Which of these movies about Nebraska are the best? It's time to vote up the best movies set in the Cornhusker State. Some of these movies were actually filmed in Nebraska but all of them are about or partially set in Nebraska. Nestled right in the middle of the United States, Nebraska is the inspiration or setting for classic movies and cult favorites. From Terms of Endearment to Children of the Corn and its several sequels, it's time to finally determine the greatest Nebraska movies.
Vote up the best movies based in Nebraska. Be sure to check back to see what other voters think about these Nebraska films. Don't see your favorite Nebraska movie? Add it to the list and find out how other film aficionados rank your additions.
- 1Cantankerous old buzzard Woody Grant (Bruce Dern) can barely walk down the street of his home in Billings, Mont., without stopping for a drink. So when Woody receives receives a sweepstakes notice in the mail and insists on making a 750-mile trip to Lincoln, Neb., to collect his prize, it falls to baffled son David (Will Forte) to accompany him. During a stop in their Nebraska hometown, word gets out about Woody's fortune, first making him a hero, then later, the target of predatory people.
- Released: 2013
- Directed by: Alexander Payne
- 2In Boys Don't Cry, we follow the gripping journey of Teena Brandon (Hilary Swank), a young woman navigating life in rural Nebraska. Transgender before the term was mainstream, she transforms herself into Brandon Teena, charming and loved by many. Yet, her secret lies like a ticking time bomb, threatening to upend her newfound life. Peter Sarsgaard plays John Lotter, whose turbulent friendship with Brandon forms the crux of the narrative. Directed by Kimberly Peirce, this film won Swank an Oscar for Best Actress. It's a poignant exploration of identity, love, and the human spirit.
- Released: 1999
- Directed by: Kimberly Peirce
- 3Vying for victory, the movie Election unfurls a darkly comedic tale of high school politics. Tracy Flick (Reese Witherspoon), an ambitious and overachieving student, is determined to win the student council elections at all costs. Jim McAllister (Matthew Broderick), a popular teacher, perceives her relentless ambition as dangerous and plots to derail her campaign. This satirical drama, directed by Alexander Payne, captures the quirks of suburban life and teenage ambition with sharp wit. A critical darling, Election earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay. It's a riveting exploration of ethics, ambition, and the lengths some will go to win.
- Released: 1999
- Directed by: Alexander Payne
- 4In Up in the Air, we follow the life of Ryan Bingham (George Clooney), a corporate downsizer and frequent flyer, whose cherished life on the road is threatened just as he is on the cusp of reaching ten million miles in air travel. Sharing his journey is Alex Goran (Vera Farmiga), a fellow traveler, and Natalie Keener (Anna Kendrick), an ambitious young co-worker. Directed by Jason Reitman, this drama-comedy won Golden Globe awards for its screenplay and for Clooney's performance. It paints a poignant portrait of a man forced to reevaluate his life amidst constant transit.
- Released: 2009
- Directed by: Jason Reitman
- 5As physician Burt Stanton (Peter Horton) and his girlfriend, Vicky (Linda Hamilton), drive across the Midwest to his new job, their trip comes to a sudden halt when they encounter the body of a murdered boy in the road. In trying to contact the authorities, Burt and Vicky wander into a small town populated only by children, followers of sinister young preacher Isaac Chroner (John Franklin). Soon the couple is fleeing the youthful fanatics, who want to sacrifice them to their demonic deity.
- Released: 1984
- Directed by: Fritz Kiersch
- 6While traveling through rural Nebraska, a couple (David Anders, Kandyse McClure) encounters a religious cult of murderous children who worship a god that lives in their cornfield.
- Released: 2009
- Directed by: Donald P. Borchers
- 7Night of the Twisters is a 1996 television film directed by Timothy Bond, about a family's struggle to survive a night with a bizarre and terrible storm passing over their town. The TV movie is based on the novel by Ivy Ruckman, which centers around 1980 Grand Island tornado outbreak. It was shot in Kleinburg, Ontario. It was the first original motion picture made for The Family Channel, and it appeared on the channel until 2004.
- Released: 1996
- Directed by: Timothy Bond
- 81922 is a 2017 American horror-drama film directed by Zak Hilditch, based on Stephen King's novella. A simple yet proud farmer (Thomas Jane) in the year 1922 conspires to murder his wife (Molly Parker) for financial gain, convincing his teenage son (Dylan Schmid) to participate.
