MovieChat Forums > The Ref (1994) Discussion > Old Baybrook, Connecticut?

Old Baybrook, Connecticut?

posted 20 years ago by cobaltcorax
3 replies | jump to latest

One of the reasons this film is so near and dear to my heart is that it takes place in a town called "Old Baybrook, CT". I grew up in Connecticut, in a town called Old Saybrook. I think that the fictional town must have been based off of Old Saybrook for a few reasons -

-The obvious name similarity
-Both are coastal towns
-Both seem to be populated extensively by traditionally upper middle class New Englanders
-Both town symbols (on the police cars and police uniforms in the film) include a lighthouse as the central image

I know it could be coincidence (there's not a lot to go on) but it's always just amused me. Anyone have any idea if the similarities are purposeful?

[–] mloylo 19 years ago

I don't know anything about similarities to "Old Saybrook, CT" but I do know that the movie was filmed in Niagara on the Lake in Ontario, Canada.

[–] beeg02 18 years ago

I remember driving through town (Niagara-on-the-Lake)when they first started shooting this film. They had film trucks every where. They filmed the movie Trapped in Paradise around the same time. Rent both movie and watch them one after the other you'll see Pennsylvania and Connecticut look an awful lot alike or an awful lot like Niagara-on-the-Lake !! haha

[–] missmisschief 18 years ago

I grew up in Old Saybrook also and I always loved the name of the town in the movie, but the town seems more like Madison or somewhere further towards New York. I agree about the town symbols, but the houses seem to be too far away from the water to be the bigger houses in Old Saybrook. I'm not saying that I like the movie any less because of it. I really really love it because Denis Leary is just soo funny.