Syracuse, New York in fiction

Syracuse, New York has been portrayed in a range of literary, film and other fictional works.

Film and television

In recent years, the commercial appeal and critical acclaim of film productions shot in Upstate New York is currently led by the recent prominence of American High, a production company co-financed by Jeremy Garelick and producer Mickey Liddell's company, LD Entertainment. American High aims to revive the old-school, John Hughes-esque spirit of classic teen comedies at any cost—including purchasing and remodeling the abandoned A.V. Zogg Middle School in the Syracuse suburb of Liverpool to serve as both the studio's central hub of operations and a source of convenient filming locations. Since late 2017, American High has shot five films, including Holly Slept Over, Banana Split, Looks That Kill, Big Time Adolescence, and Sid is Dead--and has worked with the likes of Pete Davidson, Griffin Gluck, Jon Cryer, Ron Livingston, Hannah Marks, Brandon Flynn, and Mary Stuart Masterson. On January 28, 2019, Big Time Adolescence premiered in the U.S. Dramatic Competition at the Sundance Film Festival to rave reviews. Since then, American High has been deep in pre-production on its next, currently untitled feature.

Film

• Adult World (2014) filmed in downtown Syracuse and suburbs, such as DeWitt.
• A Clouded Name (silent film, 1923), starring Norma Shearer - Scenes were filmed at the State Fair, the Calthrop mansion, and at the Liverpool's solar salt fields (which closed three years later).
• Banana Split (Feature film, 2018) - Filmed in the Greater Syracuse Area, including downtown Syracuse, surrounding suburbs and the American High film hub in Liverpool, New York. Stars Hannah Marks, Liana Liberato, Dylan Sprouse, and Jessica Hecht.
• Big Daddy (Feature film, 1999) - Several mentions; Adam Sandler's character attended school at Syracuse University College of Law and wears various Syracuse sweatshirts and T-shirts.
• Big Time Adolescence (Feature film, 2019) - Filmed in Syracuse suburbs and the American High film hub in Liverpool, New York. Stars Griffin Gluck, Pete Davidson, Jon Cryer, Sydney Sweeney, and Machine Gun Kelly.
• Born on the Fourth of July (Feature film, 1989) - Tom Cruise's character attends a Vietnam War protest which is held at Syracuse University.
• Freak Talks About Sex (also known as Blowin' Smoke) (Feature film, 1999) - Filmed in Syracuse; life in Syracuse is part of the plot.
• God Bless America (film) (2011), which was written and directed by Syracuse-born Bobcat Goldthwait and is set and shot in Syracuse for the first portion of the film.
• Holly Slept Over (Feature film, 2017) - Filmed entirely in Syracuse suburbs with stars Josh Lawson, Britt Lower, Nathalie Emmanuel and Ron Livingston.
• Lady in White (Feature film, 1988) - Opening sequence filmed in Syracuse Hancock International Airport; much of the rest of the movie was filmed in the villages of Lyons, Newark, and Phelps, approximately fifty miles west of Syracuse.
• Looks That Kill (Feature film, 2018) - Filmed in Syracuse suburbs and the American High film hub in Liverpool, New York. Stars Brandon Flynn, Julia Goldani Telles, and Ki Hong Lee.
• Sid is Dead (Feature film, 2019) - Filmed in Syracuse suburbs and the American High film hub in Liverpool, New York. Stars Joey Bragg, Jack Griffo, Tyler Alvarez, Genevieve Hannelius, and Mary Stuart Masterson.
• Slap Shot (Feature film, 1977) - One of the hockey teams is the (fictional) Syracuse Bulldogs, and parts of the movie were filmed at the Onondaga County War Memorial in downtown Syracuse.
• Snow Day (Feature film, 2000) - Syracuse is portrayed as a small village with high snowfall. The film was filmed in Edmonton and Calgary.
• The Commuter (Feature film, 2018) - In the opening sequence, Michael MacCauley's teenage son is trying to meet Syracuse University's early-admissions deadline. On the commute back from work that day, he informs a train regular his son is indeed going to Syracuse.
• The Express: The Ernie Davis Story (Feature film, 2008) - The movie is about Ernie Davis, the first African-American to win the Heisman trophy, and a Syracuse University football player. Parts of the movie were filmed in Syracuse, and the world premiere took place at the Landmark Theatre in Syracuse.
• The Purge - 2013 - Syracuse appears in Purge Feed (during the 2017 Purge) in the film's introduction.

Television

• The Quantum Leap episode "Catch a Falling Star" was set in Syracuse.
• The short-lived 1993 CBS sitcom The Trouble with Larry, which starred Bronson Pinchot and Courteney Cox, was set in Syracuse. The show was cancelled after three episodes.
• In Unforgettable, two of the main characters used to work for the Syracuse Police Department and flashbacks often take place in Syracuse.

Literature

• Most Freddy the Pig books take place on farm a few miles outside of Syracuse.
• Monster of the Year is a book that takes place in Syracuse; the author, Bruce Coville, was born and raised there.
• Origin: A Novel is a thriller by Diana Abu-Jaber set in Syracuse.
• Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson is a novel set in Syracuse.
• Vampire Zero by David Wellington is a vampire novel in which a significant portion of the novel takes place at Syracuse University.
• Hanging Upside Down (novel) by Anthony Otero in which the majority of the book take place in and around Syracuse University.
• I’ll take you there by Joyce Carol Oates is set at Syracuse University.

References