Robin Williams

One Hour Photo (2002)

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In the 2002 Mark Romanek film, “One Hour Photo,” Robin Williams plays a mentally unstable photo developer who becomes obsessed with a family whose photos he develops. The home of the Yorkin family can be found in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles. In the film, Sy, played by Williams, sits on the street and watches the home. In reality, however, the property sits tucked away behind a fence and trees and is not visible from the street. Here is an aerial view of the home, which was also featured in the film “Cruel Intentions,” as well as the TV shows “Californication” and “Ray Donovan.”

LOCATION: 136 S Canyon View Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90049

Sy’s aparttment can be found in Skid Row in Downtown Los Angeles. It is located just a few buildings over from one of the murder scenes in the film “The Little Things.” It’s not the safest of areas, so use caution if you visit.

LOCATION: 534 Wall St, Los Angeles, CA 90013

Sy sits at a diner, looking a duplicates he made of the Yorkins’ family photos. This was filmed at the former Johnie’s Broiler in Downey.  The restaurant has a unique history, having appeared in many other films, such as “Heat,” “Short Cuts,” “License To Drive,” “The Game,” “What’s Love Got To Do With It,” “My Stepmother Is An Alien” and many more.  In 2007, the building was demolished.  However, Bob’s Big Boy purchased the property years later and rebuilt it based on the original blueprints and even some of the same materials.  So what stands now closely resembles what was seen in the film.

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LOCATION: 7447 Firestone Blvd, Downey, CA 90241

Sy follows Will Yorkin, played by Michael Vartan, to a hotel in Torrance. The real building is not a hotel, but a business area and medical center.

LOCATION: 20780 Madrona Ave, Torrance, CA 90503

Good Will Hunting (1997)

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Despite being famously set in Boston, Massachusetts, much of the 1997 film “Good Will Hunting” actually filmed in Toronto, Canada.  The film brought home Oscar gold for screenwriters Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, as well as Robin Williams.  Despite heavily filming in Toronto, some scenes were indeed filmed in Boston, including several of the film’s most well-known locations.

Will, played by Matt Damon, and Chuckie, played by Ben Affleck, hang out at the L Street Tavern in South Boston.

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LOCATION: 658 E 8th St, Boston, MA 02127

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They even keep a sign on the side of the building, calling it the “Home of Good Will Hunting.”

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Over at Harvard Square in Cambridge, north of Boston, you’ll find where a couple memorable locations from the film formerly stood, right across the street from Harvard University.  However, it gets confusing due to some remodeling that took place after filming. The Bow and Arrow Pub is where, after obtaining Skyler’s phone number and spotting a rival grad student, Will walks up to the window and delivers his famous “How do you like them apples?” line.

In the film, the scene was at the storefront of a Dunkin Donuts. After the remodel, the Dunkin Donuts relocated over to the left side, down Bow St, before eventually closing it’s doors for good. However, the location on the left, which is currently a ramen restaurant, was not the original filming location. You can see the actors standing next to Massachusetts Ave in the scene, confirming the geography of the original site. Thanks to reader “Little P” for helping clarify this.

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LOCATION: 1230 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02138

In the same general area is where the former Bow and Arrow Pub stood, which is where Will first meets Skylar. It’s also where he has the confrontation with an arrogant, pony-tailed grad student later seen at the Dunkin Donuts. It was formerly located a bit further down Bow St, prior to the property being remodeled. It was likewise taken over as the back portion of the Grafton Pub, while the front portion changed into a separate storefront.

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LOCATION: 1 Bow St, Cambridge, MA 02138

The famous bench where Will sits with Sean, played by Robin Williams, can be found at the Boston Public Garden.  Surprisingly, the bench is not marked in any way as being the spot from the film.  If you’re unfamiliar with the garden park, it may take you a bit to find it, but it’s a popular spot and sometimes you can spot it simply by watching for others taking photos there.  To get to the bench, follow the lakeside path north from the west end of the bridge.  If you’re at the bridge, you would go down the small set of stairs to reach it.  Behind the bench, you’ll see an intersection of paths and a tree with a branch forming a “v” shape.  In front of the bench, you’ll see the below view, with the curving edge along the water and the tree in the distance.  Referring to this map of the park, the bench is number 5.

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LOCATION: Boston Public Garden, Boston, MA 02116