Where Was 2014's The Judge Filmed?

Summary Robert Downey Jr. and Robert Duvall's The Judge is set in a small town in Indiana, but it was mostly filmed on-location in Massachusetts.

The film extensively used Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts to portray the fictional town of Carlinville, Indiana.

The Palmer family house in "The Judge" is a real house in Milton, Massachusetts.

Hank's hometown in Indiana is a major part of 2014's The Judge, but the movie's filming locations told a different story. The Judge received mixed reviews when it came out, and while it may not be one of Robert Duvall's best movies, it did still earn him an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor in 2015. The Judge has also received a second wind on streaming, where it's entered the running ot become one of the best dramatic movies on Netflix. A large part of its success comes from how effective it is in several different areas, from its cast all the way to its filming locations.

The Judge is a very personal and close story about the relationship between Hank Palmer (Robert Downey Jr.) and his father, Joseph (Robert Duvall). As such, the film needed a similarly intimate setting for its story to take place in, so the fictional town of Carlinville, Indiana was created for the movie. While it's set in Indiana, most of the filming for The Judge actually took place in Massachusetts. While that is a big shift, the change in scenery helped give The Judge a specific look and emotional feel that could even make it one of the best courtroom dramas of all time.

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Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts

Many Shots Of Carlinville & Sam's Diner Were Filmed In Shelburne Falls

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The bulk of The Judge was filmed in Shelburne, Massachusetts. During filming, the production team took over large parts of the town and transformed it into Carlinville, the fictional small town in Indiana that most of the movie takes place in. That included putting signs up around town and changing the names on the exteriors of several buildings. Some of the locations in the movie that were filmed in Shelburne include Sam's diner, the bar the Palmer brothers went to early in the movie, and general shots of the town and streets.

The Judge is available to stream on Netflix.

Dedham, Massachusetts

The Norfolk County Superior Court Was Used For The Judge

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The next most prolific filming location in The Judge was Dedham, Massachusetts, which was used for the courthouse. Specifically, the exterior of the court that appeared in the movie was the Norfolk County Superior Court, located in Dedham. That was where C.P. and Hank vomited due to their nerves prior to different days of Joseph's trial. It's not clear exactly which location was used for the interior of the courthouse, and it could have been a set at Warner Brothers' studio in Burbank. Most of the filming took place on location, though, so it's also possible the interior of the same courthouse was used for The Judge.

Milton, Massachusetts

A House In Milton Became The Interior And Exterior Of The Palmer House

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Another main location of The Judge was the Palmers' family house, where some of the movie's most dramatic scenes took place. This was another case of on-location shooting, as The Judge used a house from Milton, Massachusetts for these scenes. As reported by the Boston Globe, the cast and crew of The Judge used a family home in the area while the family was also living in it. Director David Dobkin said they chose the house because, "We loved the porch, the yard, the feeling of the house. It’s an emotional house. When you see it, it evokes an emotion."

Chicago, Illinois

Aerial Shots Of Chicago Can Be Seen In The Beginning Of The Judge

Before retuning to his hometown, Hank was living and working in Chicago, Illinois. As such, some of the opening scenes of The Judge were also filmed in Chicago, like several establishing aerial shots. Hank's home, where his wife and daughter lived, was also in the Chicagoland area. The city doesn't play a large role in the film itself, but it does serve a thematic purpose, as it shows how much Hank had lost touch with his roots.

Jackson County, Indiana

Cornfields In Jackson County Were Used For Establishing Shots

Despite being set in Indiana, the only scenes in The Judge that were actually filmed there took place in Jackson County. These only amounted to a few early shots of a car driving through corn fields, but it did establish that at least one part of the movie actually took place in Indiana. According to Boston.com, David Dobkin, director of The Judge, said he primarily used locations in Massachusetts because "I was looking for something that felt emotional to me," and Massachusetts worked better in that regard.

Locations mean a lot to The Judge, and it's clear that the movie's creators were very particular about which locales they used to tell its story. Even though the movie's filming locations didn't match up with its setting, they still worked tremendously well in conveying the feel it was aiming for. Carlinville felt small, cozy, and rural, which helped display both why Hank left in the first place and why it ended up growing on him. Many parts of The Judge work very well, and its filming locations are no exception.