- Released: 2017
- Directed by: Zak Hilditch
- 9Terms of Endearment is an engaging drama directed by James L. Brooks. The plot centers around the thirty-year relationship between mother Aurora Greenway (Shirley MacLaine) and her daughter Emma Horton (Debra Winger). Their bond, filled with love, conflict, and reconciliation, forms the heart of the narrative. Jack Nicholson adds another layer to the story as retired astronaut Garrett Breedlove, a charming yet unconventional neighbor who becomes romantically involved with Aurora. The movie won five Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director for Brooks, and Best Actress for MacLaine. It's a captivating exploration of familial ties and personal growth.
- Released: 1983
- Directed by: James L. Brooks
- 10The devout but iron-willed Father Flanagan (Spencer Tracy) leads a community called Boys Town, a different sort of juvenile detention facility where, instead of being treated as underage criminals, the boys are shepherded into making themselves better people. But hard-nosed petty thief and pool shark Whitey Marsh (Mickey Rooney), the impulsive and violent younger brother of an imprisoned murderer, might be too much for the good father's tough-love system.
- Released: 1938
- Directed by: Norman Taurog
- 11Small-town businessman, pastor and volunteer firefighter Todd Burpo (Greg Kinnear) and his wife, Sonja (Kelly Reilly), are struggling to make ends meet during a tough year. After their young son, Colton (Connor Corum), undergoes emergency surgery, Todd and Sonja are overjoyed at the child's miraculous recovery. However, the Burpos are unprepared for what happens next -- Colton says that he went to heaven and back, and tells his parents things that he couldn't possibly know.
- Released: 2014
- Directed by: Randall Wallace
- 12After her grandmother vanishes, young Jamie (Claudette Mink) decides to stay in the elderly woman's apartment in Nebraska in order to look for her. Unfortunately, all Jamie finds is a slew of sketchy neighbors and a large cornfield outside the window frequented by a bunch of creepy kids. As Jamie continues to look for her grandmother, the adults around her start to disappear, the children become more threatening and things take a supernatural turn as an evil spirit arises from the fields.
- Released: 2001
- Directed by: Guy Magar
- 13Warren Schmidt (Jack Nicholson) has arrived at several of life's crossroads all at the same time. To begin with, he is retiring from a lifetime of service as an actuary for Woodmen of the World Insurance Company, and he feels utterly adrift. Furthermore, his only daughter Jeannie (Hope Davis) is about to marry a boob. And his wife Helen (June Squibb) dies suddenly after 42 years of marriage.
- Released: 2002
- Directed by: Alexander Payne
- 14A newsman (Terence Knox) and his son (Paul Scherrer) snoop around a Nebraska town where children kill many adults.
- Released: 1992
- Directed by: David Price
- 15
Children of the Corn: Genesis
Kelen Coleman, Tim Rock, Billy DragoSeeking refuge at a secluded compound, a couple (Kelen Coleman, Tim Rock) encounters a mysterious cult that worships a possessed boy.- Released: 2011
- Directed by: Joel Soisson
- 16Mild-mannered therapist Paul Safranek and his wife, Audrey, decide to undergo a process in which scientists shrink people down to miniature size to live in small communities. The irreversible procedure allows the people to gain wealth and a life of leisure while helping to cut down on the consumption of natural resources. As Paul gets to know his new neighbors and surroundings, he soon learns that living in a tiny suburb comes with its own set of huge problems.
- Released: 2017
- Directed by: Alexander Payne
- 17A boy uses his powers of mind control to recruit Chicago children in his reign of terror against adult mankind.
- Released: 1995
- Directed by: James D.R. Hickox
- 18"Citizen Ruth" is the story of Ruth Stoops (Laura Dern), a woman who nobody even noticed -- until she got pregnant. Now, everyone wants a piece of her. The film is a comedy about one woman caught in the ultimate tug-of-war: a clash of wild, noisy, ridiculous people that rapidly dissolves into a media circus.
