Movies

The Charles River Parklands are picturesque, there’s no question about it. From the Esplanade and Longfellow Bridge to leafy college campuses and the stunning Boston skyline, they’re instantly recognizable. Hollywood has acknowledged their captivating beauty and romantic potential in numerous feature films.

Canoeing on the Charles River, a short, silent, black and white documentary. Edison Manufacturing Company, 1904.

Bachelor No. 2. Dir.: Howard Deutch. Actors: Kate Hudson, Dane Cook, Alec Baldwin, Jason Briggs. 2009. Scheduled to hit theaters in 2009, stars of this romantic comedy Hudson and Cook filmed a jogging scene along the banks of the Charles River in fall 2007.

Once Around. Dir.: Lasse Hallström. Actors: Holly Hunter, Richard Dreyfus, Gena Rowlands. 1991.
Main characters share a moment on the Longfellow Bridge.

Harvard Man. Dir.: James Toback. Actors: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Adrian Grenier. 2001.
Filmed in part on the Charles River Parklands.

Good Will Hunting. Dir.: Gus Van Sant. Actors: Robin Williams, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Minnie Driver. 1997.
Includes shots of Will Hunting riding in the T over the Longfellow Bridge.

Love Story. Dir.: Arthur Hiller. Actors: Ali MacGraw, Ryan O’Neal, Tommy Lee Jones. 1970.
Main character Oliver Barrett IV asks for Jennifer Cavilleri’s hand in marriage at the Weeks Footbridge.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Dir.: Michael Gondry. Actors: Jim Carey, Kate Winslet, Elijah Wood, Kirsten Dunst. 2004.
Features a prominent scene on the frozen Charles River.

The River Wild. Dir.: Curtis Hanson. Actors: Meryl Streep, David Strathairn, Kevin Bacon, John C. Reilly, Benjamin Bratt. 1994.
Opens with Streep rowing under the Watertown Bridge (Galen Street, Rt. 16) proceeding east past the Perkins School for the Blind Chapel tower and on to Boston.