Toronto is unique, that’s for sure. While carving out its own little cultural niche, which the CN Tower stands directly on top of, this city is also one of the first choices to impersonate some of its big counterpart American cities — with the University of Toronto often taking the place of an Ivy League school. What is it about Toronto that makes it so malleable in the hands of directors?
The film industry’s fascination with Toronto stretches back to the early ’70s, but it’s the more recent films and TV shows that have become creative with Toronto as a set. While New York City is a global icon, Toronto’s familiar cityscape allows directors to cleverly fashion the T-dot into a Big Apple stand-in. While everyone knows that the cast of Suits was wandering around Bay Street this summer, not as many were aware that big-budget movies like American Psycho and The Incredible Hulk had parts filmed right in the downtown core. For American Psycho fans, the Boston Club, Montana’s Restaurant, and the Phoenix Concert Theatre will stand out as familiar landmarks. When watching The Incredible Hulk, you better believe that the final confrontation between the Hulk and Abomination occurs right along Yonge Street.
Toronto has also been a stand-in for other famed cities as well. The song “Baltimore” from Hairspray, that’s actually Nikki Blonsky’s ode to Toronto, with her high school filmed at the Lord Lansdowne Public School, and the majority of the Baltimore street scenes shot at Dundas Street West and Roncesvalles Avenue. Chicago, the 2002 Hollywood version, was ironically shot here, with scenes in Osgoode Hall, Queens Park, the Distillery District, Casa Loma, Elgin Theatre, Union Station, and more. Although Toronto has hopefully never seen a gang of girls as mean as Regina and her clique, Mean Girls was filmed primarily in Etobicoke — with one famous scene at U of T’s own Convocation Hall. U of T also held a place of honour in the Academy Award-winning movie, Good Will Hunting.
The reason Toronto makes a popular destination for filmmakers is straightforward. With close proximity to the US and notoriously cheap rates, filming in Toronto is a no-brainer. However, what is it about Toronto that makes it unique, yet simultaneously moldable?
Toronto’s characteristic skyline, and landmarks — such as the CN Tower, the ROM, and Casa Loma comprise the outer shell of our city for tourists. Digging a little deeper, the vibrancy of Toronto’s laid back cultural rhythm pulses through Kensington, Queen West, and the Distillery District, contrasts sharply with the hustle of the Financial District on Bay. With such a singular personality, it’s no wonder that the city is so malleable with almost every major culture is represented in a section of Toronto, the city becomes an international-Canadian hybrid.
From the glitz of Yorkville to the steals of Queen Street West, Toronto accommodates any group of people. Its ability to stand in for another city seamlessly on film is a true testament to its open embrace and a call to the world to make the city its own.
