Distinctly Montana Magazine
Issue link: https://digital.distinctlymontana.com/i/797637
W W W. D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA NA . C O M 47 Going-to-the-Sun Road, the 52-mile scenic road that crosses the Glacier National Park from St. Mary on the east side to Apgar Village on the west, overtakes the opening shots of Stanley Kubrick's e Shining. e true Hi-Line, that ribbon of remote land from Fort Peck to Shelby, served as a metaphor for the soul searching done by the main character in the independent film, e Hi-Line. e state has provided scenery for Hollywood successes (e Revenant, Forrest Gump) and some of its most notorious flops (Heaven's Gate, e Missouri Breaks). Oscar winners (Sean Connery in e Untouchables) and future presidents (Ronald Reagan in Cattle Queen of Montana) have read their lines in the state. Montana productions boasts a high rate of Oscar glory, including underbolt and Lightfoot ( Jeff Bridges was nominated for Best Actor in a Supporting Role) and Runaway Train, in which Jon Voight (Best Actor in a Leading Role) and Eric Roberts (Best Actor in a Supporting Role) earned nominations for their stunning performances in this story about two convicts who escape into the icy Northwest wilder- ness aboard an out-of-control freight train. "We obviously have the Western atmosphere. We obviously have mountains and snow," said Garry Wunderwald, Montana Film Commissioner from 1974 to 1990. (By 1974, as interest in Montana mounted and more studios were going on location, the Montana Film Office in Helena was organized to woo the filmmakers. Wunderwald ran a one-man show to attract Hollywood to Montana.) Action scenes for HEAVEN'S GATE were shot in Butte, Kalispell, and Glacier National Park. Heaven's Gate was a critical flop, yet at the same time it was a real boon to the community. Montana film commissioner Garry Wunderwald found it a mind-boggling experience to watch director Michael Cimino squander money—and the film company left approximately $19 million in Montana. Michael Cimino, the director, also shot Lightfoot in Montana. In between he directed the Award-winning The Deer Hunter.