It was a fun filled two days following in the footsteps of Robert Downey, Jr. and the all-star cast of “The Judge.” First stop – the historic village of Shelburne Falls located along the scenic Mohawk Trail in Massachusetts.
The Village of Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts
We loved the setting and wrote about the colorful Bridge of Flowers at Shelburne Falls and …
the rapidly flowing Deerfield River as it swept over the Salmon Falls and the Glacial Potholes.
Filming “The Judge” with Robert Downey, Jr. in Shelburne Falls
As we drove along the tree lined streets of Shelburne Falls, we couldn’t help but notice that the town had been magically transformed into the fictional town of “Carlinville.”
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We saw banners along the road proclaiming we were in Carlinville, the name temporarily given to this sleepy little town supposedly somewhere in the state of Indiana for the filming of “The Judge.”
We were told by the residents of Shelburne Falls that the front of the Salmon Falls Artisans Showroom had been transformed into “The Flying Deer Diner,” to portray the diners exterior scenes so we headed over there to take a look. Interior shots of this diner were being filmed inside the former Mole Hollow Candle Co. building overlooking the Salmon Falls. The bright lights in the building across the way is the filming crew at work.
Take a trip to Carlinville!
Carlinville, established in 1843, (aka Shelburne Falls) has unique shops, art gallery, diners, the bridge of flowers, and very beautiful scenery. Take a trip and say you’ve been where they filmed The Judge, staring Robert Downey Jr!
And all of this magical transformation of the village of Shelburne Falls was for the sole purpose of filming “The Judge,” Robert Downey, Jr’s latest movie.
The Salmon Falls was flowing with an unbelievable force and we couldn’t help but stop at an overlook and watch as the crew set up for filming.
There were signs of the filming crew all over Shelburne Falls but unfortunately we were unable to catch a glimpse of any of the cast members that day.
Filming “The Judge” with Robert Downey, Jr. in Sunderland, MA
So…on to the town of Sunderland, Massachusetts where we were told filming would continue the following day.
We arrived in the town of Sunderland the next day and quickly saw the tell tale signs of the filming crew. The parking lot of one of the churches was set up as a staging area for some of the trucks and crew. In this situation in any small town it’s not hard to find out what’s going on and where the celebrities can be found. We headed to the nearest convenience store and sure enough we were able to get the low-down on the days happenings and precisely where we could find Robert Downey, Jr. and the cast of “The Judge.”
From what we were told, filming that morning was taking place about a mile down the road near a local farm stand called Smiarowski; so off we went, snacks in hand for a much needed supply of energy! Driving down the little country road in pursuit of Robert Downey, Jr. and the cast of “The Judge,” we became a little impatient of the farming truck in front of us loaded with pigs. He seemed to be going way too slow but we soon realized that this farming truck was part of the filming for the movie! How cool is that? The tell tale signs? The strangely out of place Indiana license plate on the truck and the pigs…the pigs were way too clean!
Arriving at Smiarowski’s farm stand was a sight to be seen. The parking area was loaded with crew members, trucks, trailers and special filming equipment.
There was an awesome black Porsche Cayenne camera car fully equipped with camera equipment to film the actors while they drove along side them in another car. There were also two identical cars mounted on a trailer towed by another vehicle for filming scenes while the actors drove down the road.
We spent quite some time at this farm stand location because we were told Robert Downey, Jr. had been seen here earlier in the day mingling with the crowd and we were hoping to get a glimpse of him and some of the cast.
As we were about to move on to another location the road in front of us was blocked by the crew as they began to film a scene. This is where the truck with the pigs was used traveling along a beautiful country road with open farm land on the sides. There was also a farmer driving a large tractor down the road. After the scene was shot, the road was open again and we saw the farmer and the tractor pulled to the side of the road. Very cool to follow right behind the shooting of this movie!
All in all this was a fan-tastic way to spend two days in rural Massachusetts. The weather was great, the scenery was amazing and we have memories we won’t soon forget. We chased Robert Downey, Jr. and the cast and crew of “The Judge” from Shelburne Falls to Sunderland, Massachusetts and… we can’t wait to see the movie!
Shelburne Falls is a quaint little village that we really enjoyed visiting. It made the perfect setting for the filming of “The Judge.” Needless to say we waited with great anticipation for the movie to debut and when it did we were not disappointed; we loved it!
