Almost Whidbey & Camano Islands

Movies that weren’t actually filmed on Whidbey or Camano, but certainly give you the island vibe!

Double Jeopardy
This crime thriller from 1999 stars Ashley Judd and Tommy Lee Jones; featuring some chilling moments and an interstate chase. The bulk of the movie takes place in Washington State and Whidbey Island is prominently featured, but in name only. In fact, most of the “Washington” locations were actually filmed in British Columbia, Canada. Still, it’s a thrill to hear Whidbey referred to by name on the big screen by such big stars! Look out for the very grand version of Island County Courthouse about 17 minutes in, which looks more like it belongs in Olympia than Coupeville. At the 43-minute mark when Libby (Judd) breaks into a school to find Angela’s new address, it’s listed as Langley. And when Libby makes a dangerous escape from Travis (Jones), anyone who’s familiar with ferry riding will see there’s a bit of an error with the way the cars have loaded and how this escape goes down!

The Last Mimzy
This family-friendly adventure fantasy from 2007 also sees Whidbey Island mentioned a lot throughout, but with B.C. location credits. Some brief moments were filmed in Seattle, where the children in the movie live with their parents in Queen Anne. Locals may notice that when the family goes to their beach house on Whidbey 6 ½ minutes into the movie, the ferry leaves from downtown Seattle rather than Mukilteo or Port Townsend as in reality. It makes for a pretty view as they depart, but if the ferry they ride seems slightly unfamiliar it’s because it was filmed on a Canadian ferry, with a prop life ring reading “Whidbey Island – Seattle” to give the audience a visual clue where the characters are headed. The island introduces intriguing elements of the paranormal into the kids’ lives, and a loveable teacher (Seattle-born Rainn Wilson) and his fiancé (not-quite-famous-yet Kathryn Hahn) help them get to the bottom of their newfound powers.

Captain Fantastic
This heartwarming coming-of-age story from 2016 features Viggo Mortensen as an unconventional father raising his six kids in the wilderness with strong survival skills and high-level educations. The family’s home is deep in the woods of the Pacific Northwest, and the movie features breathtaking views of real Washington mountains, forests, and coastlines. Although none of it is filmed on Whidbey Island, there is a very memorable celebration near the end of the movie that was filmed looking out over the waters of Deception Pass from the other side. From 1:42:48 to 1:46:53, Rosario Beach plays a pivotal location.