Sumith Prasad
Paul Feig’s crime thriller film ‘A Simple Favor’ takes place in the city of Warfield in Connecticut. Life is nothing but ordinary and uneventful in the region, which motivates Stephanie Smothers to form a friendship with the eccentric Emily Nelson. Sean Townsend, who works at Goodell College, soon becomes a part of their connection as Emily’s husband. The setting of Warfield is an integral feature of the movie’s narrative, especially since it sets the contrasting ambiance for the diabolical crimes Emily commits. Considering the region’s significance in the film, it may seem like a real city, but one cannot find the place in the Nutmeg State!
The Real Warfield in A Simple Favor
Warfield is a fictional city conceived by Darcey Bell for ‘A Simple Favor,’ the movie’s source novel. In reality, there are several places named Warfield, not only in North America but also in England. Warfield in Kentucky is a home rule-class city in Martin County with a population of around 269. Warfield in British Columbia is a village located at the bottom of the Rossland hill in West Kootenay. In England, Warfield is a civil parish located in the county of Berkshire. However, none of these regions has any connection to the calm Warfield we encounter in Bell’s book and Paul Feig’s adaptation of the literary work.
Several regions in the province of Ontario stand in for Warfield in the film. Emily’s captivating house is located at 7 Ashley Park Road in Etobicoke rather than Connecticut. Similarly, the scene featuring press reporters questioning Sean Townsend was shot at the Varley Art Gallery in Markham, which is around thirty-five kilometers away from Toronto. Unionville, a former village in Markham, features in several scenes of the crime thriller, including the ones in which Stephanie drives to Warfield Elementary School and Emily shows up at a police station. Ivy Motel in Mississauga also appears in the film as Warfield Deluxe Motel.
Bell must have chosen the fictional Warfield as her novel’s setting because it suits Stephanie’s life. The stay-at-home mom is far removed from engagements in a metropolitan region like Toronto. She even becomes Emily’s friend because she cannot find any other person as her potential companion in her small city, which may not outrightly make sense if her tale is set in a socially active region like Toronto.
The Fictional Goodell College
Like Warfield, Sean’s Goodell College is also fictional. The college we see in the film is the University of Toronto’s University College. In the movie, Sean is a writer and academic who is not relevant anymore. His glorious days are behind him, and such a downfall must also be reflected in his workplace. If he is presented as a professor at the University of Toronto, one of the most prestigious institutions on the continent, his current social state may not be conveyed effectively, which explains the creation of Goodell College.
Similarly, Stephanie and Emily’s children’s Warfield Elementary School doesn’t exist in reality either. The production department used Elmcrest Public School, located at 2620 Chalkwell Close in Mississauga, to shoot the scenes that take place in the fictional institution.
Read More: Is “Hi, Moms! With Stephanie” a Real Vlog? Is Sean Townsend an Actual Writer?
