Kumari Shreya
Written and directed by Susannah Grant, ‘Catch and Release’ is a romantic comedy film that tells the story of Gray Wheeler (Jennifer Garner), who receives the shock of her life when her fiancé Grady Douglas passes away a few days before their wedding. Due to financial constraints, she can no longer afford to rent the house the couple was supposed to live in following their wedding. Thus, Gray starts living with Grady’s friends Dennis (Sam Jaeger) and Sam (Kevin Smith).
Grady’s best friend, Fritz (Timothy Olyphant), comes to live temporarily with the three as well, much to Gray’s dislike. As days pass by, Gray is hit with several significant facts about her deceased fiance’s secret life which in turn affects her life. The movie unfurls in the city of Boulder, Colorado, and showcases the beauty and culture of the city. If you are wondering whether the rom-com was filmed on location or elsewhere, we have got you covered!
Catch and Release Filming Locations
Yes, ‘Catch and Release’ is set and also filmed in the city of Boulder in Colorado. Though not extensively, some portion of the shooting took place within the city in July 2005. However, the majority of the movie was shot in Vancouver, British Columbia, where the filming began in March 2005. After the principal photography was completed earlier in the year, some additional scenes were captured within the Canadian city in December 2005. Let’s look closely into the specifics of these filming locations.
Boulder, Colorado
As the movie is set in Boulder, the city naturally makes an appearance in ‘Catch and Release.’ Pearl Street Mall, more commonly known as Pearl Street, is the city’s major cultural and shopping hub. The famous tourist spot was used as the setting for quite a few scenes in the movie, with one of the scenes showcasing the local singers. Angela Lansbury’s 1990 movie ‘The Love She Sought’ was also lensed in this pedestrian mall located between 11th and 15th Streets of the city.
Established in 1923, The Sink is a well-known restaurant within the city, located at 1165 13th Street in the city. The restaurant can be seen in the background when Fritz calls Maureen to tell her about Grady’s passing. The exterior scenes featuring the house where the three live were lensed using a property located at Grant Street between Baseline Road and College Avenue as the backdrop.
Other major locations within the city which were used in production include Silver Saddle Motel, 90 Arapahoe Avenue, where Maureen stays during her visit to Boulder. Similarly, the scene where Ellen Douglas meets her grandson Mattie is lensed at the Boulder Farmers’ Market on 13th Street. In the movie, Sam works at Celestial Seasonings located at 4600 Sleepytime Drive, which also appears in the establishing shot.
The production team was delighted to work in the city. In particular, Jennifer Garner expressed her happiness with the place and the people of Boulder. “The extras brought their kids, they brought their instruments and sang, they climbed rock walls – it was incredible,” Jennifer described. “Everyone went out of their way for us – they couldn’t have been better.”
Vancouver, British Columbia
Though the film takes place in Boulder, the majority of the movie’s production took place in the port city of Vancouver. The British Columbian city has served as the filming site for several movies and television shows, including ‘Catch and Release.’ Using the movie magic, multiple scenes shot in Vancouver were made to look like they are set in Boulder. This includes the scene where Grady’s mother, Ellen Douglas (Fiona Shaw), asks for Gray’s engagement ring back as it is a family heirloom. Despite the scene being set on the Boulder Creek Bike Path, it was actually captured in Vancouver.
Another significant scene featuring Gray and Ellen was shot at the Lost Lagoon in Stanley Park, Vancouver. The scene shows both the women on the lakeside, once again talking about the engagement ring. The lake can also be seen in a few episodes of the Canadian television series ‘Da Vinci’s Inquest.’
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