Multiplex at Cramton Bowl – On-Screen Spots

Montgomery, Alabama, has been the location for a fair number of movies over the years. It’s the birthplace of the civil rights movement with many historic landmarks and buildings still standing strong. With these significant monuments and dazzling surroundings, it’s no wonder filmmakers take to the streets of Montgomery. Because of this, visitors to the Multiplex at Cramton Bowl are able to visit various film sets throughout the city.

Lovers of historical films will probably notice film locations as they make their way around the city. When you visit these destinations, you’ll be visiting both a historic place and a film set all in one. While many of the movies shot in Montgomery deal with history, there is an option for fans of fantasy as well. As you make your way around the city, you can visit on-screen spots featured in Selma, Son of the South, Just Mercy, The Long Walk Home, and Big Fish.

Selma

Selma is a civil rights-era drama filmed in 2014. Its main focus is on the Montgomery voting rights marches; however, it also discusses the relationship between Martin Luther King Jr. and President Lyndon B. Johnson. Even though it is about the marches through Selma and Montgomery, it may shock some to learn that Selma was almost entirely filmed in Georgia. Eventually the scout team made their way to cities in Alabama, and the visit changed their minds about filming locations.

King’s final destination of the marches and one of the last scenes in the movie was the State Capitol building. In front of the State Capitol, King gave a speech after leading the marches from Selma to Montgomery. With the Capitol building as his backdrop, David Oyelowo portrayed King and delivered his momentous speech.

The State Capitol building is a must-see destination for both history buffs and film lovers. It is easy to reach because it is just an 11-minute walk from the Multiplex at Cramton Bowl.

Son of the South

The latest movie on this list, Son of the South, is based on the memoir The Wrong Side of Murder Creek: A White Southerner in the Freedom Movement by Bob Zellner. Bob Zellner was part of the Huntingdon Five, who were five students from Huntingdon College that started attending civil rights meetings with black students at Alabama State College. What made this so unique was all five students were white. They all faced threats and violence for supporting the civil rights movement, but Zellner never gave up.

Inspired by this story, Barry Alexander Brown took the story to the big screen with the help of Spike Lee. The film focuses on Zellner’s life as an activist in the 1960s and grandson of a Ku Klux Klan member. Filming for this movie began in 2019 and Lucas Till played Zellner.

One of the sites for the film in Montgomery is the First Baptist Church, which is roughly a mile from the Multiplex at Cramton Bowl. The Huntingdon Five went there with the intention of interviewing Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks. However, King informed them that cops were there to arrest the five. King provided the five with a distraction. They were led to the basement to head out the back of the church by Rosa Parks and Reverend Abernathy, played by Sharonne Lanier and Cedric the Entertainer. Zellner recounts that Parks told him when he sees wrong, he has to do something about it. The actual First Baptist Church was used for this scene. You can tour the church Tuesday through Sunday.

A seven-minute drive from the Multiplex at Cramton Bowl will land you at another location, which is the Union Station Train Shed. This is a National Historic Landmark because few stations like it exist today. The Huntingdon Five actors and Cedric the Entertainer have scenes at this train station.

Till has a scene with Brian Dennehy, who plays Zellner’s grandfather, at Lister Hill. This is a small downtown park across the street from Montgomery City Hall. There are benches and plenty of shade, so this could be a nice spot to relax and have lunch outside. It is a five-minute drive or 20-minute walk from the Multiplex at Cramton Bowl.

Just Mercy

The 2020 film Just Mercy stars Brie Larson, Michael B. Jordan, and Jamie Foxx. The story was adapted from the book Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson, executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative in Montgomery. It is a true story of Stevenson’s life dealing with racial injustice in America, particularly when dealing with the American criminal justice system. The movie details his time as a defense attorney for an African American death row prisoner he aimed to get set free.

One on-screen spot that visitors can stroll down is Perry Street in the Garden District. On this street, you’ll find the architecturally stunning Governor’s Mansion. Many of the houses in the Garden District lend themselves to being beautiful backdrops because they are of Queen Anne, Classical Revival, and American Craftsman architectural styles. It takes about an eight-minute drive to reach the Governor’s Mansion from the Multiplex at Cramton Bowl.

The Long Walk Home

Sissy Spacek and Whoopi Goldberg could be found throughout the streets of Montgomery when the filming of The Long Walk Home was taking place in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The movie delves into the consequences of the Montgomery bus boycott, so Montgomery was a logical choice to bring historic aspects of this drama to life.

One of the scenes was filmed at the Garrett Coliseum, which is a seven-minute drive from the Multiplex at Cramton Bowl. The Garrett Coliseum was where the White Citizens’ Council held a rally of hate over 60 years ago.

One destination that was not used in the movie that we do recommend seeing is the Rosa Parks Museum. This museum gives the historic context to The Long Walk Home. Rosa Parks’s actions sparked the Montgomery bus boycott, and the museum has artifacts and exhibits related to Parks, the bus boycott, and the civil rights movement. Understanding these cultural events will likely give you a deeper appreciation for the film.

Big Fish

For those who enjoy fantasy, Tim Burton’s film Big Fish was predominantly shot in Alabama. The film stars Billy Crudup as William Bloom who is trying to uncover the truth about his father’s life. The father, Ed Bloom, is played by both Ewan McGregor and Albert Finney. After some investigation of his father’s fantastical anecdotes, William begins to understand his father and the fascination and love of storytelling.

There are a few scenes that take place at Auburn University. However, instead of filming at Auburn, Burton used Huntingdon College’s campus. This is the part of the movie in which Ed meets Sandra Templeton, played by Alison Lohman. You can walk around the campus where Burton, McGregor, and Lohman once stood and appreciate the Gothic architecture. Simply take a seven-minute drive there from the Multiplex at Cramton Bowl.

One and a half miles down the road from the Multiplex at Cramton Bowl is another on-screen spot from Big Fish. Ed shows off his football skills on the field at Capitol Heights Junior High School. While you shouldn’t just wander onto the high school’s grounds, it’s cool to see that even grade school buildings got some attention during the filming of Big Fish.

This last on-screen is not in Montgomery, but it is under 10 miles from the Multiplex at Cramton Bowl. It’s so unique that we have to recommend you see it if you’re a fan of Big Fish. Remember the scenes that take place in the town of Spectre? Well you can actually visit it! The town was built for the movie on Jackson Lake Island on the Alabama River. After filming, the set was never deconstructed and it still stands today, though covered in moss. When you visit, you will likely see goats roaming the town as well. You can take a tour of the town year-round. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children under the age of 10.