Wisconsin On Screen: "Titanic"

This month marks the 101st anniversary of the sinking of the RMS Titanic.  It has been 16 years since James Cameron’s epic film of that fateful voyage.  I caught the movie on TV recently, and noticed that the main character, Jack, is from Wisconsin.  Naturally, this piqued my interest and I investigated.

Photo: Smithsonian

Photo: Titanic Wiki

 Leonardo DiCaprio plays the young Jack Dawson.  In the film, Jack is from Chippewa Falls.  A good Wisconsin town full of good people.  Who knows, maybe his family worked at Leinenkugel’s Brewery?  But then the shimmer of a Wisconsin character without a “Fargo” accent wore off.  Jack claims to have swum in the waters of Lake Wissota.  Lake Wissota is a real lake, but it is man-made.  In 1917.  Five years after the Titanic sunk and our man freeze-drowns in the north Atlantic.  Again, we find that Hollywood tries to use the charm of Wisconsin without doing their research.  While I’m pleased that Wisconsin was chosen as the home of the honest and heroic Jack, I sure wish they’d start doing their homework.

To all the Hollywood producers out there: I’ll gladly be a consultant!  Just don’t make me drink any of your California milk...