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| New Life for Old Prison |
| By Associated Press |
| Published: 10/26/2001 |
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Gothic architecture. A five-tiered lockup. An authentic Death Row with an unplugged electric-chair chamber. When Hollywood seeks gritty realism for prison movies, the century-old Tennessee State Penitentiary awaits on the banks of the Cumberland River. Since it was emptied of inmates 10 years ago because of inhumane conditions, the prison has served as a movie backdrop - most recently for ''The Last Castle,'' starring Robert Redford. The prison's emptiness was part of its appeal, said the movie's director, Rod Lurie. ''There are all sorts of security nightmares when you're filming around an operational prison,'' Lurie said. ''The government of Tennessee gave us the complete run of this place.'' More important was the building's menacing look. Lurie searched the country for a castle-like structure to portray a military prison. ''The Last Castle'' explores a struggle for leadership between Redford, a revered general court-martialed after his final mission, and the warden, played by James Gandolfini of HBO's ''The Sopranos.'' The state let the moviemakers lease the prison for free. ''The Last Castle,'' with a $60 million budget and three-month location shoot, is the biggest movie ever made in Tennessee and was a welcome boost to the state's slowing economy. The prison's second career began in 1984 when scenes from the movie ''Marie,'' with Sissy Spacek, were filmed there. Others followed, including ''Ernest Goes to Jail'' for Disney in 1989; ''Against the Wall'' for HBO in 1994 (during which the outside walls were painted from white to red); ''Last Dance,'' starring Sharon Stone, in 1996; and ''The Green Mile,'' starring Tom Hanks, in 1999 (during which the outside was painted light green). Biographies for cable channel A&E, music videos such as country singer Travis Tritt's ''Best of Intentions'' and a TV Guide shoot of country singer Tim McGraw also have been filmed there. |
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