You might not be aware of it, but the patio has been a key supporting player in many famous and beloved movies, and rightly so; few places can evoke a mood and ambiance with quite the same finesse as a stylish patio environment.
For a Tim Burton film, you wouldn’t expect the scenery to play a major role, but the garden patio for the castle in Edward Scissorhands was a spectacular scene stealer.
The incredible topiary and fantastical sculptures were a hidden treasure in this heartwarming film that demonstrated the depth and strength of the human spirit even in the midst of punishing anguish.
Depp was one freaky gardener.
The Godfather features the unforgettable opening scene of Costanza Corleone’s wedding, a lavish outdoor summer affair in 1940’s Italian American splendor.
An outdoor patio is also the scene of Michael’s final conversation with Don Corleone after he becomes Head of the Family, and is warned by his father to beware the traitor among them.
It’s also where Vito shuffles off this mortal coil while playing with his grandson.
One of my all time favorites is the banquet scene in Sherwood Forest from Warner Brothers classic Robin Hood starring the incomparable Errol Flynn and the enchanting Olivia de Havilland.
Watching them fall in love during the sumptuous feast amid Sherwood’s ancient Oaks is magical; they just don’t make them like that anymore.
But hands down the best patio movie moments of all time have to be the scenes of Billy Pilgrim on Tralfamadore, the distant planet of shapeless voyeur aliens from Slaughterhouse Five, the 1972 film of Kurt Vonnegut’s beloved science fiction novel of a trippy time traveling immortal who happens to be a mild mannered optometrist and survivor of a World War 2 German prisoner of war camp.
Not to give too much away, but the geodesic Buckminster Fuller inspired dome canopy and its minimalist furniture set a far out mood that made these scenes pop.
So next time you’re at the movies, take a moment to see if there’s a memorable patio scene someone thought important enough to include in the film; it just might be the one you think of when you hear someone mention the movie.
