Diksha Sundriyal
Netflix’s ‘Don’t Say Good Luck‘ follows the emotional story of a girl called Sophie. She is ecstatic when she lands the lead role in her school’s production of ‘Waitress,’ but at the same time, she discovers her mother’s cancer has returned. Over the course of the film, we find Sophie processing the grief of losing her mother, Elizabeth, to her illness while living through the normal experiences of a teenager. As things get tough at home, Sophie relies on her school, Westridge High, and the play rehearsals to get through it all. The school becomes an important location, and it feels so realistic because the scenes featuring it were filmed at real schools. SPOILERS AHEAD.
The Fictional Westridge High is Filmed at a Real New Jersey School
‘Don’t Say Good Luck’ is a fictional story with made-up locations, such as Westridge High, that tells the coming-of-age story of a teenager. The filming for the movie primarily took place in and around New Jersey, with Ridgewood serving as a major location. For the school, the filmmakers wanted something that could blend modernity with a vintage look, and after much consideration, they chose Ridgewood High School. Located at 627 E Ridgewood Avenue in Ridgewood, New Jersey, it was founded in 1892 and has since remained one of the largest and top public schools in Bergen County.
Ridgewood High has thousands of students from ninth through twelfth grade, who receive a “rigorous academic program with a diverse, comprehensive curriculum.” The school also focuses on several extracurricular programs featuring music, arts, and dance, while providing its students the option to pursue a career in sports through its athletic program. Its beautiful, historical facade was used to film exterior scenes for Westridge High, as we see Sophie arrive at school, briefly distracted from her mother’s worsening health and focused on the play. Apart from Ridgewood High, the film’s production also briefly set up camp at Benjamin Franklin Middle School, located at 335 North Van Dien Avenue in Ridgewood.
Its exteriors were also used to feature certain scenes that add depth to Sophie’s story. At the same time, the school also provided certain interior locations, particularly for the theatre scenes, which became the heart of Sophie’s story. This is where the rehearsals take place, and we see her invest her heart and soul in the play as she strives to be at her best for her mother, who, sadly, is unable to witness the performance. The combination of the two schools, along with several other locations, allowed the film’s creators to present a unique look at Westridge High, focusing on different sides of the school and how it affects Sophie’s life during a particularly challenging time.
Read More: Don’t Say Good Luck Ending Explained: Does Elizabeth Die?
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