- Released: 1996
- Directed by: Alexander Payne
- 19In 1993, a freak accident involving a noose kills teenager Charlie Grimille during a high-school production of "The Gallows." Twenty years later, on the eve of the play's revival, students Reese (Reese Mishler), Pfeifer (Pfeifer Brown), Ryan (Ryan Shoos) and Cassidy become trapped in the auditorium, with no way of calling for help. A night of terror awaits the four friends as they face the wrath of a malevolent and vengeful spirit. It seems Charlie will have his curtain call after all.
- Released: 2015
- Directed by: Chris Lofing, Travis Cluff
- 20Determined to save her estranged brother from a suicide cult, a young woman faces murderous children and worse.
- Released: 1998
- Directed by: Ethan Wiley
- 21Grace Rhodes (Naomi Watts), who is studying to be a doctor, returns to her hometown as a strange illness is afflicting the local children. The symptoms include a high fever and spasms, but even weirder is what happens the next day: All those with the illness claim they are somebody else -- then they begin murdering the grown-ups. After her sister undergoes the same sinister metamorphosis, Grace comes to believe there is some connection to an evil cult figure who may be returning from the grave.
- Released: 1996
- Directed by: Greg Spence
- 22Hannah (Natalie Ramsey) is the daughter of one of the original members of a murderous cult composed of children who worship a demonic spirit called "He Who Walks Behind the Rows." Hannah travels to her hometown of Gatlin, Neb., to find her mother and explore her past. Upon her arrival, Isaac (John Franklin), the original cult leader, begins to wake from a coma. As Hannah tries to find out the truth about her lineage, violence, threats and strange rituals surround her.
- Released: 1999
- Directed by: Kari Skogland
- 23A frontier farm woman (Hilary Swank) saves the life of a claim-jumper (Tommy Lee Jones) and persuades him to help her escort three insane women to a safe haven in Iowa.
- Released: 2014
- Directed by: Tommy Lee Jones
- 24
The Boarder
Dee Wallace, Carlton Wilborn, Andy Scott HarrisProduced by Andres Barahona and Co-Produced by Susana Hornil, The Boarder is a feature film written by Jane E. Ryan and based on real life events. The film tells the story of the Williams family who, after adopting an 11-year-old homeless boy named Carl, have to deal with his reactive attachment disorder. It is based on the novel The Boarder by Jane E. Ryan, who interviewed families in the US, Canada and UK about their experiences with adoptive children suffering from RAD. The title is inspired by an anonymous British mother Jane interviewed regarding her experience with children suffering from RAD: "They're like boarders in a boardinghouse. They sleep in your home and eat at your table, but you never really know who they are." Dee Wallace plays the psychologist who assists the family in coping with Carl and his disorder. Carl is portrayed by Andy Scott Harris. Other actors appearing in the film are Leslie Stevens, Carlton Wilburn and Eric St. John. The film is set in a suburb outside of Lincoln, Nebraska and is shot for the most part in Ravenna, Nebraska.- Released: 2012
- Directed by: Jolene Adams
- 25Long-married couple Kay (Meryl Streep) and Arnold (Tommy Lee Jones) love each other, but after so many years together, Kay feels the need to spice things up and reconnect with her husband. Hearing of a renowned marriage counselor (Steve Carell) in the town of Great Hope Springs, Kay manages to persuade her stubborn mate to attend a retreat with her. As they shed their bedroom hang-ups, Kay and Arnold find that the real challenge is reigniting the spark that originally brought them together.
- Released: 2012
- Directed by: David Frankel
- 26After getting into trouble with the law, violence-prone Frank Roberts (Viggo Mortensen) seeks help from his brother Joe (David Morse), an even-tempered policeman. Frank hopes to start fresh, and his brother has faith that he can do it. So Joe agrees to let Frank stay -- despite the admonitions of his wife, Maria (Valeria Golino), who would rather not have Frank in the house. And though he performs well at first, Frank's inner turmoil eventually erupts, creating chaos in their once tranquil home.
- Released: 1991
- Directed by: Sean Penn
- 27The Good Life is a 2007 film written and directed by Stephen Berra, starring Mark Webber, Zooey Deschanel, Patrick Fugit, Bill Paxton, Drea de Matteo, Harry Dean Stanton, and Chris Klein.
