Prince starred in the 1984 film "Purple Rain." (credit: Warner Brothers Picture)
Frances McDormand
"No Country for Old Men" won the Coen brothers, of St. Louis Park, their best picture Oscar, but it was their 1996 "Fargo," about a web of crime that goes bloody wrong in and around Minneapolis, which put them on the Academy's radar. (credit: MGM)
Helen Hayes
Helen Hayes won the 1970 best supporting actress Oscar for her performance in "Airport." Today the film gives local viewers the chance to see the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport as it used to look in 1970, in all its tacky glory. (credit: AP)
Grumpy Old Men
(credit: Warner Bros. Pictures)
heartbreak_kid
An early example of filmmakers choosing Minnesota as a location was the original 1972 "The Heartbreak Kid." (credit: 20th Century Fox)
Mighty_Ducks
A Prairie Home Companion
credit: Warner Brothers
Mallrats
Kevin Smith's widely-panned follow-up to his indie hit "Clerks" was filmed at the Eden Prairie Center Mall, which may still have been dealing with decreased patronage in the wake of Mall of America's then-recent opening. (credit: Gramercy Pictures)
A Simple Plan
credit: Paramount Pictures
NorthCountry
The Iron Range drama "North Country" continued in Minnesota's string of prestigious films that went on to win Academy Award nominations. Stars Charlize Theron and Frances McDormand were both nominated. (McDormand had previously won an Oscar for her performance in "Fargo," filmed in ... youbetcha, Minnesota.) (credit: Warner Bros.)
