This article is a part of 12-piece series for The Times’ 2025 “Year in Review.” Click here for the print version.
Love it or hate it, a 27-year-old director’s shark-themed thriller shifted the Island’s economy and status in the world. Steven Spielberg was a rookie when the “Jaws” production team descended on the Island in 1974, and we have arguably never been the same. From locals’ experience as part of the shooting, to the reflected glory we’ve been given by the movie’s perennial adoration, to the economy-boosting exaltation of All Things “Jaws,” Whenever Possible, it’s nearly impossible for locals to contemplate the movie without contemplating our relationship to it. Over the course of the summer, and most especially during one overstuffed week in June, Martha’s Vineyard embraced the 50th anniversary of the movie’s release.
There were guided and self-guided tours, behind-the-scenes looks at the film with Islanders who appeared as extras, a scientific talk about the impact the film had on sharks, the premiere of National Geographic’s documentary “Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story,” a series of author talks at Edgartown Books, a comprehensive exhibit at the Martha’s Vineyard Museum, and a screening of the film accompanied by a live orchestra at the Winnetu. Hotels and restaurants were overbooked, and “Jaws”-themed tchotchkes of all sorts flew off local shelves.
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A ‘victim’ from ‘Jaws’ lives to tell his story
‘Jaws’ exhibit at Martha’s Vineyard Museum
Island gears up for ‘Jaws’ 50th