Escanaba in da Moonlight
Encyclopedia
Escanaba in da Moonlight ("da" is Yooper
for "the") is a 2001
movie starring Jeff Daniels
. It is a comedy about hunting and hunting traditions and is set (and filmed) in the Escanaba, Michigan
area. The movie is the film adaptation of the play of the same name, which premiered at Jeff Daniels'
Purple Rose Theatre
in Chelsea, Michigan
.
), brother Remnar (Joey Albright) and Jimmy "the Jimmer" Negamanee from Menominee
(Wayne David Parker). If Reuben, now 43, doesn't manage to shoot a buck by the end of the season, he will become the oldest Soady in recorded history not to have achieved this task, a taboo that leads people in the community to believe he is jinx
ed.
Reuben breaks with tradition, taking advice from his Native American
wife Wolf Moon Dance (Kimberly Norris), who offers him spiritual remedies involving a drink made with moose testicles and porcupine urine to protect him from evil spirits. After various unexplainable phenomena, they meet a DNR
officer, Tom T. Treado (Randall Godwin), who claims to have literally seen God on the ridge.
At various times, Reuben, Jimmer, and ranger Tom all get possessed by spirits. Eventually, Reuben runs out into the cold wearing only his long underwear and a hat, and finds himself face-to-face with his dead great-grandfather Alphonse, who guides him to shooting a buck sent for him by the spirits. Reuben returns triumphantly.
(slang reference to the U.P. or Upper Pennisula of Michigan) and broader Michigan culture. Some references are obscure to viewers unfamiliar with this culture and might be considered in-jokes.
Some examples include:
Yooper dialect
Yooper is a form of North Central American English mostly spoken in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, which gives the dialect its name...
for "the") is a 2001
2001 in film
The year 2001 in film involved some significant events, including the first of the Harry Potter series and also the first of The Lord of the Rings trilogy...
movie starring Jeff Daniels
Jeff Daniels
Jeffrey Warren "Jeff" Daniels is an American actor, musician and playwright. He founded a non-profit theatre company, the Purple Rose Theatre Company, in his home state of Michigan...
. It is a comedy about hunting and hunting traditions and is set (and filmed) in the Escanaba, Michigan
Escanaba, Michigan
Escanaba is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan, located in the banana belt on the state's Upper Peninsula. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 13,140, making it the third-largest city in the Upper Peninsula after Marquette and Sault Ste. Marie...
area. The movie is the film adaptation of the play of the same name, which premiered at Jeff Daniels'
Jeff Daniels
Jeffrey Warren "Jeff" Daniels is an American actor, musician and playwright. He founded a non-profit theatre company, the Purple Rose Theatre Company, in his home state of Michigan...
Purple Rose Theatre
Purple Rose Theatre Company
The Purple Rose Theatre Company was founded by Jeff Daniels in 1991. Originally known as the Garage Theatre, 'The Rose' takes its name from Woody Allen's 1985 film The Purple Rose of Cairo starring Daniels...
in Chelsea, Michigan
Chelsea, Michigan
Chelsea is a city in Washtenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 4,398 at the 2000 census, at which time it was a village....
.
Plot
Reuben Soady (Daniels) goes to the hunting camp cottage, otherwise known as deer camp, with his father Albert (played by Harve PresnellHarve Presnell
Harve Presnell was an American actor and singer. He began his career in the mid 1950s as a classical baritone, singing with orchestras and opera companies throughout the United States...
), brother Remnar (Joey Albright) and Jimmy "the Jimmer" Negamanee from Menominee
Menominee, Michigan
Menominee is a city in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 9,131. It is the county seat of Menominee County. Menominee is the fourth-largest city in the Upper Peninsula, behind Marquette, Sault Ste. Marie, and Escanaba...
(Wayne David Parker). If Reuben, now 43, doesn't manage to shoot a buck by the end of the season, he will become the oldest Soady in recorded history not to have achieved this task, a taboo that leads people in the community to believe he is jinx
Jinx
A jinx, in popular superstition and folklore, is:* A type of curse placed on a person that makes them prey to many minor misfortunes and other forms of bad luck;...
ed.
Reuben breaks with tradition, taking advice from his Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
wife Wolf Moon Dance (Kimberly Norris), who offers him spiritual remedies involving a drink made with moose testicles and porcupine urine to protect him from evil spirits. After various unexplainable phenomena, they meet a DNR
Michigan Department of Natural Resources
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is the agency of the state of Michigan charged with maintaining natural resources such as state parks, state forests, and recreation areas. It is governed by a director appointed by the Governor and accepted by the Natural Resources Commission...
officer, Tom T. Treado (Randall Godwin), who claims to have literally seen God on the ridge.
At various times, Reuben, Jimmer, and ranger Tom all get possessed by spirits. Eventually, Reuben runs out into the cold wearing only his long underwear and a hat, and finds himself face-to-face with his dead great-grandfather Alphonse, who guides him to shooting a buck sent for him by the spirits. Reuben returns triumphantly.
Yooper/Michigan Culture
A significant portion of the movie involves references to elements of "Yooper"Upper Peninsula of Michigan
The Upper Peninsula of Michigan is the northern of the two major land masses that make up the U.S. state of Michigan. It is commonly referred to as the Upper Peninsula, the U.P., or Upper Michigan. It is also known as the land "above the Bridge" linking the two peninsulas. The peninsula is bounded...
(slang reference to the U.P. or Upper Pennisula of Michigan) and broader Michigan culture. Some references are obscure to viewers unfamiliar with this culture and might be considered in-jokes.
Some examples include:
- Pasties -- the traditional foodstuff at the Soady deer camp, and food commonly associated with Yooper culture
- Leinenkugel BeerJacob Leinenkugel Brewing CompanyThe Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company is a regional American beermaker based in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, United States. Leinenkugel is mainly distributed in the Upper Midwest, but is available in limited quantities throughout the United States...
-- Remnar brings a case to deer camp, a reminder of Escanaba's close proximity to WisconsinWisconsinWisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
, where Leinenkugel is produced - Mackinac BridgeMackinac BridgeThe Mackinac Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Straits of Mackinac to connect the non-contiguous Upper and Lower peninsulas of the U.S. state of Michigan. Opened in 1957, the bridge is the third longest in total suspension in the world and the longest suspension bridge between anchorages...
-- simply referred to as "the Bridge" throughout the film, the bridge that connects Michigan's peninsulas - Mackinac Island FudgeMackinac IslandMackinac Island is an island and resort area covering in land area, part of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located in Lake Huron, at the eastern end of the Straits of Mackinac, between the state's Upper and Lower Peninsulas. The island was home to a Native American settlement before European...
-- Albert refers to tourists from the Lower Peninsula of MichiganMichiganMichigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
as "those fudgesuckers," a reference to the fudge made on Mackinac Island, a considerable draw for tourism from within the state - The Superior State -- used a few times to refer to the film's location; although a nickname for the state of Michigan as a whole, Superior is also the name of a once-proposed 51st state formed from the Upper Peninsula and, in some iterations, parts of Wisconsin
- US-41 -- an old shield for this highway hangs on the wall in the Soady cabin; an important north-south highway in the western to central U.P.
- Pictured Rocks National LakeshorePictured Rocks National LakeshorePictured Rocks National Lakeshore is a U.S. National Lakeshore on the shore of Lake Superior in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, United States. It extends for 42 miles along the shore and covers...
-- mentioned briefly