Hollywood Didn't Ask for Directions in D.C.

IN "THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT," environmental lobbyist and presidential girlfriend Sidney Ellen Wade, played by Annette Bening easily got lost on the way to the White House from her Georgetown residence via the ever-confusing Dupont Circle. It's common for those familiar with the 1995 movie and D.C.'s streets to easily dismiss Wade's Dupont diversion because getting to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW from Georgetown is more easily accomplished by taking Pennsylvania Avenue. But we'd like to note that if you live in upper Georgetown, it actually might be faster taking the Q Street bridge to Dupont than battle traffic on M Street and Washington Circle.

Similarly, today's Reliable Source picks apart Nicole Kidman's new movie set in D.C., "The Invasion." (At right, she's pictured running into the Cleveland Park Metrorail station.)

One point of contention is that Kidman drives through a tunnel to get from Georgetown to Cleveland Park. "Seems like the long route," the Source says. Sure, taking Wisconsin Avenue north to Macomb, Newark or Porter streets NW might be the fastest way, but much like Sidney Ellen Wade, depending where you are in Georgetown, it might be faster to take an alternate route. We can think of one, via Rock Creek Parkway and Beach Drive, where there is a tunnel near the National Zoo. We've mapped one possible route here, between Chadwick's and Palena.

But we doubt any Hollywood production crew would ever be cunning enough to go that way ...

» "'The Invasion' Takes a Few Liberties Around D.C." [Reliable Source/WaPo]

RELATED:
» "The D.C. Movie Mistakes Continue" [DCist]
» "Invasion of the City Snatchers" [City Desk/City Paper]

Photo courtesy Warner Bros.