A Guide to Movies, Music, and Books That Mention Dubuque

I can't be the only one who does the "Leonardo DiCaprio finger point" whenever I hear Iowa or Illinois mentioned in a movie. It's even better when it's a specific town with which I'm familiar. I distinctly remember seeing the Ben Affleck movie The Accountant in theaters and being surprised and overjoyed when I saw the film was set in Illinois, with towns like Joliet and Naperville being mentioned.

It'd be a lot easier if there were some kind of guide, and thankfully, when it comes to Dubuque, there is one of sorts. On the website "Encyclopedia Dubuque" exists a guide to the movies, music, books, and other media that mention or the Key City in some way. It's a lovely albeit incomplete little guide that might beef up your watchlist with some local relevance.

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What is "Encyclopedia Dubuque?:"

If you're unfamiliar with it, "Encyclopedia Dubuque" is a lovely little website with thousands of articles and images dedicated to the history of Dubuque. Billed as "the most comprehensive online resource to the history and culture" of the city, it's a free online resource immaculately curated by many, but spearheaded by Michael Day, the editor/publisher.

You can find out a great deal about Dubuque on this site, and if you're at all familiar with the layout and article structure of Wikipedia, you won't have any problem navigating this site. Last night while watching TV, Catherine stumbled up on an article on the site called "DUBUQUE (mentioned in television/movies/book titles etc.)." I knew I had to write about it.

What Popular Pieces of Media Have References to Dubuque?:

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While this list might be incomplete, Encyclopedia Dubuque's article on movies, music, and books that contain mentions or footage of Dubuque is worthwhile. Here are some highlights, both classic and contemporary, from the page:

• 1928: Back in Old Dubuque (song).
• 2000: Happy Accidents (film): "Sam," played by Vincent D'Onofrio, tells "Ruby," played by Marisa Tomei, that he has traveled back in time from May 8, 2439--starting in Dubuque, Iowa, "on the Atlantic Coast."
• 2009: Up in the Air (film): Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) achieves his goal of reaching 10 million air miles over Dubuque, Iowa.
• 2012: The Bachelor (TV show): Long speculation ended on March 9th, 2015 when Arlington, Iowa farmer Chris Soules, known as "Prince Farming" to his fans, chose Whitney over Becca to be his soulmate. The three-hour finale featured scenes of the Julien Dubuque Bridge, the Town Clock and Hotel Julien Dubuque.

This page provides a stellar and amusing little resource for Dubuque in media. One omission I spotted was the 2015 film Mississippi Grind, in which Ryan Reynolds plays Curtis, a young gambler who spends his days at a Dubuque casino mastering his craft, at least in the beginning of the film. There are undoubtedly others that belong on this list, but that film — which was filmed in both Alabama and Louisiana — immediately came to mind.

Check out Encyclopedia Dubuque's list of media that contains mention or footage of Dubuque here.