Lodging in the Shelburne Falls area – Booking.com
Sunderland is a 30 minute drive SouthEast of Shelburne Falls.
We’d like to hear from you!
Have you seen the movie “The Judge” or are you planning on seeing it? Let us know your thoughts on the movie in the comments below – thanks!
What a wonderful movie with a great cast. I am from West Springfield, MA. The bridge of flowers was one of my mom’s favorites but I didn’t recognize any of it until I watched the credits. This movie made me homesick for family, friends and all the unresolved issues that life entails.
I especially liked the soundtrack. I thought I heard Willie Nelson at the end. This movie should have won some awards. I can’t believe I finally found this movie after 9 years, better late than never.
The Judge quickly became one of my favorite films–fantastic performances by Robert Downey Jr. Robert Duvall and Vincent D’Onofrio. I’ll watch almost anything with Downey in it! Also, Shelburne Falls is about 20 min. from where I live (Greenfield). It was kind of weird to have this be set in in Indiana (???), with the hills and waterfalls. But I love the films made in and around the CT River Valley, such as Malice, Labor Day…and dating all the way back to Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf. Another neat thing about this film was that my husband saw D’Onofrio in the local supermarket and wanted to say something, so he just quoted a line from Men in Black: “Edgar, your skin’s hangin’ off yer bones!” The actor just looked confused! My husband froze, I guess.
Definitely visit Shelburne Falls if you get a chance, but try a road trip up Rte. 112 or Rte 2, into the Berkshires for more great scenery and interesting towns.
I have loved this movie for several years for many reasons, mostly bc I’m in love with Downey Jr’s whip smart dialogue and ass-hole character with a heart of gold; but also for Duvall’s portrayal of the mirror image father by whom he was raised. Both wonderful actors & performances. However I was disappointed in the schmaltzy scenery which was CLEARLY NOT Indiana. My parents are fr IN & IL, & I went to college in IN, and there are no giant waterfalls and blessed few rolling hills in the most fertile (& flat!) farmland in the nation. There are SOOO many truly beautiful rural settings in IN (covered bridges, green agriculture to the horizon, etc), I wish the movie’s setting was as authentic and true as its actors were to their characters.
I just watched The Judge on HBO last night (6/26/2020) & had no idea that it was portrayed to be in Indiana! I was born & raised in Evansville IN & it was so cool to see the “Evansville Airport” (which isn’t 2-stories…?) and hear “Evansville” & “Vanderburgh “ (our county) mentioned. Some of the scenes looked like roads I’ve been on & restaurants on the river I’ve eaten in. While Evansville is on the Ohio River, I’m very familiar with the Wabash. But the waterfall in the movie threw me off which is why I googled The Judge this a.m. & found out it was mostly filmed in MA. I loved the movie & couldn’t believe all of the well-known actors/actresses who were in it…and how spot-on Hoosiers from a little town in Indiana were depicted…?.
We took great care in getting it right. So glad you enjoyed the film.
I don’t know much about Hoosiers other than the film “Breaking Away”. That no-hands bicycle ride Robert Downey takes along a road through the corn fields reminded me of Dennis Christopher riding to Bloomington for practice in the Little Indy 500! Also, the people were definitely different, accent-wise, their clothing and the small-town, everybody-knows-everybody else vibe, than the real people of Shelburne Falls, who are more artsy, old-hippie, hipster-type.Also, Mass. folks tend to keep to themselves more–a taciturn attitude. Kudos on getting the Midwestern “feel”!
I think it’s Netflix that’saking us all discover this movie and search for it’s filming locations. As you said, beautiful movie, beautiful locations, beautiful soundtrack.
Where can I see The Judge, the movie?
It’s available for rent or purchase on Prime. Also, I believe you can purchase a preowned copy on ebay.
Does anyone know where the lake is in the movie or the cemetery? Just wondering.
My husband and I love Shelbourne Falls. We go there once a year when in the area.
The lake was out near Plymouth. The cemetery was on the hill above Shelburne Falls.
The cemetery is called the Arms Cemetery and is just north of Route 2, where you would otherwise turn left (south) to head into Shelburne Falls at Route 112. It’s a lovely place for a walk.
Enjoyed the movie. I wish Indiana wasn’t charging so much to film the movie there. I know there are plenty of great locations. I like to visit Shelburne Falls. I think the owner of the shop should have kept it as a dinner, nice goldmine.
there is a really good restaurant now in that building you wont be disappointing
Absolutely the best film i’ve seen in years!!!. Robert Duvall HAS GOT to get an for this, and Robert Downey Jr has allways been fenominal, but never like in this film. Great respect to both.
