History Trivia / TheTown

* CaliforniaDoubling: {{Averted}}. Thanks to the 25% tax credit created for filmmaking in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts after the success of ''Film/TheDeparted'' (which had been forced to shoot partially in New York), almost everything you see was filmed on location in Boston. {{Played straight}} for an establishing shot, where a shot of City of Angels Medical Center in Los Angeles is used for some reason to represent Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

* FakeIrish: {{Averted}} in some notable cases (e.g. Creator/BenAffleck has Irish ancestry, which is expanded into Doug's character, and Slaine is outspokenly Irish-American and it is seen in his performance as Gloansy), but mostly played straight.

* AbilityOverAppearance: Krista was written to be thirty seven, a bitter chain smoker with a raspy voice. Creator/BlakeLively was only twenty-one and had to lobby hard for the role, but ultimately impressed enough to cast her.

** The studio wanted the book's ending [[spoiler: where Doug dies in Claire's arms]]. But test audiences disliked it and preferred the theatrical ending - [[SubvertedTrope so it was left in]]. The other ending was filmed and included as an extra in the Blu-Ray release.

* CastingGag: Slaine plays Gloansy, and the climax takes place at Fenway Park, where Slaine worked in his teenage years at a concession stand. He reportedly called going back to the place to shoot the robbery sequence "surreal".
* {{Corpsing}}: When filming the first robbery, Creator/RebeccaHall had a hard time keeping a straight face. The reason was because Creator/BenAffleck would direct while in full costume - as in the skull mask.

* ExecutiveMeddling: The studio wanted the book's ending [[spoiler: where Doug dies in Claire's arms]]. But test audiences disliked it and preferred the theatrical ending - [[SubvertedTrope so it was left in]]. The other ending was filmed and included as an extra in the Blu-Ray release.

* CareerResurrection: The widely lauded movie is credited with completely restoring Affleck's credibility as an actor, as well as showing his good promise as a director. It also proved that ''Film/GoneBabyGone'' wasn't a fluke.

* PlayingAgainstType: Blake Lively, best known as the glamorous Serena van der Woodsen on ''Series/GossipGirl'' at the time, as a trashy alcoholic.
* ThoseTwoActors: Creator/TitusWelliver and Slaine were in the previous film that Ben Affleck directed, ''Film/GoneBabyGone'', which included Ben's brother Casey. Welliver and Victor Garber (Claire's boss) would also appear in Affleck's next film ''Film/{{Argo}}''.

* {{Corpsing}}: When filming the first robbery, Rebecca Hall had a hard time keeping a straight face. The reason was because Ben Affleck would direct while in full costume - as in the skull mask.
* DirectedByCastMember: Ben Affleck as Doug.
* EnforcedMethodActing: Self-inflicted. Jeremy Renner surrounded himself with actual convicted bank robbers in Charlestown to properly get into character as part of his research.

* FakeIrish: {{Averted}} in some notable cases (e.g. Ben Affleck has Irish ancestry, which is expanded into Doug's character, and Slaine is outspokenly Irish-American and it is seen in his performance as Gloansy), but mostly played straight.

* ThoseTwoActors: Titus Welliver and Slaine were in the previous film that Ben Affleck directed, ''Film/GoneBabyGone'', which included Ben's brother Casey. Welliver and Victor Garber (Claire's boss) would also appear in Affleck's next film ''Film/{{Argo}}''.

** Mark Wahlberg was the original choice for James Coughlin, but he was too busy filming ''Film/TheFighter''. It was Casey Affleck who recommended Jeremy Renner to his brother. Ben Affleck would later call Renner the EnsembleDarkhorse in the cast.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Mark Wahlberg was the original choice for James Coughlin, but he was too busy filming ''Film/TheFighter''. It was Casey Affleck who recommended Jeremy Renner to his brother. Ben Affleck would later call Renner the EnsembleDarkhorse in the cast.

* HeyItsThatGuy:
** [[Film/TheAvengers2012 Hawkeye]] is Jem.
** [[Series/MadMen Don Draper]] is Agent Frawley.
** The bank manager from the opening scene is Mr. Andrews from ''Film/{{Titanic 1997}}''. Also, you might know Fergie the Florist as Roland Tembo from ''Film/TheLostWorldJurassicPark'', or as Kobayashi from ''Film/TheUsualSuspects''. And one of the cops investigating the crimes is the Man in Black from ''Series/{{Lost}}.'' And for those who saw ''Film/GoneBabyGone'', Affleck's directorial debut, Bubba reappears as Gloansy.

