This holiday season, Minnesota Monthly rolls out the red carpet for a gift guide with a cinematic twist. We’ve taken beloved Minnesota-made films like “Grumpy Old Men,” “Purple Rain,” “Jingle All the Way,” “The Mighty Ducks,” and “Drop Dead Gorgeous,” and curated gifts that capture their very essence.
Imagine finding the perfect present for the resilient spirit inspired by a snowy landscape, a playful item for the zealous parent, or a stylish piece for the music maverick. From quirky charm to underdog grit, each item is hand-selected to tell a story and promises to be as unforgettable as the films themselves. Give the magic of Minnesota cinema!
Curator: Jerrod Sumner | Photographer: Clettis Wright | Stylist: Jocelyn Kracke | Assistant Stylist: Kerry Bollen
Custom Popcorn Bucket, Debbie Wolk Designs, $42, debbiewolkdesigns.com
Moron, Putz & Presents
“Grumpy Old Men”
1993 | PG-13 | 1h 43m
MN Filming Locations: Bloomington, Center City, Chanhassen, Faribault, Red Wing, Rockford, St. Paul, Stillwater
Stars: Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, Ann-Margret, Burgess Meredith, Daryl Hannah, Kevin Pollak, Ossie Davis
Fun Fact: While the cameras indeed rolled across the state, capturing familiar local haunts, the true insider detail lies in where the film’s interior action takes place. Those key indoor scenes were actually shot on the sound stages of Paisley Park Studios, the legendary creative headquarters of our very own Prince.
Final Take: “Making ‘Grumpy Old Men’ in Minnesota was perfection. The location, the snow, and especially the people of Minnesota. It was all perfection!” –Ann-Margret
Black Shearling Clog Booties (7″), Sven Clogs, $385, Natural Shearling Clog Boots (11″), Sven Clogs, $385, svenclogs.com; Ceramic Fish, Pisces Ceramics, price varies by species, etsy.com/shop/piscesceramics; Custom Walleye Ice Sculpture, Minnesota Ice, price available upon request, minnesota-ice.com; The Northwoods Trapper Cap, Stormy Kromer, $100, stormykromer.com; Schmidt Beer Retro Fishing Hoodie, Angry Minnow Vintage, $48, angryminnowvintage.com; Sunken Bobber Bourbon Whiskey, Isanti Spirits, $42.99, isantispirits.com; Craft Ice, Pure & Clear Minnesota Ice, price varies, minnesota-ice.com; Loon Appetizer Tray, Kate Nelligan for Merritt Designs, $22, katenelligan.com; Schmidt Beer Distressed Orange Snapback, Angry Minnow Vintage, $32, angryminnowvintage.com
Let’s Go Crazy
“Purple Rain”
1984 | R | 1h 51m
MN Filming Locations: Eagan, Henderson, Minneapolis
Stars: Prince Rogers Nelson, Apollonia Kotero, Morris E. Day, Jerome Benton, Bobby ‘Z’ Rivkin, Dez Dickerson
Reel Talk: The film cemented Prince’s legacy as the first artist to top the movie, album, and single charts simultaneously—a rare feat in music history.
Fun Fact: The iconic “purify yourself in the waters of Lake Minnetonka” scene was filmed near the Minnesota River in Henderson. The frigid November water gave Apollonia Kotero hypothermia after repeated takes, so the rest was finished later in California.
Movie Magic: Though Kotero “sang” the duet “Take Me With U” on screen, her vocals were actually dubbed by Lisa Coleman of Prince’s band, The Revolution—a hidden layer of Minnesota talent.
Prince “Darling Nikki” Pulp Novel Mashup Art Print, Todd Alcott Graphics, prints start at $34.99, etsy.com/shop/toddalcottgraphics; Purple Rain Floral Basketball, Paisley Park, $43, store.prince.com; Turtle Cheesecake (10″), Cheesecake Funk, $65.99, cheesecakefunk.com; Purple Rain (Vinyl Picture Disc), Paisley Park, $24.99, store.prince.com; Signature Earrings, $120, Custom Charm Necklace for the Purple One, Goldfine Jewelry, price available upon request, goldfine-jewelry.com; First Avenue Brickmania Model, Brickmania, $50.64, 7th St. Entry Brickmania Model, Brickmania, $56.62, first-avenue.com; “The Beautiful Ones” by Prince, $30, “Prince: Little People, Big Dreams” by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara, $15.99, “Prince: Before the Rain” by Allen Beaulieu, $29.95, “Prince: ICON” by Steve Parke, $75, Electric Fetus, electricfetus.com; Rusan Original Guitar, Dave Rusan (on loan from Mark Olson), starting at $9,750, rusanoriginal.com; “Vibration” Scarf, Carolina Nunez Bussolini, $57, carolinanunezbussolini.com
Oh, What Fun!
