The United States of America is a big enough place that the concept of “Anywhere, USA” really could be set, well, anywhere. Sure, the idea indicates someplace that isn’t one of the big cities, a town or city that seems cozy and placid on the outside (whether or not that’s the truth underneath). Typically, this means “Anywhere, USA” in cinematic terms tends to land in the Midwest, and even with that geographical narrowing down, it still leaves a lot of ground to be covered. So what does Michigan mean as a setting? What sets it apart from the more commonly used Illinois or Ohio? Does it have its own identity at all?
Full disclosure: I grew up a Michigan boy, and lived in Ann Arbor for the majority of my young life. This means I also took a tour of a large portion of the state during those years; vacationing at Mackinac Island and the Sleeping Bear Dunes, visiting that no man’s land (or Canada, part II) known as the UP, getting a taste of small town living in Luzerne and Dexter, and venturing into the triumph and tragedy of the great city of Detroit. Life in Michigan is often cold, but it’s just as hearty, and for as much loneliness, fear, and desperation you’ll find there, you’ll find just as much heart and fortitude, too. Michigan on film is as much of a potpourri as movies set in major metropolitan areas; after all, you get two whole land masses for the price of one, all filled with a million kinds of stories. Michigan is all at once the end of America and the soulful center of its people, a place of tragedy and triumph. Hail to the victors and come with me on our tour through the best of Michigan cinema.
