People often say that when they think of Wisconsin, they only think of cheese and farms.

At first, I felt a bit unfairly judged, but I became curious about where this perspective of the city comes from.

Movies and dramas have long shaped the way this area is perceived, creating a trail of recognition.

As I looked into it, I found that many works have featured this city. Some captured the campus exactly, while others used it merely as a backdrop. It was interesting to compare the different interpretations.

The work that has likely had the biggest impact on the image of this city is probably the 1986 comedy Back to School. In this film starring Rodney Dangerfield, the UW-Madison campus appears under the name Grand Lake University, but the Memorial Union Terrace and Bascom Hill are faithfully depicted. The premise that a billionaire blends in as just another student on campus subtly highlights the unique egalitarian culture here.

Away We Go takes a different approach. The reason the main couple, who are searching for a city to raise their child, choose this place as their ideal settlement is intriguing. They cite factors like the educational environment, community culture, and progressive atmosphere, which, although filmed elsewhere, align quite well with reality.

This connects naturally to the perception of the city as a place that has produced progressive politicians like Senator Tammy Baldwin and is home to notable universities. I wonder if all these elements have contributed to the current image.

In The Prince and Me, the character played by Julia Stiles, a UW-Madison student, reflects a similar sentiment. Although the story involves falling in love with a Danish prince, she is portrayed as someone with dreams, independence, and a practical Midwestern sensibility. Even though the actual filming took place elsewhere, the fact that this character is specifically set as a student here already implies a certain image.

It conveys the idea of a place where ambitious and intelligent people gather without pretension. At this point, the screen has provided a fairly accurate map of the city.

The images built by films and dramas can be broadly categorized into two themes: the intellectual and progressive college town, and the coexistence of simple Midwestern life. Living here, one can feel that both themes are indeed true at the same time.

The moments of groundbreaking discoveries in UW-Madison labs and the Saturday morning scene of farmers selling cheese and vegetables at the market exist on the same trail. While movies may not capture the entirety of this city, they seem to have grasped the most genuine aspects.

I'm already curious about what scenes would be chosen if a work were to be made that truly focuses on this city. Until that happens, I guess I'll have to explore the real face of this city on foot.

There's one more interesting point. Most works featuring this city portray it in a quite positive light. There are hardly any depictions of it as a threatening or unsettling space.

The fact that the Wisconsin State Capitol was used as the FBI headquarters in Public Enemies in 2009, and that this place was chosen as the land where immigrants dream of a new life in Strawscheck in 1977, is likely not a coincidence. When a city stands in front of the camera, it inevitably conveys its own message.

The message this city has sent through the screen has been consistently positive. While it may not completely overlap with reality, I believe it has accurately captured the direction. Trails may twist at times, but they ultimately lead to the same ridge.