** [[Film/TheAvengers Hawkeye]] is Jem.
** [[MadMen Don Draper]] is Agent Frawley.
** The bank manager from the opening scene is Mr. Andrews from ''Film/{{Titanic}}''. Also, you might know Fergie the Florist as Roland Tembo from ''Film/TheLostWorldJurassicPark'', or as Kobayashi from ''Film/TheUsualSuspects''. And one of the cops investigating the crimes is the Man in Black from ''Series/{{Lost}}.'' And for those who saw ''Film/GoneBabyGone'', Affleck's directorial debut, Bubba reappears as Gloansy.

* DirectedByCastMember: Ben Affleck as Doug

* FakeIrish: Averted in some notable cases (e.g. Ben Affleck has Irish ancestry, which is expanded into Doug's character, and Slaine is outspokenly Irish-American and it is seen in his performance as Gloansy), but mostly played straight.

** [[Film/TheAvengers Hawkeye]] is Jem
** [[MadMen Don Draper]] is Agent Frawley

* HeyItsThatGuy: [[Film/TheAvengers Hawkeye]] is Jem

** The bank manager from the opening scene is Mr. Andrews from ''Film/{{Titanic}}''. Also, you might know Fergie the Florist as Roland Tembo from ''Film/TheLostWorldJurassicPark'', or as Kobayashi from ''Film/TheUsualSuspects''. And one of the cops investigating the crimes is the Man in Black from ''Series/{{Lost}}.'' And for those who saw ''Film/GoneBabyGone'', Affleck's directorial debut, Bubba reappears as Gloansy.

** The bank manager from the opening scene is Mr. Andrews from ''Film/{{Titanic}}''. Also, you might know Fergie the Florist as Roland Tembo from ''TheLostWorldJurassicPark'', or as Kobayashi from ''TheUsualSuspects''. And one of the cops investigating the crimes is the Man in Black from ''{{Lost}}.'' And for those who saw ''Film/GoneBabyGone'', Affleck's directorial debut, Bubba reappears as Gloansy.

* HeyItsThatGuy: The bank manager from the opening scene is Mr. Andrews from ''Film/{{Titanic}}''. Also, you might know Fergie the Florist as Roland Tembo from ''TheLostWorldJurassicPark'', or as Kobayashi from ''TheUsualSuspects''. And one of the cops investigating the crimes is the Man in Black from ''{{Lost}}.'' And for those who saw ''Film/GoneBabyGone'', Affleck's directorial debut, Bubba reappears as Gloansy.

* HeyItsThatGuy: The bank manager from the opening scene is Mr. Andrews from ''Film/{{Titanic}}''. Also, you might know Fergie the Florist as Roland Tembo from ''TheLostWorldJurassicPark'', or as Kobayashi from ''TheUsualSuspects''. And one of the cops investigating the crimes is the Man in Black from ''{{Lost}}.'' And for those who saw ''GoneBabyGone'', Affleck's directorial debut, Bubba reappears as Gloansy.

* You could say this as a movie where [[BenAffleck Daredevil]] and [[JeremyRenner Hawkeye]] rob banks together.

* You could see this as a movie where [[BenAffleck Daredevil]] and [[JeremyRenner Hawkeye]] rob banks together.

* HeyItsThatGuy: The bank manager from the opening scene is Mr. Andrews from ''Film/{{Titanic}}''. Also, you might know Fergie the Florist as Roland Tembo from ''TheLostWorldJurassicPark'', or as Kobayashi from ''TheUsualSuspects''. And one of the cops investigating the crimes is the Man in Black from ''{{Lost}}.'' And for those who saw ''GoneBabyGone'', Affleck's directorial debut, Bubba reappears as Gloansy.

* HeyItsThatGuy: The bank manager from the opening scene is Mr. Andrews from ''{{Titanic}}''. Also, you might know Fergie the Florist as Roland Tembo from the sequel to ''JurassicPark'', or as Kobayashi from ''TheUsualSuspects''. And one of the cops investigating the crimes is the Man in Black from ''{{Lost}}.'' And for those who saw ''GoneBabyGone'', Affleck's directorial debut, Bubba reappears as Gloansy.

* The "bank" they rob in the North End (seen [[http://www.north-end-boston.com/images/exterior_pics/3652.jpg here]]) is a laundromat in real life, but the exterior looks fancy enough that they could pass it off as a bank in the movie. One troper lives nearby, and to this day people sometimes stop in front of it and stare inside, as if they can't believe it's really a laundromat.

* The "bank" they rob in the North End (seen [[http://www.north-end-boston.com/images/exterior_pics/3652.jpg here]]) is a laundromat in real life, but the exterior looks fancy enough that they could pass it off as a bank in the movie. One troper lives nearby, and to this day people sometimes stop in front of it and stare inside, as if they can't believe it's really a laundromat.