- Released: 2007
- Directed by: Steve Berra
- 28
The Nebraskan
Philip Carey, Roberta Haynes, Wallace FordWhen his Indian assistant, Wingfoot (Maurice Jara), is accused of murdering a Sioux chief, Army scout Wade Harper (Phil Carey) brings him to Fort Kearney, Neb., where Colonel Markham (Regis Toomey) insists the young man has the right to a fair trial rather than handing him over to the Sioux. While in jail, Wingfoot is forced to escape with ruthless prisoner Reno Benton (Lee Van Cleef). Wade sets out with a small party to rescue his friend, with the Sioux right behind him.- Released: 1953
- Directed by: Fred F. Sears
- 29A maintenance man (Seann William Scott) tries to help high-school tennis players win the state championship.
- Released: 2009
- Directed by: Danny Leiner
- 30Father Edward Flanagan (Spencer Tracy), head of the Boys Town home for troubled boys, attends the trial of young Ted Martley (Larry Nunn), a paraplegic charged with murdering a guard at the Marysport reformatory. When Ted confides that Marysport is corrupt and brutal, the priest takes him to Boys Town, where he places him with his protégé, Whitey Marsh (Mickey Rooney). Later visiting Marysport, Whitey gets involved with a young delinquent and witnesses how bad the conditions are there.
- Released: 1941
- Directed by: Norman Taurog
- 31A man (Cillian Murphy) with multiple-personality disorder fools a town into believing that his alter egos are husband and wife.
- Released: 2010
- Directed by: Michael Lander
- 32
Oblivion, Nebraska
Edith Fields, Jeremy Davidson, Sterling BeaumonOblivion, Nebraska is a 2006 film directed by Charles Haine and adapted from the Pushcart Prize-winning short story of the same name by Peter Moore Smith.- Released: 2006
- Directed by: Charles Haine
- 33
The House Without a Christmas Tree
Mildred NatwickThe House Without a Christmas Tree is a 1972 television movie, novelized into a children's book by Gail Rock in 1974, that centers on the relationship between Adelaide "Addie" Mills, a bright and energetic only child, and her melancholy father, James Addison Mills III. James had never recovered from the death of his wife Helen, and is bitterly against ever having a Christmas tree in the house. The videotaped production was seen regularly on CBS between 1972 and 1977.- Released: 1972
- Directed by: Paul Bogart
- 34Handle with Care is a 1977 comedy movie set in a small town in Nebraska and loosely based on the wide popularity of citizens' band radio, usually called "CB" at the time. It was directed by Jonathan Demme. The movie was originally released as Citizens Band was later released in an edited version as "Handle With Care". In the film, all of the cast of characters are known by their CB "handles". A paperback novelization of the film written by E.M. Corder was published by Pocket Books in 1977.
- Released: 1977
- Directed by: Jonathan Demme
- 35Talking piglet Gordy lives a carefree life on an Arkansas farm until the rest of his family is taken away. Hitting the road to find his kinfolk before it's too late, Gordy meets up with struggling young country singer Jinnie Sue (Kristy Young) and her father, Luke (Doug Stone). He also encounters a father (Ted Manson) and daughter (Deborah Hobart) squabbling over control of their family business, which includes the Nebraska slaughterhouse that Gordy's parents and siblings are bound for.
- Released: 1995
- Directed by: Mark Lewis
- 36
The National Tree
Andrew McCarthy, Kari Matchett, Jayne EastwoodThe National Tree is a 2009 drama TV movie directed by Graeme Campbell.- Released: 2009
- Directed by: Graeme Campbell
- 37During the Cold War, U.S. bomber jets are equipped with fail-safe boxes that instruct pilots when and if to attack. When an attack order is inadvertently administered due to a system malfunction, the President of the United States (Henry Fonda) must scramble to fix the mistake before the bombs are dropped on Moscow. He manages to stop almost all the bombers headed for Moscow, except for one determined pilot who manages to complete his mission, with deadly consequences.
- Released: 1964
- Directed by: Sidney Lumet
- 38During the 1960s, a computer error in Nebraska unwittingly sets off a perilous chain of events leading to a Cold War crisis. The computer sends an order to a squadron piloted by Col. Jack Grady (George Clooney) to drop a bomb on Moscow. Despite the efforts of the president (Richard Dreyfuss) to negate the false order, the crew forges on with what they think is their task. The president and his translator (Noah Wyle) are forced to reach out to the Russian leader to negotiate.