We loved the movie too and thought the performances of both Robert Duval and Robert Downey, Jr. were exceptional. Being able to witness the filming of the movie The Judge made it even more special for us to watch!
I loved this movie, but I kept thinking, this is not Indiana. I got out my google map and looked up Metamora (a similar beautiful place), but I didn’t see a falls. I really think if you are going to say it’s Indiana then it should be Indiana. Indiana is beautiful (and not full of all that corn!).
Good movie, nice acting, editing, etc. My only disappointment was that
The Flying Deer Diner is really a former candle co. I was looking forward
to having a meal while enjoying the river and falls.
I agree…the movie was good but a meal at the diner while enjoying the river and falls would have been something to look forward to!
Shelburne Falls is an area I visit several times a year. Live in Dalton Ma. Home of Crane Paper Makers-currency paper makers. As far as the falls in Shelburne their is an area where you can sit and see the glacial potholes and the falls that were in the movie= the falls anyways. Great town to visit. The Village Diner serves up home made cooking. If pizza is your thing, then Buckland Pizza across the bridge is for you. Nice way to spend a day checking out the towns connected by the bridge that was in the movie.
Thanks for the information. It’s always good to hear from someone that’s familiar with the area. Shelburne Falls is a great place to visit, so scenic and full of history. We were especially lucky to visit during Robert Downey, Jr.’s filming of “The Judge”. We can’t wait to go back!
Hi, I am from Indiana, I knew I had never seen the place. So I found this website. I liked the fall. The picture reminded me of my home Indiana, but wish the waterfall was here too. Very pretty waterfall. Great Movie. Why was it rated R? It was really a pretty clean movie. Must have been the scene when the Judge got sick.
Hi Sharon! Looks like Hollywood didn’t get away with fooling many viewers when they filmed The Judge in Massachusetts and depicted it as a town in Indiana. But, the setting was impressive and just what they were looking for so Shelburne Falls won for the filming location. As far as the R rating, from what I have read it was due to the language in the film.
My husband and I are from Kentucky and were ready to head to Indiana to visit this place until I Googled and saw that it was a fictional place made just for the movie. Was really disappointed. The movie was great!
Hi, Kim! Sorry about your disappointment in finding out The Judge wasn’t really filmed in Indiana but, if you have the chance to visit Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts when the falls are roaring and the flowers are blooming I’m sure you will love seeing the location where the movie was really filmed. We wrote a review with pictures of Shelburne Falls that you can read here. And I agree, it was a great movie!
I just saw the movie and loved it. A friend called me to tell me that many of the exterior shots were filmed in my home town, Shelburne Falls, Ma. What a thrill it was to see the bridge I used to walk over every day to go to high school ( Arms Academy ). The stone fire tower and aerial shots were great. Also, Memorial Hall was the place we all went to see a double feature on Sat. afternoons for 15 cents !!! I still have a cousin living in Shelburne. The movie was great in a super location. Thank you.
What a great story, thanks for sharing. I’m sure it was excititng to see the locations that you are so familiar with in this great film!
Loved the film. I’m from Iowa, but I have been to Shelburne Falls about a half-dozen times for weaving lessons in the area. I knew I recognized the falls and bridge in the scenes from the film. Hadn’t read about film locale in advance, so it was a wonderful confirmation to see that I was right when we saw the credits at the end of the film. Truly one of the best films I’ve seen in a long time. I was most recently in Shelburne Falls last summer with my husband on our way back from rug hooking lessons in Vermont. We made a special trip to the town for breakfast air a local diner on our long drive back to Iowa. We made sure to visit the bridge of flowers that were especially lovely on that beautiful late June day when we stopped by. Bought some lovely pottery at Molly Kantor’s studio shop,too.
The falls are really getting a lot of attention in The Judge film. Not only are people saying they loved the movie but they also loved the amazing view of the falls too. I think Shelburne Falls was the perfect place to film this great movie. We have only visited the area and the Bridge of Flowers once but we will be back for sure. Sounds like you are true fans of Shelburne Falls too!
Loved the movie and was mesmerized every time the falls were in a scene. Can`t wait to visit and thrilled to know it`s right here in our own state.
