MovieChat Forums > City of Industry (1997) Discussion > Port Arthur, Texas

Port Arthur, Texas

posted 15 years ago by jtrussell
2 replies | jump to latest

I guess almost everyone who comes from a relatively obscure city or town is somewhat more interested in the movie when their home town is mentioned in a movie; I know that I do.

When Roy was getting ready to depart Rachel's house, he asked her where he could send her share of the money, Rachel's answer was something to the effect, "Port Arthur, Texas ... on the Gulf Coast." Also, near the end of the movie, she is seen outside outside a small house with her kids on a beach (definitely not near Port Arthur, Texas). At the very end of the movie she is talking with someone on the phone and she says in response to a question that she is living in Port Arthur. Without going in to detail, this scene makes it even more clear that the place was not Port Arthur.

The only other times I have heard Port Arthur mentioned has been in movies or documentaries about or relating to Janis Joplin. I have the following question:
Was the mentioning of Port Arthur coincidental, or was there some reason for using the name of this location?

The United States always does the right thing -- after all other alternatives have been exhausted.

[–] cherubalways 11 years ago

I think you're right. Of all places, why Port Arthur, a city known as Joplin's hometown?

[–] angus052394 10 years ago

Especially since she made it clear she was a native Californian, referring to Jorge and her playing in the groves near his grave site when they were kids. Port Arthur is not a particularly inviting place to retire if you have no connections there.

By the way, Jimmy Johnson is also from Port Arthur. He and Janis Joplin were within a year or two of each other in high school, and there are claims that he was one of the football players who disdained her.