- Released: 2000
- Directed by: Stephen Frears
- 39In the 1880s, young Swede Alexandra Bergson (Heather Graham) and her family come to Nebraska to live off the land. Years later, when the Bergson patriarch dies, the adult Alexandra (Jessica Lange) learns that she is heir to the family farm. Amid the protestations of her jealous siblings, Alexandra succeeds in single-handedly managing the farm. Her biggest challenge arises, however, when Carl (David Strathairn), the lover who left her life decades earlier, comes back looking for romance.
- Released: 1992
- Directed by: Glenn Jordan
- 40
My Antonia
Neil Patrick Harris, Elina Löwensohn, Jason RobardsAfter the death of his parents, Jimmy (Neil Patrick Harris) uproots his life to live with his grandparents in Black Hawk, Neb. It's there he meets his grandparents' neighbors, the Shimerdas, an immigrant family from Bohemia. He's particularly fascinated with Antonia (Elina Lowensohn), the Shimerdas' daughter, a free spirit a few years older than Jimmy, though she seems infinitely wiser. The Shimerdas are struggling, too, which helps create a bond between the two fast friends.- Released: 1995
- Directed by: Joseph Sargent
- 41
Taken in Broad Daylight
James Van Der Beek, LeVar Burton, Sara CanningTaken in Broad Daylight is a 2009 American made-for-television movie based on the real-life kidnapping of Nebraska teenager Anne Sluti, who was abducted and held for six days in April 2001 by Anthony Steven Wright, also known as Tony Zappa. Wright was later sentenced to life for the Sluti abduction.- Released: 2009
- Directed by: Gary Yates
- 42
Tully
Anson Mount, Julianne Nicholson, John DiehlTully is a 2000 American drama film written and directed by Hilary Birmingham. The film was screened at the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival on April 14, 2000 and received a limited release in the United States on November 1, 2002. It is based on an O. Henry Award-winning short story by author Tom McNeal. Originally titled The Truth About Tully, the film changed its name to avoid confusion with Jonathan Demme's The Truth About Charlie.- Released: 2002
- Directed by: Hilary Birmingham
- 43
Starkweather
Lance Henriksen, Shannon Lucio, Keir O'DonnellStarkweather is a 2004 film directed by Bryon Werner. Written by Working Class Films founder and prolific screenwriter Stephen Johnston, whose scripts including In the Light of the Moon and Ted Bundy, started the "serial killer" subgenre. Brent Taylor and Shannon Lucio star. Jerry Kroll and Lance Henriksen are also featured. The movie is based on the life of spree killer Charles Starkweather. The movie was filmed in September 2003 in Acton and Lancaster, California and filmed on 35mm. Since its initial release by Thinkfilm in the USA, the film has played over 200 times on Showtime and Starz/Encore, including 15 times in February 2007 alone. Internationally, it was released by Warner Bros and e-m-s among others.- Released: 2004
- Directed by: Byron Werner
- 44The Substitute Wife is a 1994 television movie, starring Farrah Fawcett, along with Lea Thompson and Peter Weller.
- Released: 1994
- Directed by: Peter Werner
- 45Stranded friends encounter supernatural scarecrows at an isolated farmhouse.
- Released: 2010
- Directed by: Brett Simmons
- 46Hex is a 1973 American horror film filmed on Cheyenne River Indian Reservation starring Keith Carradine, Dan Haggerty, Gary Busey, Hillarie Thompson and Christina Raines. The film was initially publicized under the title Grass Land. According to Phil Hardy's The Encyclopedia of Horror Movies, Hex "crosses elements of the bike film with those of the post-western and the supernatural tale... The film scarcely succeeds in welding its disparate elements together, but still makes a distinctive, atmospheric impression."
- Released: 1973
- Directed by: Leo Garen
- 47West Virginia's ice hockey team, the Charlestown Chiefs, is as fiery as ever. The new coach, Sean Linden (Stephen Baldwin), leads the rambunctious squad -- which includes the famed Hanson brothers -- through their victories with little concern for their often violent antics. But the team's approach is threatened when the club is bought by executive Richmond Claremont (Gary Busey), who pressures them to throw games and tone down their tempers in exchange for money.
- Released: 2002
- Directed by: Steve Boyum
