Where Was Blue Valentine Filmed? An Extraordinary Romantic Drama Film!

Blue Valentine (2010) is undoubtedly one of the best romantic movies of all time. The romantic drama film follows Dean and Cindy, who fall in love and get married. Eventually, they start to feel distant from each other, which causes cracks in their marriage. In this article, I’ll discuss the movie and tell you where was Blue Valentine filmed.

I feel that Blue Valentine is an extremely mature movie, and I don’t expect everyone to like it. People have their own choices and different tastes in cinema, and I respect that. But If you’ve watched the movie, you will know what I’m talking about. The film is unlike any typical American romantic drama. It focuses on the little yet vital things that make or break a relationship. 

I have to mention that the casting of the movie couldn’t be any better. It is a treat to watch Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams together. Both of them are perfect for this movie. After watching them on screen, I cannot imagine anyone else playing the parts. A few of the other actors in the movie include Faith Wladyka, John Doman, Mike Vogel, and Marshall Johnson.

I won’t keep you waiting any more. Now, let me give you the answer to your question about where was Blue Valentine filmed, the romantic drama film was shot in Honesdale, Pennsylvania, United States of America.

Blue Valentine had its exclusive premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on 24 January 2010. Sundance is the most popular independent film festival in America. The romantic drama movie was finally released in the United States on 29 December 2010. Now, without any further delay, let’s learn more about the filming locations.

Where Was Blue Valentine Filmed? Here Are The Filming Locations!

The director of Blue Valentine, Derek Cianfrance, was supposed to shoot the film in 2002, but due to financial trouble, he couldn’t get the movie to the floor until 2009. The romantic drama film was made on a limited budget of just $1 million. After its worldwide release, the movie earned over $16 million. The most interesting aspect of the movie is its nonlinear narrative, which makes it different from several other romantic films.

Blue Valentine also received huge critical acclaim and was nominated for the Academy Award as well as for the Golden Globe Award. Chicago Sun-Times’ Roger Ebert gave the movie three and a half out of four stars and praised Cianfrance’s excellent direction. It got a high score of 86% on Rotten Tomatoes and a rating of 7.3 on IMDb. Well, let’s move forward and dig a little deeper into the details of where was Blue Valentine filmed.

Honesdale, Pennsylvania, United States of America

Principal photography of Blue Valentine commenced on 12th May 2009. As I mentioned before, the production of the film was supposed to start back in 2002, but due to a lack of proper funding, Derek Cianfrance could not start filming until 2009. 

Cianfrance wanted to shoot the film in California, but during that time, Michelle Williams’ partner, Heath Ledger, died. So that she could take care of their daughter, Matilda, who was in Brooklyn, Cianfrance had to change the location to Honesdale because Brooklyn was quite close to it.

Honesdale is a town in Pennsylvania. It is a part of Wayne County. The town has a population of 4,458, and it is located in a mining region. The majority of the romantic drama movie was filmed in and around Honesdale. The scene in which Cindy and Dean have a wonderful time with each other, roaming around and having fun, was shot on 5th Street in Honesdale. 

The beautiful scene where Dean starts to play the ukulele and Cindy starts to dance in front of a store was filmed on 849 Main Street, Honesdale. Several other major scenes were also shot in the town, including the indoor scenes.

A couple of scenes, including the one where Cindy, for the first time, broke the news to Dean about her pregnancy, were shot in Brooklyn, New York. It was filmed at the Manhattan Bridge.

Plot Of Blue Valentine (2010) | Cindy And Dean’s Love Story!

The story of Blue Valentine revolves around Dean Pereira, played by Ryan Gosling, and Cindy Heller, played by Michelle Williams. Cindy and Dean meet each other accidentally. Cindy is a college student, whereas Dean does different types of work for different people. The first time they see each other is at an old age home where Cindy’s grandmother lived. Then, later on, they come across each other on a bus.

Soon, they start to hang out and become close friends. Eventually, they fall in love. One day, Cindy informs him that she is pregnant. At first, they panic a bit, but then they decide to get married. They have a beautiful daughter, Frankie. They get a house in a good neighborhood and live a quiet life.

It has been five years since Dean and Cindy got married. She works as a nurse at a nearby clinic, and Dean paints houses. Soon, Cindy realizes that she is no longer happy with Dean and feels suffocated in the relationship. When she confronts Dean about it, they have an intense fight. Later, they decide to compromise and stay together for their daughter, Frankie.

Final Words

If you like to watch intense and mature dramas, then Blue Valentine is the film for you. Those who have already watched it would agree with me. Do not expect this film to be like those typical mainstream Hollywood romantic movies. You would be disappointed. Having said that, if you live in Pennsylvania or in any nearby state, then try to visit the filming spots we mentioned. And also, if you liked reading the article, do let me know in the comments section.