A Clouded Name (silent film, 1923) - Starring
Norma Shearer.[1] Scenes were filmed at the
State Fair, the Calthrop mansion, and at the Liverpool's solar salt fields (which closed three years later).
Banana Split (feature film, 2018) - Starring
Hannah Marks,
Liana Liberato,
Dylan Sprouse, and
Jessica Hecht.[1] Scenes were filmed at Heid’s ice cream shop — yes, a banana split is served — along with the Palace Theater in Eastwood, a private residence on Sedgwick Drive in Syracuse, and the former A.V. Zogg Middle School in Liverpool, now known as Syracuse Studios.[2]
Big Daddy (Feature film, 1999) - Several mentions;
Adam Sandler's[1] character is a Syracuse University alumnus[4] (attended Syracuse University College of Law) and wears various Syracuse sweatshirts and T-shirts.
Big Time Adolescence (Feature film, 2019) - Starring
Griffin Gluck,
Pete Davidson,
Jon Cryer,
Sydney Sweeney, and
Machine Gun Kelly.[1] The movie was shot in 2018 with scenes at the Palace Theater in Eastwood, Sylvan Beach Amusement Park, the Sound Garden record store in downtown Syracuse, and the former A.V. Zogg Middle School in Liverpool, now known as Syracuse Studios.[2]
Born on the Fourth of July (Feature film, 1989) -
Tom Cruise's[1] character attends a Vietnam War protest, which is held at Syracuse University. Tom Cruise was born in Syracuse and has appeared in several films referencing his hometown. This
Oliver Stone film also starred Syracuse native
Frank Whaley and
Stephen Baldwin, whose mother lives in Central New York.[4]
Crooked Arrows (feature film, 2012) - Starring
Brandon Routh.[1] The story of a Native American lacrosse team in a prep school league tournament, filmed in Central New York with appearances by local lacrosse players and coaches, including SU's John Desko and Gary Gait.[3]
Freak Talks About Sex (also known as Blowin' Smoke) (Feature film, 1999) - Starring
Steve Zahn.[1] Filmed in Syracuse; life in Syracuse is part of the plot.[2]
Slap Shot (Feature film, 1977) - Starring
Paul Newman and
Michael Ontkean. [1] One of the hockey teams is the (fictional) Syracuse Bulldogs, and parts of the movie were filmed at the Onondaga County War Memorial in downtown Syracuse.[4][5]
The Commuter (Feature film, 2018) - In the opening sequence, Michael MacCauley's (
Liam Neeson)[1] teenage son is trying to meet Syracuse University's early-admissions deadline. On the commute back from work that day, he informs a train regular (
Vera Farmiga)[1] his son is indeed going to Syracuse. Vera Farmiga is an alumna of Syracuse University.[3]
The Express: The Ernie Davis Story (Feature film, 2008) - Starring
Rob Brown,
Dennis Quaid,
Charles S. Dutton and (briefly)
Chadwick Boseman.[1] The movie is about Ernie Davis, a Syracuse University football player, who is the first African-American to win the Heisman trophy. Parts of the movie were filmed in Syracuse and the world premiere took place at the Landmark Theatre in Syracuse.
The Purge - 2013 - Syracuse appears in Purge Feed (during the 2017 Purge) in the film's introduction.
Television
The Detour is a 2016-2019 TBS comedy about a family from Syracuse. The show begins in Syracuse, and one episode of Season 4 is set there, but most of the show takes place in other locations.[6]
New Girl is a 2011-2018 Fox sitcom in which three male leads went to Syracuse University. Some
flashbacks take place in Syracuse.[7]
Ordinary Joe is a 2021-2022 NBC drama about a music major from Syracuse University who’s at a crossroads on his graduation day at SU in 2011.[8]
The Quantum Leap episode "Catch a Falling Star" was set in Syracuse.
In Unforgettable, Two of the main characters (played by
Poppy Montgomery and
Dylan Walsh)[1] used to work for the Syracuse Police Department and flashbacks often take place in Syracuse.
In the third season of Star Trek: Picard, the stardrive section of the USS Syracuse, a Galaxy Class starship with registry number NCC-17744, was donated to the saucer section of the USS Enterprise, NCC-1701-D. The entire ship with drive and saucer sections operated under the name Enterprise.
Literature
Most Freddy the Pig books take place on farm a few miles outside of Syracuse.
^Herbert, Geoff (5 September 2019).
"'The Detour,' wacky TV show about Syracuse family, canceled after 4 seasons". syracuse.com. Retrieved 29 June 2021. Despite starting off in Syracuse, most of the first season was filmed in the Atlanta area. Season 2 shifted to New York City when Jones' character was offered a job there, then Alaska in season 3, though the family did return to Syracuse in a season 4 episode.