Made in MN: 5 locally shot movies to watch for

Feeling slighted that the Coen brothers chose Texas over Minnesota for their latest film? (Sure, True Grit is a remake of a Western that takes place in Texas, but the North Country could pass for the Wild West, right?) Regardless, we still have plenty to look forward to at the box office in the coming months. With several films shot around the state recently, 2011 promises to be a big year for Minnesota. The local première of Trampoline tonight at the Heights inspired The A.V. Club to go looking for the lowdown on other upcoming, locally made films.

Trampoline
This documentary captures a Minnesota family’s rawest and most intimate moments, from financial strife to teenage drug addiction to the unraveling of a marriage. Director Mark Wojahn’s film, which opened at San Francisco’s Docfest in October, is set to music from local outfits including Solid Gold, M.anifest, and Red Pens.

Stuck Between Stations
Before director Brady Kiernan took to the big screen, he cut his teeth on videos for Doomtree. His directorial debut follows a couple of high school classmates reuniting in Minneapolis 10 years after graduation. Their whirlwind night plays out against a backdrop of landmarks like First Avenue and Loring Park. If all that—plus hometown boy Josh Hartnett in a supporting role—doesn’t reel in local viewers, maybe the Hold Steady-quoting title will.

Souvenirs
Can Mankato pass for the desert of Iraq? The makers of Souvenirs hope it can. They’ll get an authenticity boost from actual Minnesota National Guard gear and vehicles, and from actor James Cromwell and his son playing the same character at different ages. St. Paul director Sam Fischer’s film tackles modern warfare and post-traumatic stress disorder by telling the story of multiple generations of a Minnesota family at war.

The Convincer
Few actors can do plucky Midwestern desperation like Greg Kinnear. So his role as an insurance salesman in search of a valuable violin—opposite his Little Miss Sunshine co-star Alan Arkin—has all kinds of potential. The Convincer comes from Minneapolis-based production company Werc Werk Works, which was founded in 2008 and already has two acclaimed projects under its belt: Todd Solondz’s Life During Wartime and the James Franco-starring Howl.

Young Adult
Director Jason Reitman and Oscar-winning screenwriter/former local Diablo Cody set their 2007 hit Juno in Minnesota and peppered it with regional references (hey, Ridgedale mall!), but the movie was actually filmed in Vancouver. Young Adult, the latest effort from the pair, brings the action right to the heart of Minneapolis. The story of a divorced writer returning to her Midwestern home to track down an old love interest features Patrick Wilson, Patton Oswalt, and Charlize Theron, who was spotted in the skyway during production.