RHODY READS
Curl up with one of these good books ( or podcast ) with local connections .
BOOKS Fly Girl : A Memoir by Ann Hood West Warwick native Ann Hood reflects on her adventurous years as a TWA flight attendant beginning in 1978 , flying through the start of deregulation , an oil crisis , massive furloughs and a labor strike . As the airline industry begins to change around her , Hood takes note about how her dream job empowered her even through all that challenged her .
Providence by Caroline Kepnes We follow troubled detective Charles “ Eggs ” DeBenedictus as he investigates several unexplained deaths of townies and college students in the novel ’ s namesake city . At the same time , soulmates Jon and Chloe struggle to reconnect in New Hampshire when Jon reappears after being kidnapped four years ago . Equal parts thriller and love story , Providence is set to follow in the footsteps of Kepnes ’ other hit novel , “ You ,” and become a Netflix series .
PODCAST Crimetown Season one of this critically acclaimed serial documentary podcast examines the symbiotic relationship between organized crime and politics in Providence , with special focus on former mayor Buddy Cianci as well as the Patriarca crime family . crimetownshow . com
Rhody in the Spotlight Below are a few movies and a podcast ( plus , a fave television show ) filmed in or about Rhode Island .
FILM & TELEVISION 27 Dresses After being a bridesmaid twenty-seven times , but never the bride , Jane wrestles with the idea of standing by her sister ’ s side … especially as she is marrying the man Jane is secretly in love with . STARRING : Katherine Heigl and James Marsden FILMING LOCATIONS : Rosecliff and Marble House mansions in Newport
Amistad In 1839 , the Amistad sails from Cuba to America carrying African slaves as its cargo , but the captives successfully mutiny , forcing the courts to decide if they are legally free citizens of another country or runaway slaves . STARRING : Anthony Hopkins , Djimon Hounsou , Morgan Freeman and Matthew McConaughey FILMING LOCATIONS : Washington Square and the Colony House in Newport
Dan in Real Life Widower and single father Dan Burns dedicates his life to his kids , but when he finally falls in love again , he discovers the woman is his brother ’ s girlfriend . STARRING : Steve Carell , Juliette Binoche , Dane Cook , Emily Blunt and Dianne Wiest FILMING LOCATIONS : Seven Stars Bakery in Providence , Ocean Avenue in Newport and Misquamicut Beach in Westerly
The Great Gatsby ( 1974 ) Based on the 1925 novel of the same name , The Great Gatsby follows Nick Carraway as he becomes fascinated by the lavish lifestyle and mysterious past of his neighbor , Jay Gatsby , and is drawn into his circle , only to witness obsession and tragedy . STARRING : Robert Redford and Mia Farrow FILMING LOCATIONS : Rosecliff and Marble House mansions in Newport
Me , Myself and Irene A Rhode Island state trooper with multiple personalities is tasked with protecting a woman on the run from her ex-boyfriend and corrupt police officers . STARRING : Jim Carrey and Renee Zellweger FILMING LOCATIONS : Galilee in Narragansett and Narragansett Avenue in Jamestown
Moonrise Kingdom This acclaimed Wes Anderson film tells the story of two young pen pals who fall in love and run away to an isolated beach . STARRING : Bruce Willis , Edward Norton , Bill Murray , Tilda Swinton , Jared Gilman and Kaya Hayward FILMING LOCATIONS : Conanicut Island , Prudence Island , Fort Wetherill and Yawgoog Scout Reservation
“ The Gilded Age ” A period drama set in 1880 ’ s New York of high society and the conflict between new and old systems . STARRING : Christine Baranski , Cynthia Nixon , Louisa Jacobson , Carrie Coon , Morgan Spector FILMING LOCATIONS : Chateau-sur-Mer , the Elms and the Breakers mansions
Hocus Pocus 2 ( Streaming in fall of 2022 ) A sequel to the 1993 film Hocus Pocus , featuring the Sanderson sisters years later in modern-day Salem . STARRING : Bette Midler , Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy FILMING LOCATIONS : Chase Farm in Lincoln , East Side of Providence and Washington Square in Newport
“ Family Guy ” This offbeat cartoon ’ s hometown setting of Quahog , Rhode Island , isn ’ t a real place , but it ’ s still fun to look out for the Rhody-related quirks and exaggerated accents . STARRING : Voices of Seth MacFarlane , Mila Kunis , Seth Green and Alex Borstein
SIZE DOESN ’ T MATTER Rhode Island is pretty tiny , and the rest of the world won ’ t let us forget it ( not that we ’ d want to !). Here ’ s just some of the comparison highlights .
Icebergs In fact , one twice our size broke off of Antarctica in 2020 ; Actual islands The state is a tad smaller than Prince Edward Island in Canada ; Passing and crashing asteroids In 2014 , an asteroid the size of Rhode Island briefly eclipsed one of the brightest stars in the sky , Regulus . Furthermore , the Chesapeake Bay impact crater is about twice as big ; The Grand Canyon According to tour guides , this giant ditch beats out the state by roughly 700 square miles ; Wildfires An area the size of Rhode Island burned in the state of California in 2020 ; Texas The Ocean State could hypothetically comfortably fit inside the Lone Star State more than 200 times if it really wanted to ; Jokes and insults There ’ s too many to list , but to give you an idea , a Red Sox fan might accuse an umpire of having a “ Rhode Island-sized strike zone ” when a Yankees player is up to bat . ◆
GRAPHICS : GETTY IMAGES .
12 RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY ’ S NEWCOMERS ’ GUIDE l 2022