Quick Visits are brief capsules on current movies, TV shows, travel tips, and travel news.
Out on DVD this week, “21″ is the real-life-inspired story of MIT undergraduates and a professor who take on a high-rolling, card-counting life in Vegas. Kevin Spacey, Kate Bosworth, Jim Sturgess, and Laurence Fishburne headline.
South Street Diner, Boston
We were in Boston a few weeks ago and a friend pointed out a diner near South Station as the place where college students go when the bars close, with a good crowd and relatively affordable late-night prices. When watching “21,” we spotted it as an exterior shot. Much of the blackjack team’s planning takes place in Boston, and in this particular scene, the group discusses operational strategy in the diner. We doubt that the diner – and Kneeland Street outside – would ever be so empty in real life.
The diner advertises its involvement in the film on its web site. The diner is easily accessible from South Station, which has city T, Amtrak, and bus service. Pancakes start at $8, and if you’re a college kid spending $20 or more, you get a free T-shirt.
While most of the other Boston scenes take place at MIT, the Boston University independent student newspaper reported that the movie was actually filmed on BU’s campus. The university also receives a thank-you in the credits.
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