“Jingle All The Way”
1996 | PG | 1h 29m
MN Filming Locations: Bloomington, Edina, Falcon Heights, Minneapolis, St. Paul
Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sinbad, Phil Hartman, Rita Wilson, Robert Conrad
Fun Fact: The film nearly shot in Milwaukee, but Arnold Schwarzenegger insisted on Minnesota, citing his fondness for the state after visiting for the Special Olympics—making “Jingle All the Way” the most expensive movie filmed here at the time.
Behind the Scenes: During the weeklong Mall of America shoot, Schwarzenegger used Planet Hollywood as his on-set trailer—often smoking cigars inside, unchecked. The production even set aside $60,000 just for his cigars.
Snow Business: The crew was told April and May wouldn’t bring real snow, but a major blizzard hit on day one, delivering the perfect Minnesota winter backdrop.
“Barbie” Collage Art, Kristi Abbott, prints start at $47.59, madebykristi.com; Jingle All The Way: Howard as Turbo Man, Funko Pop!, $26.06, amazon.com; T-Rex Grey Knit Beanie Hat, Huggalugs, $26, huggalugs.com; Corduroy Shacket Jacket, oh baby!, $79.95, ohbabystyle.com; Mabel’s Kettle Corn, Mabel’s Crafted Popcorn Co., $5, mabelscraftedpopcorn.com; XL Snoopy, Steiff, $65, steiff.com; Jingling All The Way Cookie, T-Rex Cookies, $6.50 each, trexcookies.com; Monopoly Saint Paul Edition, Hasbro, $39.99, us.toptrumps.com
Quack, Quack, Quack
“The Mighty Ducks”
1992 | PG | 1h 44m
MN Filming Locations: Bloomington, Coon Rapids, New Hope, Minneapolis, St. Cloud, St. Paul
Stars: Emilio Estevez, Joshua Jackson, Basil McRae, Michael Modano
Fun Fact: That grueling scene where the team is forced to skate for an hour after a tie is a direct nod to the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team. It was a genuine disciplinary tactic used to build character and resilience in those athletes.
Off Script: The now-iconic cinematic insult, “Cake Eater,” wasn’t invented in Hollywood. It was borrowed straight from the suburbs of the Twin Cities, where it was already a well-known, if sometimes affectionate, jab aimed at the city of Edina, Minnesota.
Custom Jersey Wood Art, Hagen and Oats, $95, hagenandoats.com; Mickey’s Diner, Little Dipper Art, prints start at $18, littledipper.store; “Ducks Fly Together” Knit Pom Beanie, Beauty Status, $39, beautystatushky.com; 2025 Haggard USA Pro Carbon Fiber Hockey Stick, $154.95, Player Bundle, $59.95, Haggard Hockey, haggardhockey.com; PWHL Minnesota Frost Championship 25 Gold Medallion Puck, Inglasco, $29.95, us.inglasco.com; American Flag Pillow Case, Faribault Mill, $95, faribaultmill.com
Smile, Girls!
“Drop Dead Gorgeous”
1999 | PG-13 | 1h 37m
MN Filming Locations: Chaska, Eden Prairie, Farmington, Hopkins, Jordan, Lakeville, Le Sueur, Minneapolis, New Germany, Plymouth, Prior Lake, St. Paul, Waconia, Wayzata
Stars: Kirsten Dunst, Ellen Barkin, Allison Janney, Denise Richards, Kirstie Alley, Amy Adams, Brittany Murphy
Fun Fact: The film was first titled “Dairy Queens,” until the Minnesota-based fast-food chain sued over the unflattering connection, prompting a quick rename to the title we know today.
Casting Call: The film marked Amy Adams’ big-screen debut. Before her breakout role as a bubbly pageant contestant, the future Oscar nominee spent three years performing at Chanhassen Dinner Theatres.
Film Flavors: The movie nails Midwestern food culture—from lutefisk on the cafeteria menu to Jell-O salad at a funeral and, of course, dessert tables piled high with classic bars.
Amy Adams “Butter Head,” Gerard Kulzer, price available upon request, kulzerdesign.com; Drop Dead Gorgeous, Set Adrift Art, prints start at $10, setadriftart.com; Drop Dead Gorgeous Trio, Karma Stacks, $160, karmastacks.com; Classic Slingback 45 in Silver Crinkle, Marion Parke, $595, marionparke.com; Lutefisk Candle, UffDa Candles, $15, uffdacandles.com; Lipsticks, Lip Esteem, $26 each, lipesteem.com
Behind the Scenes
Before the bows were tied and the cameras rolled, we had plenty of laughs, last-minute tweaks, and cinematic-level chaos. Take a peek behind the scenes as our team brought Minnesota’s most iconic movie moments to life—props, mishaps, and all. These snapshots capture the magic, the mess, and the pure fun that went into creating this year’s holiday gift guide.