So happy to hear you loved the movie. I know it’s even more special when it’s filmed in your own state. It was June when we visited Shelburne Falls and The Judge was being filmed. At that time the river was flowing with an incredible force over the falls making the scenes in the movie even more beautiful. Enjoy your visit to Shelburne Falls, it’s really a nice place to visit.
I was in The Judge (the trial scenes), what an awesome experience. Unfortunately I did not do any scenes in beautiful Shelburne Falls, but my husband and I are going to take a day trip to visit the area. The movie is fantastic, great story, wonderful dynamics. I think it is Oscar worthy.
Sunny Duane
What a fantastic experience to actually be part of the filming of The Judge! I’m sure you and your husband will enjoy your day trip to Shelburne Falls, especially after being a part of the movie. I’m especially happy to hear that the movie is getting such rave reviews…I’m hoping for an Oscar award myself!!
If the movie is suppose to be set in Indiana
why was it filmed in Mass?
According to David Dobkin, the director of “The Judge,” he was looking for a location that matched the film’s star-power and something that felt emotional to him. He found Indiana too expensive to shoot the film and it didn’t match his vision for the fictitious Carlinville. Although Georgia offered the best tax incentives he said it did not have the vibe he felt in Shelburne Falls. He also said the beauty and charm of Shelburne Falls made it a shoe-in for the filming locale of “The Judge.” After visited Shelburne Falls myself I would have to say I agree!
My lady friend went to see this afternoon Oct.14,2014.
GREAT MOVIE.She cried at the end.
Because I have traveled a little,I knew we were not in
Indiana (Kansas LOL).
I had to know where,that is how I wound up here.
LOL…so true we are not in Indiana (Kansas LOL) anymore! And I’m happy to hear that you found “The Judge” to be a GREAT MOVIE!
I just saw this GREAT movie tonight and had no idea it was filmed in beautiful Shelburne Falls until the credits rolled at the end. I have spend many years going there to visit my brother and his family who have a farm just minutes outside of town over the past 25 years. I have been there enough to recogonize the bridge scenes and in particular I told my husband the resturant scenes which reminded me of the falls that careen over the glacial potholes as I was watching the movie HAD to be taken from the Mole candle store. I love it when I’m right! A very nice facelift indeed to the Artisian Mall on the hill especially after the town had such a devastating loss with the East coast hurricane a few years ago. Bravo!
How nice that you have spent so many years visiting Shelburne Falls and were able to recognize many of the scenes in “The Judge.” We found it to be such a beautiful area and understand completely why director David Dobkin fell in love with it and knew immediately that this setting was what he had envisioned for the fictitious town of Carlinville, Indiana. I watched videos of Hurricane Irene that passed through there in 2011 and can’t believe the devastation it caused. It’s amazing to see the town recovered so well, Bravo indeed!! Glad you liked the movie too 🙂
A great film. Seemed like it was happening to you. Don’ miss it,
A great movie can make you feel like you’re part of the movie, not just watching a movie. I’m glad this one made you feel that way, thanks for your input.
With such loss from the East Coast Hurricane…I believe the Flying Deer Diner is a great idea and people would flock there to eat! I too googled the restaurant in “The Judge” and was prepared to make a special jouney from Nashville just for dinner! Such a gorgeous romantic spot!
The diner scene in “The Judge” seems to have made a lot of people wish to visit the diner in person and disappointed when they find out that the diner was simply a shop transformed for the movie. Maybe the current shop owners should consider opening a diner at that spot! I know I would go there to enjoy a meal, and just think of the wonderful movie paraphernalia they could decorate the diner with!
As a Hoosier, I wasn’t familiar with the setting at all. At first I thought it must be Madison, Ind, but couldn’t remember a falls being there. Madison would’ve been a great location for this movie though. Kind of bothers me that it was filmed in MA rather than Indiana. Good movie. Acting was great. I would’ve changed the ending though. Having worked for a Judge many years ago in a small town in Indiana, I know that the Judge, especially an ill one who sat on the bench for 40 yrs, would’ve been protected. This would’ve been an accident, pure and simple. Also, if he was convicted, he would’ve been given the same sentence he gave the young man the first time he convicted him. 30 days. Maybe 4 years with all but 30 days suspended. Later!
Your thoughts are interesting on the ending of The Judge. It was a great movie and very thought provoking as well. Thanks for your input.