If you are a movie fan who can’t wait for the Oscars on March 4, a mountain road trip may be just the thing to tide you over until the big night.
Look for more photos of Sylva, Dillsboro and Jackson County in the March issue of Cary Magazine and online March 1.
Head west to Sylva, Dillsboro, Maggie Valley and Black Mountain where “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” was filmed. And while you’re in the area, stop off in Asheville for the Biltmore House’s exhibit “Glamour on Board: Fashion from ‘Titanic’ the Movie.”
The “Three Billboards” Tour
“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” stars Frances McDormand as a mother who badgers the local police department for failing to solve her daughter’s murder.
The title says Missouri, but the heart of Martin McDonagh’s Oscar-nominated film lies in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
In Sylva, travelers can visit Sassy Frass, a gift shop which stood in for the Ebbing Police Department, and the Jackson County Historic Courthouse, now the public library. It’s worth climbing the 107 steps to view the surrounding mountains and the picturesque downtown.
“We’re excited about the prospect of film travelers discovering some of North Carolina’s classic mountain towns as a result of the movie’s success,” said Wit Tuttell, executive director of Visit North Carolina.
The agency has posted a trip planner on its website to help fans find spots in the movie and other area attractions. The planner also includes locations in Asheville where Woody Harrelson’s “Three Billboards” character spends time.
“Glamour on Board” at Biltmore
While you’re in Asheville, more movie-related fun awaits at the Biltmore House.
Through May 13, more than 50 dazzling costumes from “Titanic” — representing the extensive wardrobes required by transatlantic travelers like George and Edith Vanderbilt in the early 1900s — will be displayed.
“Glamour on Board: Fashion from ‘Titanic’ the Movie” is the first large-scale exhibition of fashions from the 1997 film, which won 11 Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Costume Design.
More than 45 film costumes evoke the lifestyle of the era, when voyages on the great ocean liners of the early 20th century offered high society and luxury on ships. First class passengers took every opportunity to see and be seen in the finest fashions of the time, from strolling the promenade deck to attending elegant formal dinners.
In fact, George, Edith and Cornelia Vanderbilt had planned to sail on the ill-fated Titanic, but their plans changed at the last minute. Their footman Edwin Wheeler continued on the Titanic, but didn’t survive the tragedy.
For more information about Biltmore and the “Glamour on Board” exhibit, visit biltmore.com.