Sometimes a film location can be so fantastic it can make a so-so flick a pleasure to watch. Ideally we’d love a thought-provoking plotline but for us, a dreamy home can be just as much of an escape. A stunning location, cutting-edge architecture, and perhaps a handsome homeowner—we have enough to write our own fairytale. Though no matter how much of a role houses plays in film, they’re the only stars that don’t make it into the opening credits. In their honor, we’ve gathered the most inspiring, breathtaking, fantasy-inducing homes of the movies. Drum roll please...
Something’s Gotta Give (2003)
This gorgeous home turns the traditional cottage style of a Hamptons home (wood shingles, white trim work, French doors) into an expansive, elegant beachside estate. The space is one that’s both gorgeous and livable, and one whose architecture and decoration have been much copied and referenced since its debut in 2003, making it one of the most notable movie dream spaces. The movie couples a past-his-prime womanizer (Jack Nicholson) with a successful independent playwright and divorcée (Diane Keaton), and it definitely fits the bill, providing the perfect setting to stir up an unlikely romance.
Sabrina (1995)
This modern remake of the 1954 original pairs a butler’s daughter (Julia Ormond) and his employer’s overworked son (Harrison Ford). Most of the scenes are set in the exquisite “Larrabee Mansion,” which is actually a famous Long Island, New York, estate and the former home of J.P. Morgan’s son. Built in the style of an English manor house, featuring ivy-covered stone, nine perfectly positioned dormers, and lush formal and informal gardens, it’s the perfect setting for this improbable society romance.
Under the Tuscan Sun (2003)
In this charming romantic comedy, a divorced writer (Diane Lane) purchases a villa on a whim while on vacation in Italy and begins an extensive renovation. And when you take a look at this home, it’s not hard to see why. An actual 300-year-old house in Italy, with overgrown foliage, salmon-colored stucco, and a classic tiled roof—it has irresistible Tuscan charm. Plus, who hasn’t had this dream of transplanting to Europe, at least once?
Stepmom (1998)
In the classic late ’90s tearjerker Stepmom, a terminally ill mother (Susan Sarandon) struggles in her turbulent relationship with her ex-husband’s new, younger wife (Julia Roberts). This traditional Victorian home located in upstate New York not only amps up the contrast between Sarandon and Roberts (who lives in an urban Manhattan loft) but all plotlines aside—with its wraparound porch, quaint dormers, and masses of windows—it’s a warm and cozy house that just begs us to come home.
To see the rest of the top ten movie homes, visit PointClickHome.com, and tell us which is your favorite!