Council Bluffs

Citizen Ruth (1996)

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The 1996 Alexander Payne film “Citizen Ruth” was primarily shot in Omaha, Nebraska, with a bit of additional shooting just over the Iowa border. Early in the film, Ruth, played by Laura Dern, gets kicked out of her boyfriend’s apartment.

LOCATION: 2454 Harney St, Omaha, NE 68131

Ruth asks to stay at her brother’s house. He refuses and gives her some money instead.

LOCATION: 411 Hickory St, Omaha, NE 68108

Ruth buys some patio sealant from a hardware store, where she heads to the back of the building and gets high.

LOCATION: 4949 Underwood Ave, Omaha, NE 68132

The abortion clinic scenes were filmed in Council Bluffs, Iowa, which is just over the state border from Nebraska.

LOCATION: 200 S 29th St, Council Bluffs, IA 51501

At the end of the film, Ruth is seen running away down this alley, located across the street.

LOCATION: Alley across from 200 S 29th St, Council Bluffs, IA 51501 (GPS coordinates: 41.259361, -95.890616)

Related articles: Election (1999), About Schmidt (2002), Sideways (2004), The Descendants (2011), Nebraska (2013), Downsizing (2017)

About Schmidt (2002)

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The 2002 Alexander Payne film “About Schmidt,” like much of the director’s work, was primarily filmed in Nebraska, with additional filming in Iowa and Colorado. In the film, Warren Schmidt, played by Jack Nicholson, begins retirement from working for an insurance company. The building featured as Schmidt’s workplace, Woodmen Tower, can be found in Omaha.

LOCATION: 1700 Farnam St, Omaha, NE 68102

Schmidt lives with his wife Helen, played by June Squibb, at this home, also located in Omaha.

LOCATION: 5402 Izard St, Omaha, NE 68132

Schmidt embarks on a journey to Denver for his daughter’s wedding. Along the way he decides to stop off and visit his childhood home, only to discover it has been razed and a tire shop now stands in it’s place. This scene was filmed in Council Bluffs, Iowa, which is just over the state border from Nebraska.

LOCATION: 2103 W Broadway, Council Bluffs, IA 51501

Schmidt arrives at the home of Roberta, played by Kathy Bates, which is supposedly located in Denver, Colorado. The real home can actually be found back in Omaha.

LOCATION: 3215 Poppleton Ave, Omaha, NE 68105

Related articles: Citizen Ruth (1996), Election (1999), Sideways (2004), The Descendants (2011), Nebraska (2013), Downsizing (2017)