You don’t have to stake out Oprah’s place or hang out on the ER set to spot celebrities: Major movies are being filmed in Northwestern’s backyard – and even right on campus. Clips of our own picturesque ‘burb can be spied in several movies from recent years; now, students can stalk Rachel McAdams as she prepares to film The Time Traveler’s Wife here in the coming months.

“Evanston is no stranger to having films shot here,” says the Chamber of Commerce’s membership and marketing director, Tom Rath. Tom Hanks was here in 2002 to film Road to Perdition. 15 years ago, Dennis the Menace was filmed in Evanston, and local houses were used as the Wilson and Mitchell family homes. Look out for bits and pieces of the city next time you watch Home Alone.

Evanston officials know the routine when it comes to turning the city into a set. “You would usually talk to the parks department, depending on where you want to film, and you talk to the police about closing off streets,” Rath says. “We’re lacking people to escort the film crew through the intricacies of city hall.”

Large film crews mean more money for local businesses, which is a significant factor in Northwestern’s decision to allow filming on campus, says Brendan Cosgrove, the broadcast associate with University Relations at Northwestern.

Two weeks ago, puzzled students witnessed a midday protest marching past Deering Library, over and over. No anti-Bush or “Stop Darfur” sentiment there – it was a crew filming Formosa Betrayed, starring James Van Der Beek. “They started shooting around eight or so in the morning, and they were done filming by two in the afternoon,” Cosgrove says. “That was a small film, and there were 150 to 200 crew members who got paid, which encourages economic activity in the area.”

Local filming also provides opportunities for students to act as extras and get some on-screen time. “We’re encouraged that our students can be hired as extras,” says Director of Broadcast Relations Mary Jane Twohey. Producers of Formosa Betrayed were particularly interested in using Asian American students as extras to fit with the content of the film, Twohey says.

But NU doesn’t let just anyone with a camera on campus. “We turn down more movies than we accept,” Twohey says. “We don’t move any academic classes for movies. Nine times out of 10, the movies filmed here aren’t portraying Northwestern.” Well, so much for free publicity.