Gilmore Girls is a quintessential 2000s dramedy series produced by Amy Sherman-Palladino, and is widely loved for its autumnal aesthetic and fast-paced, witty repartee. The show follows Lorelai Gilmore, a young single mom, and her bookish teenaged daughter, Rory. They live in the small town of Stars Hollow, Connecticut, where Lorelai runs an inn with her best friend Sookie. Rory attends Chilton, an expensive private school, which is paid for by Lorelai’s wealthy but estranged parents. In return, they request that Lorelai and Rory have dinner at their house every Friday in hopes of better getting to know Rory. Gilmore Girls follows this mother-daughter duo as Lorelai works toward her career goals, quarrels with her parents, and searches for love, while Rory pursues her studies, enters the trifling world of journalism, and juggles several tumultuous relationships.
The majority of TV shows and movies take place in California or New York (or occasionally in the all-American midwest). New England, on the other hand, is often overlooked by the media and rarely used as a film setting. Gilmore Girls shines a spotlight on eastern Connecticut and the characters frequently visit real-life locations, such as Hartford, New Haven, and Boston. The series embraces its setting, heavily drawing the charms of New England life into its episodes: the colorful fall foliage, chilly winter weather, and historical architecture. Gilmore Girls seamlessly incorporates these details, featuring colonial-style houses, film sets decked withs fake leaves and mashed-potato snow, and character wardrobes adjusted appropriately for the different seasons. Several episodes feature popular New England festivities, such as hayrides and pumpkin picking.
New England has a distinguishing academic culture, home to many prestigious universities and prominent academics. Gilmore Girls exemplifies this culture throughout its plotline, as we see in the pilot episode when Rory is reading a copy of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, written by Connecticut-based author Mark Twain, or when she later calls Boston-born Sylvia Plath her favorite author, frequently referencing Plath’s work. The Gilmore family is heavily involved in the regional schools as well: Lorelai’s mother attended Smith College, while her father went to Yale. Rory dreams of going to Harvard throughout her teenage years, even visiting the campus in the second season. The later seasons of the series follow Rory as she goes to college, navigating her Ivy League environment full of famous professors, powerful families, and secret societies. Palladino continuously blends these details into the plotline, immersing viewers in New England’s prominent academic world.
The states of New England are frequently overlooked by TV shows and movies, overshadowed by warmer, more populous places. Palladino’s Gilmore Girls flawlessly fills this gap in entertainment, highlighting the lovable characteristics of our region. By capturing the charming facets of its setting, Gilmore Girls truly serves as a love letter to New England.
This article also appears in our November 2024 print edition.
