What a Seattle newcomer learned from ‘Singles’ and other filmed-in-WA movies

Which film wins the superlative for “most Seattle movie”?

It’s not a trick question. You probably already know the answer.

After watching more than a dozen films based in the Evergreen state and accidentally omitting “Singles” (1992) off of a “Washington movies list” earlier this year, I’m issuing an official mea culpa in print: “Singles” should be the first movie every Seattle newcomer watches.

Thank you, Seattle Times readers, for sending this Seattle newbie this list of Washington movie recommendations. Most of these films do not contain significant lessons about Seattle, but it’s fun to see cameos of local landmarks. How does “Singles” rank in your “most Seattle movie” list?

“Singles” (1992)

Plot: Cameron Crowe’s cult classic and precursor to the sitcom “Friends” follows Janet (Bridget Fonda), Cliff (Matt Dillon), Linda (Kyra Sedgwick), Steve (Campbell Scott) and Debbie (Sheila Kelley) as 20-somethings living on Seattle’s Capitol Hill.

Educational value: Very high. Lots of flannel button-downs and boxers? Check. Establishing shots of the Space Needle, Pike Place Market, the Neptune and Jimi Hendrix’s grave? Check. A tutorial on how to properly pronounce UW? Check. (For the record, it’s “You Dub.”) Kissing in the rain without umbrellas? Check. Cameos from prominent Seattle grunge icons like Chris Cornell of Soundgarden, Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam and Jerry Cantrell of Alice in Chains? Check. “Singles,” which came out 30 years ago this September (Happy belated anniversary, “Singles“!), might be the quintessential set-and-filmed-in-Seattle movie, which unapologetically screams “I’M FROM SEATTLE.”

Key takeaways:

We’re thinking about transportation constantly  

Campbell Scott’s character Steve, who thinks a super train might solve Seattle traffic woes forever, can’t stop thinking about congestion. Is he wrong? Who hasn’t been late to a meeting because they were stuck in traffic from an accident or construction on Interstate 5? I may have never experienced a pre-pandemic Seattle, but I’ve seen people plan dinners around nonpeak travel hours, avoid West Seattle because the bridge was closed and choose work within their own neighborhoods to avoid long commutes.

Parking is also a big issue

I wouldn’t have fully understood the significance of the characters sharing garage door keys with prospective love interests without trying to park on Capitol Hill myself. Let me take our super train/light-rail system to Cap Hill over trying to park there any day.

We’re still thinking about the Seattle SuperSonics

Steve is in bed with Linda when he’s asked what he’s thinking about. The film then cuts to an interview clip of the Sonics’ Xavier McDaniel. Thirty years later — more than 14 years since Seattle’s NBA team relocated to Oklahoma City — fictional Steve is probably still thinking about the Sonics and how to bring them back.

“KIMI” (2022)

Plot: Angela Childs (Zoë Kravitz), a quality control worker for the KIMI virtual assistant (think Amazon Alexa knockoff), hears something she’s not supposed to.

Educational value: High. Angela’s apartment, which was filmed in Los Angeles, is much bigger than anything I’ve personally seen in Seattle, but this movie about a city filled with tech workers captures what it feels like to be in an early-pandemic King County.

Key takeaway:

Seattle is a walkable city

“KIMI” is an advertisement for King County’s public transit system, featuring recognizable spots like the International District/Chinatown light-rail stop. The King County Administration Building is also a protest site.

“Cinderella Liberty” (1973)

Plot: While on leave in Seattle, U.S. Navy sailor John Baggs Jr. (James Caan) meets single mother Maggie Paul (Marsha Mason) and her 10-year-old son, Doug (Kirk Calloway).

Educational value: Low. This movie features Pike Place Market and Post Alley (without the iconic gum wall) and a ferry (“Grey’s Anatomy’s” Dr. McDreamy, a ferry fan, would be happy), but it could have taken place in any other coastal U.S. city and it wouldn’t have changed much.

Key takeaway: None.

“The Vanishing” (1993)

Plot: Diane Shaver (Sandra Bullock) vanishes from a North Bend gas station after a trip to Mount St. Helens with boyfriend Jeff Harriman (Kiefer Sutherland). Three years later, Jeff is dating Rita Baker (Nancy Travis), but he’s still looking for answers to Diane’s disappearance when Barney Cousins (Jeff Bridges) contacts him.

