Alabama small-town wonders: The ‘town’ of Spectre
The line strung with shoes is one of the more memorable moments from the introduction of the town of Spectre in the movie "Big Fish." (Amber Sutton / This is Alabama)
You don’t have to travel to the hills of Hollywood to visit a little piece of cinematic history. In fact, all you have to do is take a drive to Jackson Lake near Millbrook. There, you’ll find a remote island that’s home to one of the state’s most popular small-town wonders (and a whole lot of goats), the fictional town of Spectre from the film “Big Fish.”
Jackson Lake Island has been in the Bright family since 1970 but sat unseen by even most locals until “Big Fish” director Tim Burton got a look at it while searching for locations for his film based on the novel by Daniel Wallace. He knew instantly the charming island was the perfect site for scenes set in the whimsical town of Spectre.
“It came as somewhat of a surprise,” said Lynn Bright, who has owned the island with her husband, Bobby, since 2015. “We did not know that there was any interest in it. Tim Burton’s group went through the Alabama Film Commission and went to see three places. He wanted privacy, and he wanted the look with all the water around it, the moss hanging from the trees, and all the character the island has. He was sold on it immediately.”
“Big Fish,” which starred Ewan McGregor, Jessica Lange, Albert Finney, Danny DeVito and Helena Bonham-Carter, centers around the strained relationship between a man and his dying father, who has a habit of telling fantastical stories. Spectre, a wondrous secret town hidden among a dark forest, is the setting for one of those tall tales.
Lynn said that originally, the production team was supposed to remove all the sets and leave the island “as they found it” once filming was wrapped. However, the family decided that the prop town was unique enough that it could spark some interest in the otherwise vacant section of the island.
Turns out, they were right – eventually.
In the first few years after “Big Fish” premiered in theatres in 2003, Lynn said the island didn’t get many visitors. It wasn’t until the internet, and social media, took the world by storm that the town of Spectre became the popular landmark that it is today for locals and tourists alike.
“We thought maybe somebody would enjoy seeing it if the movie was a success, and we’re so glad we did because there have been people who love that movie and have come from really far away and shared with us what it means to them,” Lynn said. “Of course, if they’ve seen the movie or are a fan of Tim Burton, that alone is enough. But we have a lot of people in surrounding states that’ll come, and I think the island does have its own character and charm.”
Another part of the island’s charm? The friendly goats that call it home, which Lynn said are just as much of a draw for some folks as the Spectre set. The goats spend their days greeting visitors and moseying around the three-sided buildings that served as Spectre’s picturesque main street, framed by two imitation trees and a string of shoes dangling midair from a line, in the film. They even sleep and eat inside the faux church left behind by production that was a Spectre focal point.
While most visitors come to see the film set and make friends with the goats, many make a day of the trip to take in the full beauty of the island, which is connected to the Alabama River, through fishing, kayaking, camping and picnicking.
Lynn said that while, originally, she was more excited to just see the scenes filmed on the island in the movie than the movie itself, she has come to feel just as attached to story of “Big Fish” and its message as some of the island’s visitors.
“I remember watching the movie the first time,” she said. “I probably missed what I would later love because I was so focused on seeing the island and the sights that were so familiar to me in the movie. As I’ve watched it several times since, I’ve really come to understand why it means so much to so many. It has really touched me and a lot of other people. It really has far more value to it, its message, than I got (in) my first viewing.”
Admission to Jackson Lake Island, which is located on Cypress Lane in Millbrook, is $5 per person. For more information, visit their Facebook page.
