Purple Rain

Prince bade Apollonia to purify herself in the waters of Lake Minnetonka in "Purple Rain," the vehicle which shot him to superstardom, and First Avenue became a national monument. (Credit: Warner Bros.)

Frances McDormand

"No Country for Old Men" won the Coen brothers, of St. Louis Park, their best picture Oscar, but it was their 1996 "Fargo," about a web of crime that goes bloody wrong in and around Minneapolis, which put them on the Academy's radar. (credit: MGM)

Helen Hayes

Helen Hayes won the 1970 best supporting actress Oscar for her performance in "Airport." Today the film gives local viewers the chance to see the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport as it used to look in 1970, in all its tacky glory. (credit: AP)

Grumpy Old Men

credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

heartbreak_kid

An early example of filmmakers choosing Minnesota as a location was the original 1972 "The Heartbreak Kid." (credit: 20th Century Fox)

Mighty_Ducks

The locally-made film that started a franchise (both in film and the world of sports) was "The Mighty Ducks," which filmed in the Twin Cities under the working title "Bombay." (Credit: AP)

A Prairie Home Companion

credit: Warner Brothers

Renowned filmmaker Robert Altman filmed his swan song, 2006's "A Prairie Home Companion," in the Fitzgerald Theater with Garrison Keillor and a trademark ensemble of comically diverse personalities. (Credit: AP)

Mallrats

Kevin Smith's widely-panned follow-up to his indie hit "Clerks" was filmed at the Eden Prairie Center Mall, which may still have been dealing with decreased patronage in the wake of Mall of America's then-recent opening. (credit: Gramercy Pictures)

A Simple Plan

credit: Paramount Pictures

"A Simple Plan," a twisty neo-noir film, was filmed in part in Delano, Minn. Star Billy Bob Thornton was nominated for an Oscar for his performance. (Credit: Paramount Pictures)

NorthCountry

The Iron Range drama "North Country" continued in Minnesota's string of prestigious films that went on to win Academy Award nominations. Stars Charlize Theron and Frances McDormand were both nominated. (McDormand had previously won an Oscar for her performance in "Fargo," filmed in ... youbetcha, Minnesota.) (credit: Warner Bros.)