Connecticut in the Movies, a Discussion with the Author About Her Book and Perspectives
Illeana Douglas has long been known for shining new light on forgotten films. Now the celebrated actress and film historian turns her focus to the Connecticut movie in her book, Connecticut in the Movies. Told from the passionate perspective of an author who grew up here, the book takes the reader on a cinematic road trip through Hollywood history and Connecticut geography. She defines how the perception of on-screen Connecticut, originally created in Hollywood, has shifted more than that of any other New England state over the decades and provides some surprising conclusions about just what it means to be a “Connecticut movie.”
Ms. Douglas will be interviewed by Peter Gistelinck, Executive Director of the Avon Theatre – Deborah & Chuck Royce Cinema Arts Center in Stamford, CT. Together they’ll tell her story and delve into her thoughts and insights on Connecticut in the movies.
Illeana Douglas has starred in films such as Cape Fear, To Die For, Grace of My Heart, and Ghost World, as well as in the TV shows Goliath, Shrill, Entourage, and Six Feet Under. She is the author of I Blame Dennis Hopper: And Other Stories from a Life Lived In and Out of the Movies. A regular contributor to Trailers From Hell, she’s done memorable film interviews and introductions for Turner Classic Movies, for Criterion Channel, and on her podcast The Film Scene.
Peter Gistelinck is the Executive Director of the Avon Theatre – Deborah & Chuck Royce Cinema Arts Center in Stamford, CT. Prior to joining the Avon, he served as the Executive Director of the Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts (2019-2023), President & CEO of the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra (2014-2019) and Executive Director of The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia (2006-2014). Prior to immigrating to the USA in 2006, Mr. Gistelinck was Director of Sales and Marketing and Co-Artistic Director for the Brussels Philharmonic Orchestra in Belgium and General Manager of Business Affairs for Le Concert Spirituel in Paris, France.
He is a graduate of the State University of Ghent, Belgium with a MA in Musicology and a BA in History of Arts. Prior to earning his degrees, he graduated from the Royal Music Conservatory of Ghent. Mr. Gistelinck also holds the Executive Certificate in Leadershipfrom the Jack Welch Management Institute at Strayer University and the Business of Change Certificate from Columbia Business School at Columbia University.
Mr. Gistelinck is an accomplished producer, composer and orchestrator. He currently serves as a member of the: National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, Santa Monica, CA; International Academy of Jazz @ University of Pittsburgh, PA; International Society for the Performing Arts, New York, NY; American Film Institute, Los Angeles, CA; and the Alliance Française of Westchester, NY. He is also a Founding Board Member of the Marvin Hamlisch International Music Awards in addition to his affiliations with several music publishing and author rights organizations.
Speaker Summary
In front of a large group, including many guests, Peter and Illeana discussed the history of Connecticut in the Movies through the lens of her book of the same name which she wrote to take the reader on a “cinematic road trip through Connecticut”. She started by showing a lengthy trailer that highlighted the many films shot in the state including what she acknowledged was a bit of a cheat by including “It’s A Wonderful Life”, which wasn’t shot here but the bell that was rung “every time an angel gets his wings” was manufactured in the state.
Illeana noted that her goal with the book was to help create a more specific film identity for the state that reflected the true – and total – sense of Connecticut which she feels has not been well-defined despite the number of movies filmed here. She took us through a brief filmic history, starting with silent films and then moving towards movies where Connecticut was depicted as “the countryside” with rich patrons with country homes. She explained how the state was largely shown as “the place you went to when you left the city”, living in towns and homes that reflected the fruits of striving for success and often defined by “the white colonial with the picket fence”. This was best defined by the very commercial and light-hearted “Mr. Blanding Builds His Dream House” and evolved in the 50’s to deeper, darker movies about what really went on in these towns and homes as part of this striving for success (referencing “Gentleman’s Agreement” and its Darien locale as a specific example). And then darker yet in the 70’s with films like “The Ice Storm” (shot in New Canaan).
Illeana explained how she wanted to show that Connecticut has more dimensions than these wealthy, bedroom communities/suburbs with their hidden stories. In this context, she referenced movies shot in very different locations like Waterbury to demonstrate her goal of telling a broader story and creating a more diverse image than the one she encountered about Connecticut in Hollywood where she/people from Connecticut were often characterized by people she met as “Aryans from Darien”.
She also talked about the enclaves of actors, writers and others in the industry that developed in towns like Weston, Westport and New Milford. And, in the Q&A, she commented on many of the people who helped support the industry in the state and these towns like Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward. And, of course, the role of Katherine Hepburn in helping create the image of the quintessentially Connecticut women.