Educational value: Medium. This U.S. remake of a 1988 Dutch film gets bonus points for being grounded in the area. You get a glimpse of Mount Si and Snoqualmie Falls. Pike Place Market and Pioneer Square Station serve as recognizable landmarks. The Space Needle also makes an appearance, looming from a shot outside Jeff and Rita’s apartment at 200 Aloha St. Despite the sense of place, “The Vanishing” doesn’t have a lot to say about Seattle; however, characters’ dress code of beanies and flannel feels like modern Seattle streetwear.

Key takeaway:

Seattle has a creepy history

Washington’s history of serial killers — like Green River killer Gary Ridgway and Ted Bundy, a UW graduate who grew up in Tacoma — may give credence to the film’s plot (and the occasional debunked Seattle serial killer internet rumor). However, dated references to answering machines, car cigarette lighters and hitchhikers make you wonder if the events of the film would be as plausible today. (A more modern retelling would have to address “stranger danger” and the invention of cellphones’ location tracking features).

“Harry and the Hendersons” (1987)

Plot: A Wallingford family finds a Sasquatch in the woods during a hunting trip and brings it to their Seattle neighborhood.

Educational level: Medium. Washington state is very green with a wealth of wilderness. This was filmed at Washington sites including the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, North Cascades National Park, North Bend, Index and Seattle. Dad George Henderson (John Lithgow) wears a Seattle Seahawks shirt.

Key takeaway:

The Pacific Northwest is home to Sasquatch sightings

Is Bigfoot real? The hairy humanoid creature was supposedly spotted more than 700 times in Washington, surpassing sighting reports from other states, according to the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization. The word “Sasquatch” comes from Native American tribes in northern Washington state and southern British Columbia.

“The Ring” (2002)

Plot: Seattle Post-Intelligencer reporter Rachel Keller (Naomi Watts) tracks down a string of mysterious deaths surrounding a creepy VHS tape.

Educational value: Low. I watched this movie decades ago and did not remember that it took place in Seattle. There are a few Seattle Easter eggs including an advertisement for the Seattle-based sitcom “Frasier” on a Seattle bus; however, the American remake of the 1998 Japanese horror film doesn’t teach us a lot about Seattle besides that it’s dark and rainy. Kudos to this film for containing a few landmarks including Harbor Steps apartments, the Westin towers and the Seattle Center Monorail. This film might also give you nightmares about dead horses while boarding the ferry.

Key takeaway:

It rains a lot

The Pacific Northwest, known for its seasons of rain, provides an extra layer of gloominess to the film.

“Harry in Your Pocket” (1973)

Plot: Sandy (Trish Van Devere) loses her belongings in Seattle after confronting Ray (Michael Sarrazin), a broke and incompetent pickpocket with a desire to get better at the trade. The pair team up with accomplished pickpockets Harry (James Coburn) and Casey (Walter Pidgeon) to earn money.

Educational value: Low. This film offers sights of Seattle’s Union Station, the Fairmont Olympic Hotel, Pier 57 and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, but this film also makes you feel like a tourist. Seattle is just a place on a map and not integral to the film’s plot.

Key takeaway: None

“Captain Fantastic” (2016)

Plot: Ben (Viggo Mortensen) and Leslie (Trin Miller) raised their six kids to be freethinking survivalists and hunters in Washington’s wilderness away from modern civilization. After his wife dies, Ben and his kids leave their created utopia and return to the city for her funeral.

Educational value: Low. This might be the best movie out of this batch, but this fish-out-of-water story also feels very removed from real life. The film does showcase Deception Pass State Park, Mt. Baker National Recreation Area, Sea-Tac Airport and other places around Washington state. Liberal cities like Seattle may also attract people like Ben; his father-in-law describes him as a “hippie.”

Key takeaway:

The PNW is an outdoor destination

Washington’s natural beauty has drawn hunters and hikers for centuries.

Note: This is an incomplete list of Washington-based movies. What are your favorite recommendations?

Correction: Ted Bundy was not a University of Washington law student as written in an earlier version of this story. Bundy was a University of Washington graduate who attended the University of Utah law school.