Movie Lighthouses: Sheringham Point (Vancouver)

This is amusing. As I was perusing movies that feature (no matter how small) lighthouses, I was delighted to see one of my very favorite movies on the list:  DOUBLE JEOPARDY with Ashley Judd and Tommy Lee Jones. Really a big favorite. There are many scenes in and around water, so I thought, sure, there must be a lighthouse there somewhere, although I didn’t remember seeing one.

So rather than be counterfeit, I decided I should at least identify the section of the film where the lighthouse appears. I didn’t have time to watch the whole film as I’m busier than a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. So I did the next best thing: scanned through it on double speed, watching for the lighthouse. The first half of the film takes place on Whidbey Island, in and around Vancouver Island, and in the prison where Judd’s character is incarcerated. I carefully scanned, then actually watched, all the water scenes to no avail. No lighthouse. The second half of the film centers on Colorado and New Orleans, but Sheringham would not be found there!

Out of time, I gave up, and just for safe measure, put the film in reverse one last time. Imagine my shock when I almost escaped noticing the VERY FIRST FRAME of the film, after the black screen that follows the “Paramount” logo, as  the music begins … a gorgeous landscape shot of Sheringham Point at dusk, on the south coast of Vancouver Island. The first time I started the DVD, the player on my laptop just skipped it. Started on the next frame, which is a beach scene with a fence traversing it.

Here is a link to a beautiful image: http://www.pbase.com/mgrove/image/87613912

Can’t believe the film is already ten years old. Great plot, great acting, wonderful “American” scenery. From the Washington ferries to the New Orleans Mardi Gras. Well worth a second viewing. And don’t miss the lighthouse!