Deepra Sarkar
Also titled ‘I Saw a Man with Yellow Eyes,’ ‘Fear of Rain’ is a psychological thriller film that features Katherine Heigl, Madison Iseman, Israel Broussard, Eugenie Bondurant, and Harry Connick Jr as its main cast. The film depicts the tale of a girl, Rain Burroughs (Iseman), who is living with schizophrenia. Terrifying hallucinations often define her episodes, and things take a dangerous turn when she begins to suspect that her neighbor is involved with a child’s abduction. She confides her suspicions to a boy named Caleb (Broussard), and he is the only person who seems to believe her.
But Rain is not entirely sure that Caleb exists and doubts if he is just a figment of her imagination. Moreover, Rain’s skeptical parents also seem to be hiding some dark secrets of their own. The Hitchcockian-type thriller is dotted with disturbing scenes as the director-writer of the film, Castille Landon, researched thoroughly to portray various aspects of schizophrenia in the most truthful yet artful manner. As part of that effort, the locations used in the film also play an important role in contributing to the narrative. If you are curious about the filming locations, we might have the answers for you.
Fear of Rain Filming Locations
Principal photography commenced in April 2019 across Florida’s Tampa Bay in Tampa and St. Petersburg. An Instagram post from the cinematographer indicated that the production for the movie wrapped up in May 2019. The film went into post-production in November 2019. The locations used within the film have been detailed here.
Tampa, Florida
Tampa lies on Tampa Bay in Florida along the Gulf of Mexico. It is the county seat and the largest city of Hillsborough County. A substantial majority (almost 80%) of ‘Fear of Rain’ was filmed in and around Tampa. According to local sources, many locations used in the film were private, but filming also took place on specific public properties throughout downtown Tampa.
The scenes depicting the hospital room Rain is kept in was shot at the Tampa General Hospital on Bayshore Boulevard. The hospital complex is an expansion of the Tampa General Hospital built to handle the increasing demand for healthcare.
St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg is yet another city on the Tampa Bay and is situated within the Pinellas County of Florida. Some parts of the film were also shot here, as the production crew turned up on the streets in St. Petersburg. Trailers and vans were also spotted parked along the roads of the area.
Filming also took place in the Historic Old Northeast neighborhood in St. Petersburg. It is essentially a residential area with brick streets and green spaces. It has one of the oldest and most vivacious neighborhood associations in the city.
Is Fear Of Rain Based On a True Story?
No, ‘Fear of Rain’ is not based on a true story. The film’s basic story revolves around schizophrenia, a mental disorder that alters interpretations of reality for individuals leading them to hallucinate. Although the film would seem close to reality, it is purely a work of fiction. The psychological thriller is based on an original script written by the director Castille Landon.
Individuals living with schizophrenia often experience extremely disordered thoughts that, in turn, reflect on their behavior and can affect their day-to-day lives by disrupting their normal flow of actions. In ‘Fear of Rain,’ Rain, a teenage girl, experiences schizophrenic episodes and has very vivid and dreadful hallucinations, including seeing blood on her shower curtains. These hallucinations and other symptoms also affect the relationship she shares with her close ones.
Hence, when Rain believes that her neighbor might have kidnapped a child, no one is willing to believe that she does not imagine the incident. The film manages to bring out the genuine and overwhelming struggles individuals living with schizophrenia go through daily. Among those diagnosed with this disorder, self-harm and suicide are common occurrences. If left untreated, schizophrenia can be fatal to one’s life.
The makers of ‘Fear of Rain’ have tried to bring out the dangers that come with schizophrenia through Rain’s story. Speaking about their dedication to the film, actor Connick Jr. who plays Rain’s father in the movie, said, “Castille and the incredible cast and crew have gone all-in to make the often-misunderstood world of schizophrenia a bit more familiar.” Thus, even though the film is not based on a true story, it does not fail to strike a chord with the audience and spread awareness about the mental disorder.
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