depression-era rural Georgia.
Trivia: Hurricane warnings and tropical storms threatened to interrupt the movie’s production.
What reviewers say: “I watched this movie as a teen and would not hesitate to show it to my family. This is a sweet movie about overcoming adversity and realizing your dreams. It does not pander to the juvenile tastes that prevail in many family movies today. It has intelligent, thoughtful dialogue, and addresses some of our deeper fears. These include losing family and other problems that Sonora encounters throughout the movie.”
Our rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Made in Heaven (1986)
Starring: Timothy Hutton, Kelly McGillis, Maureen Stapleton.
Plot: A boy (Timothy Hutton) runs away to California after his girlfriend dumps him. He dies while trying to save a drowning family, and meets a gorgeous girl in heaven. It’s set in small-town Pennsylvania, circa 1957.
Trivia: Debra Winger, married to Hutton when they filmed, played the role of Emmett. The credit lists Emmett as “himself.”
What reviewers say: “This was a fabulous movie. It makes you sad, happy, hoping, wish, and everything a movie should do. It shows that Heaven can be all things for all people, and is dreamy.”
Our rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A Continuation of a Dream Scene: Ocean Reef
You’ll find wall-to-wall comfort in spacious, well-appointed rooms at Ocean Reef Resort. This place is everything, from location to ocean view to service. You’ll enjoy your stay.
