Carleton on Film

For a school of only around 2000 people, Carleton College is referenced in a surprising amount of popular media. Here are some of Carleton’s most notable references:

Love Always, Santa (2016)

Love Always, Santa is a typical Hallmark movie, except it was set in and filmed right here in Northfield! A widow’s daughter writes a letter to Santa, hoping to have her mother find love again. A struggling writer, writing responses as Santa for his job, answers. Love and inspiration soon blossom. A couple years ago I had a watch party with some friends after we learned this movie was set in Northfield and I think it’s a pretty solid romcom. There’s even a potato gun contest!

Sometimes I like to go to Hideaway and sit in this same spot, pretending that I am in a cozy Hallmark movie.

Honestly, Northfield being in a Hallmark movie makes a lot of sense considering how much small-town charm it has.

D3: The Mighty Ducks (1996)

The final film in the beloved Mighty Ducks trilogy is a comedy-drama in which their old coach has to liven the team’s spirits after their star player quits the team. But more importantly, one of the films was filmed on Carleton’s campus!

The Great Hall holds a ton of events, from Major Declaration Celebration in the spring to serving as the base for Family Weekend in the fall!

Whiplash (2014)

Whiplash is a psychological drama following an aspiring jazz drummer, Andrew Neiman, on his ambitious journey. The first time I watched it, I was not expecting a Carleton reference, so I absolutely squealed in delight when I saw the dinner table scene.

Admittedly, this paints Carleton football in a bad light. However, notice how passionate they are! Varsity sports at Carleton are a great opportunity to get the best of both worlds:  the camaraderie of your team and your peers, as well as rigorous academics! But seriously, students on campus love going to football games.

Honorable Mentions:

Jimmy Chin ’96

Jimmy Chin is a professional mountain climber, film director, skier, and Carleton alum. He is mainly known for Free Solo (2018) and Meru (2015), but if you like these, you’ll like his lesser known work too. He actually started rock climbing at Carleton through CANOE, our outdoors and adventuring club!

Tam Lin (1991)

While this one is not technically a film, I found it on Wikipedia and thought it was interesting. American fantasy author Pamela Dean wrote a contemporary fantasy novel, “Tam Lin”, based on a traditional Scottish story by the same name. In the author’s note, she writes:

“Readers acquainted with Carleton College will find much that is familiar to them in the architecture, landscape, classes, terminology, and general atmosphere of Blackstock. They are earnestly advised that it would be unwise to refine too much upon this. Blackstock is not Carleton.”

This is not the only book set on a version of Carleton’s campus, but I’ll let you discover the other one yourself!

Ronnie (they/she/he) is a senior Biology major from Oak Park, IL. Outside of blogging, she is also an Admissions tour guide and a Student Ambassador for Alumni Relations. You can usually find them in Cowling Gymnasium with the Ballroom Dance Team, practicing for the next competition or chatting with teammates. They also have very strong opinions about food on campus (especially LDC eggs and Burton fried tofu). She is also the commodore of  Carleton’s sailing club and a DJ for KRLX, the student run radio station.