DVDs
Movies featuring Coupland, Texas |
| | | |
Coupland
(with a slight variation in the spelling) played a part in the 2003 movie Secondhand
Lions.
Robert Duval
(far left) with Haley Joel Osment and Michael Caine loading the blue truck. Photo
courtesy Texas Film Commission |
History
in a Pecan Shell
The town was named after resident Major Theodore Van Buren Coupland. Lots
in Coupland were sold even while the Bastrop and Taylor Railroad was under
construction in 1887.
A post office was granted two years later and
by the turn of the (20th) Century the town was a gathering place for the German,
Swiss and Swedish farmers who tilled the gently sloping hills of Travis and Williamson
counties.
From the 1980s, Coupland has reported a population of 135. A
restored depot reflects the town's former railroad connection and it maintains
a picturesque, sloping main street and hillside cemetery.
St.
Peters Church Cemetery |
Coupland,
Texas Through Truss Bridge |
| The Coupland Bridge
is on Williamson County CR456 about one mile northeast over the Brushy Creek.
It is 140 feet long and was built in 1912, being nicely restored in 2005. -
Barclay
Gibson |
The
bridge was also used in the filming of Secondhand Lions.
Photo courtesy
Barclay
Gibson, March 2008 |
Photographer's
Note:
Coupland can
be seen in the background of the shot straight though the bridge. This same scene
is briefly used in the movie ("Secondhand Lions") but no one would notice
the background. Think if the bridge had been restored before the movie setting
was picked. The scenes on the bridge just wouldn't have been the same with freshly
painted girders and new decking. - Barclay
Gibson |
|
Jim
Huntington's Sculpture Garden
Photo courtesy Lisa Mason, 2005 |
Coupand
Texas Forum...
At first glance, there's not much here, except a church, a saloon, and a couple
of old buildings.
But, in truth, it's a very interesting, very creative
town. For instance, it's got a burgeoning artist community. Several talented artists
reside in downtown Coupland, including Jim Huntington (world-class sculptor),
Wells Mason (designer and craftsman), and Dan Grife (painter from New Mexico).
These days, the artists outnumber the regular businesses in the downtown area.
Jim Huntington's sculpture garden, for instance, is smack-dab in the middle of
downtown, kinda unexpected. Another attraction in this small town is the Coupland
Inn. It's considered one of the best dance halls in Texas. It's also got a large
restaurant and turn-of-the-century sleeping acommodations.
Because it's
such a picturesque Texas town, film crews show up all the time. Big production
films like Varsity Blues, Home Fries, and Secondhand Lions are some recent examples.
Music videos include Stevie Ray Vaughn and Pat Green, among others. - Lisa
Mason, November 30, 2005 | |
|
