10 OF THE BEST
Super sea promontories.
Piers withour peer, from Jaws to La La Land.
FORREST GUMP
Southern gent Forrest decides to run “for no particular reason” and ends up running clear to the west coast, arriving at twinkling waters and dazzling sun on Santa Monica Pier. Not a lovely enough view to entice him to linger – he’s soon off legging it to the east coast.
REQUIEM FOR A DREAM
Heroin addict Harry has a recurring dream of seeing his girlfriend waiting at the end of Coney Island’s Steeplechase Pier. In his final vision, he shouts mutely, she and the boards disappear, and he wakes up an amputee. Don’t do drugs, kids.
LA LA LAND
Ryan Gosling’s jazz-hipster Seb sings ‘City Of Stars’ while wandering along Hermosa Beach Pier against a splendid lavender sunset, giving a passing lady a twirl. Ahhhh. Those vintage lampposts were added by the crew so it’s not as romantic IRL.
JAWS
If you want to catch a killer fish and earn an $3,000 reward, what better way than tying the missus’ holiday roast to a fishing jetty and waiting for the action? The shark takes the bait and promontory before doubling back for a human snack. Swim, Charlie, SWIM!
JURASSIC PARK: FALLEN KINGDOM
Escaping Isla Nublar’s volcano, Claire and mates gun an army truck down a crumbling pier, jumping it onto the last boat. The pier is engulfed in smoke while a lone Brachiosaurus hoots its despair. No, you’ve got volcanic ash in your eye.
BRIGHTON ROCK
Reporter Charles ‘Fred’ Hale is pursued through the titular south-coast town by gang leader Pinkie’s goons and ends up taking refuge on the deckchairs on the famous seaside structure. Sadly, he reaches the end of the pier, in more ways than one…
DUNKIRK
A load of desperate WW2 squaddies squash together on a wooden dock, waiting for rescue by ship from the eponymous beach – but relief turns to horror with the wailing sound of an inbound Stuka. All heads turn skyward and the jetty soon becomes a war zone...
MAMMA MIA!
The rustic dock that Meryl and gang giddily jump from into the water while trilling was built by filmmakers at Damouchari’s Blue Beach on the Greek Pelion coast, but still remains if you fancy donning dungarees and singing ‘Dancing Queen’.
THE STING
Paul Newman’s con artist lives at and operates the carousel on the pier on the lake in Chicago, the fairground an apt symbol for the merry-go-run-around he gives his mark. The Windy City was created as a matte painting on glass and filmed at LA’s Looff Hippodrome.
FALLING DOWN
End-of-his-tether desk monkey Bill/D-Fens ends his day of vengeance at Venice Beach, hoofing it up the boardwalk to his ex and kid to shout, “God bless the working stiff!” while brandishing a gun. Doesn’t come home from a hard day at the office again… JC