Website design By BotEap.comWhen we think of siding homes, we usually imagine them located in pristine middle-class neighborhoods or in the middle of farmland in the Midwest. One reason for associating these homes with specific settings is that filmmakers have often set poignant stories within them. So let’s take a trip through film history to explore the six most effective uses of siding to tell a story.

Website design By BotEap.comWizard of Oz (Fleming and Cukor, 1939)

Website design By BotEap.comOur first entry is one of the first US color movies, The Wizard of Oz. The film, which takes place in the dustbin, begins in black and white and shows us a dilapidated barn. At the end of the film, Dorothy finds happiness in the form of a beautiful, fully paneled red barn.

Website design By BotEap.comRisky Business (1983)

Website design By BotEap.comIn one of Tom Cruise’s earliest starring roles, our hero takes it upon himself to run a business from his parents’ pristine suburban home. Cruise runs the risk of having a risky business because no one would guess that such a beautiful house could have such questionable parties! No need to worry, peace is restored by the end of the movie, at least for the neighbors.

Website design By BotEap.comField of Dreams (Robison, 1989)

Website design By BotEap.comSet in Iowa, this movie shows a two-story house with white panels. A film dripping with nostalgia, the Field of Dreams house became the anchor and backdrop for the showcase of one of America’s greatest pastimes: baseball.

Website design By BotEap.comJumanji (Johnston, 1995)

Website design By BotEap.comThis Robin Williams classic tells the story of two children playing in the attic of a beautiful white Victorian house. The kids find a game that opens up a fantasy world, though it eventually splits the house in half. Fortunately for the children, and for the owners, they won the game and restored the house to its former glory.

Website design By BotEap.comToy Story (Lasseter, 1995)

Website design By BotEap.comThe next movie on our list is fully animated, but it nonetheless uses this classic look to create a wonderful world where toys come to life. Toy Story looks at what happens in the world of toys when no one is supposed to be watching. Home takes center stage and becomes the place where new friends can find common ground.

Website design By BotEap.comThe Notebook (Cassavetes, 2004)

Website design By BotEap.comThis entry is a modern romantic classic that tells the story of love lost and regained. How exactly does Ryan Gosling win the heart of Rachel McAdams? Doing nothing less than building him a beautiful white-fronted house, which is clearly one of the greatest romantic gestures in cinema.

Website design By BotEap.comHonorable Mention – The Brady Bunch TV Show (1969 – 1974)

Website design By BotEap.comAlthough not a movie, no one can forget the home of one of America’s favorite television series, The Brady Bunch. With vertical panels instead of horizontal ones, the house became an icon both of the time and of middle-class families.

Website design By BotEap.comWith so many movies bringing such joy to audiences, we can’t help but think that the liner played a role. So the next time you see panels in a movie, remember that they’ve been a big part of American movies for a long time.