Have You Seen All 7 of These Major Movies Set in Maine?

If you're like me, you may get a kick out of seeing you're home state featured on the big screen.

Knowing a movie has a connection to Maine, makes the film that much better to me, and it's always nice to see our state featured on a national stage.

That being said, I thought I'd share a list of seven worthwhile films that were set in Maine you've got to make sure you see.

Movies Set in Maine

The Cider House Rules

The 1999 drama The Cider House Rules stars Tobey Maguire, Michael Caine, Charlize Theron, Delroy Lindo and Paul Rudd.

Based off the 1985 novel of the same name, the film follows Homer Wells (Maguire), who grows up in an orphanage in Maine and is trained to be an OB/GYN by the man who runs the orphanage, Dr. Wilbur Larch (Caine).

Set in the pre– and post–World War II era, the film continues to follow Wells' journey after he leaves the orphanage.

The Hunt for Red October

The Hunt for Red October is a 1990 spy thriller based on Tom Clancy's 1984 bestselling novel of the same name.

It stars Sean Connery, Alec Baldwin, Scott Glenn, James Earl Jones and Sam Neill.

In the film, Capt. Marko Ramius navigates the Soviet submarine Red October to Maine's Penobscot River as part of his defection to the U.S.

While the film doesn't entirely take place in Maine, it's pretty neat that one of our state's major waterways was included in a box office hit such as this one.

The Shawshank Redemption

Released in 1994, The Shawshank Redemption was based on Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption, a 1982 novella by Maine native Stephen King.

The film stars Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman and is set in a fictional prison in Maine.

It tells the story of Andy Dufresne (Robbins), who befriends Ellis "Red" Redding (Freeman) while Dufresne serves a life sentence for the murders of his wife and her lover.

Lost on a Mountain In Maine

The 2024 film Lost on a Mountain in Maine is based on the true story of Donn Fendler, who became separated from his family while hiking Mount Katahdin in July 1939, when Fendler was just 12 years old.

The book about Fendler's nine-day fight for survival was originally published in 1978.

The book has long been required reading for students in Maine schools.

Charlotte's Web

The 2006 film Charlotte's Web is based on the 1952 novel by E. B. White.

Set on a farm in Somerset County, Maine, the film stars Dakota Fanning, Kevin Anderson and Beau Bridges.

It's narrated by Sam Shepard and includes voice acting by Julia Roberts, Steve Buscemi, Oprah Winfrey, Thomas Haden Church, Cedric the Entertainer, Kathy Bates, Reba McEntire, and Robert Redford.

Dolores Claiborne

This psychological thriller drama was released in 1995 and starred Kathy Bates, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Christopher Plummer and David Strathairn.

The film Dolores Claiborne is based on Stephen King's 1992 novel of the same name.

It's set on Little Tall Island, a fictional island off Maine. In the film, Claiborne (Bates) is accused of killing an elderly woman she had long been working for as a housekeeper.

It

The 2017 film It was the first of a two-part adaptation of Stephen King's 1986 novel of the same name. The film was followed by the release of It Chapter Two in 2019.

In 1990, It aired as a two-part miniseries on ABC.

Set in the fictional town of Derry, Maine, the film tells the story of a group of seven children who are terrorized by a supernatural alien creature that appears in the form of Pennywise the Dancing Clown.

READ MORE: 25 Actual Places To Visit In Stephen King’s Maine

There you have it, seven movies that were set in Maine. It's not a complete list.

There are many more movies that were set in Maine, but this is a good start, and if there's something on here you haven't seen, you now have a recommendation.