Beaufort homes that made the big screen — from local legend Pat Conroy to Sandra Bullock
Some of Beaufort County’s most-stately homes have been featured in Hollywood films over the years.
The first movie shot in the county, a documentary about Gullah religious services, was released in 1940, and there have been 39 since, according to IMDd.
But only a few feature the area’s historical architecture. They are:
Forces of Nature (1999)
Staring Sandra Bullock and Ben Affleck, this romantic comedy follows a man who gets stranded in Savannah on the way to his wedding. To get home, he embarks on a rental-car trip with a stranger — falling in love along the way.
The movie’s wedding scene is set at the Joseph Johnson House, a private home on Craven Street in Beaufort known as “The Castle.”
Built in 1853 and rumored to have a ghost, the home sold for $4.1 million in 2021.
Prince of Tides (1991)
Based on the novel by Lowcountry native Pat Conroy and directed by Barbara Streisand, this drama won a Golden Globe and captured several other award nominations. In the movie, a man falls in love with his psychiatrist as he grapples with his twin’s attempted suicide.
Featured in the movie, the Lewis Reeve Sams house is in the Point neighborhood, overlooking the Beaufort River and Woods Memorial Bridge.
The 7,600-square-foot home was built in 1852 and sold for $1.87 million in 2006.
The Big Chill (1983)
Seven former college friends reunite in a Beaufort vacation home after the funeral of another of their college friends in this comedy starring Tom Berenger, Glenn Close and Jeff Goldblum.
The interior and exterior of the Tidalholm Mansion, built in 1853, is featured throughout the film.
On the market for four years, the 7,400-square-foot waterfront property sold for $1.76 million in 2014.
The Great Santini (1979)
Another movie based on a Conroy novel, this drama stars Robert Duvall and Blythe Danner and tells the story of a US Marine Corps officer’s relationship with his father. It was nominated for two Oscars and a Golden Globe.
The movie also uses the Tidalholm Mansion for family home scenes.
If you know of any other famous local homes that were featured in movies, contact mdimitrov@islandpacket.com.
