Philly Film Tour Features Rocky’s Run to Cooper’s Dance Steps

When it comes to movies made in Philadelphia, they usually are categorized as BR, R and AR. That is: BR-Before Rocky, R-Rocky, AR-After Rocky.

Most Philly film fans would agree that Sylvester Stallone’s 1976 Academy Award winning picture “Rocky,” clearly catapulted the City of Brotherly Love onto the silver screen and christened a new industry of film making that continues to thrive in Philadelphia.

Just like the Art Museum steps and the Rocky statue continue to be must-visit locations for visitors to the city, the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation is hoping Oscar buzz surrounding “Silver Linings Playbook,” shot in and around the city will generate interest for visitors and locals alike prompting them to tour some of the film’s locations.

GPTMC has launched the “Silver Linings Playbook” tour which recommends you start your day off with a buffet lunch at the Palace at the Ben located at the Ballroom at the Ben Franklin House, the site of the dramatic dance competition at the end of the movie. The Ben is located at 834 Chestnut Street and just around the corner from stop number two on the tour, Jewelers’ Row where you can walk in the footsteps of characters Pat (portrayed by Academy Award nominated actor and hometown boy Bradley Cooper) and Tiffany (Golden Globe winner Jennifer Lawrence.)

If you have seen the movie or read the book by South Jersey native and LaSalle University graduate Matthew Quick, you know that the Philadelphia Eagles play a major part in the story. Perhaps a trip to the home of the Eagles, Lincoln Financial Field, could be incorporated into your movie trip. You can hail a cab, hop a ride on the SEPTA subway or drive to South Philadelphia to catch a glimpse of the stadium. Tours of the Linc, as it is affectionately known by Birds fans, are available year-round and include stops at the pressroom, the field, the locker room and more.

Before flying the Eagles nest, you can stop by the stadium’s Pro Shop to pick up a DeSean Jackson jersey similar to the one Cooper’s character wore in the film or a green cardigan sweater like Pat Sr. (played by Robert De Niro) sported in the movie.

The silver lining to your “Silver Linings Playbook” trek is a stop at the Llanerch Diner near the intersection of West Chester Pike and Township Line Road in Upper Darby. The 80-year-old diner is the backdrop for Pat and Tiffany’s first “non-date” Halloween night. The eatery serves up your standard diner fare round the clock and if you are lucky you may even sit at the table where Cooper and Lawrence filmed a scene for the movie. Bring your camera to snap a photo as a souvenir proving you sat at the same table as Cooper and Lawrence.

While on the outskirts of town, grab your GPS and visit a number of suburban locales including South Madison Avenue in Upper Darby and the house where Pat’s family lived and then travel onto South Swarthmore Avenue in Ridley Township to visit the street where Tiffany’s family lived. You may even want to grab a trash bag and run down the street to recreate a scene from the movie.

For more information on the “Silver Linings Playbook” tour, go to www.visitphilly.com.