Summary
In 2024’s Road House remake, there are several references to Fred the Tree, which is a real tourist attraction in the Florida Keys
Fred the Tree’s ability to sustain growth on the Seven Mile Bridge and survive Florida hurricanes have made him a symbol of hope for local residents.
Fred the Tree’s resilience and strength are mirrored in Dalton’s character arc as he protects the Road House and Glass Key from destructive forces.
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The true story behind Florida’s “Fred the Tree” from Road House connects to Dalton’s character in the 2024 remake. Although some of the details from the original 1989 movie are the same, Jake Gyllenhaal’s Road House remake made a few major changes. Rather than return to Jasper, Missouri, Road House 2024 is set in the fictional town of Glass Key in the Florida Keys, a string of islands off the southern tip of the Sunshine State. The remake establishes its new tropical setting while embracing local culture by incorporating region-specific details, like the special Cuban coffee in Road House.
Although Road House was filmed in the Dominican Republic, real footage was shot in Florida that is shown when Dalton (Gyllenhaal) enters town and again when he leaves at the end of Road House. Part of this real Florida footage shows a mysterious tree on a stretch of highway that appears to be growing out of the concrete. This natural phenomenon, nicknamed “Fred the Tree,” is referenced multiple times in Road House, and its true backstory makes it a symbol for Dalton’s own character arc in the movie.
Road House
(2024) is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
Related 6 Biggest Ways Road House’s Dalton Is Different In The 1989 & 2024 Movies Dalton was played by Patrick Swayze in the original Road House and Jake Gyllenhaal in the 2024 remake, but there are some key character differences.
Road House’s Fred The Tree Is A Real Tourist Attraction In The Florida Keys
Fred Is A Local “Celebri-tree” Found On The Seven Mile Bridge
In Road House, Dalton travels to Glass Key by Greyhound bus on the scenic Overseas Highway, which connects all the Florida Keys via a chain of 42 separate bridges over the open waters (via The Global Tree Initiative). Upon his arrival, Dalton is greeted by a teenage girl named Charlie who runs a bookstore with her father, Stephen. Charlie asks Dalton if he saw “Fred on [his] way in,” explaining that Fred is “the tree on the bridge…not the main bridge, but the old one beside it…the historic Seven Mile Bridge.”
Charlie then informs Dalton that Fred the Tree “grows right in the middle of the road” on an inaccessible part of the old bridge and that he “just kinda pop[ped] outta nowhere.” Charlie proceeds to give Dalton a book “full of local color,” in which he learns all about Fred.
The Overseas Highway is also known as the “Highway That Goes to Sea.”
Road House’s Glass Key may not be real, but the Seven Mile Bridge and Fred the Tree certainly are, as is the history that Charlie shares. Though it is part of the Overseas Highway, in reality, the Seven Mile Bridge is located in Marathon, one of the island clusters that make up the Florida Keys. After the Overseas Highway was severely damaged by the 1935 Labor Day Hurricane, it was eventually rebuilt in 1982. The old Seven Mile Bridge still stands parallel to the modern one but is only accessible to pedestrians and cyclists.
Fred’s mindboggling existence has turned him into a popular tourist attraction in Florida.
However, like Charlie says in Road House, Fred the Tree grows on a part of the old Seven Mile Bridge that cannot be accessed on foot or by bicycle. Against all odds, Fred has somehow managed to not only survive but thrive in this environment all these years. Fred’s mindboggling existence has turned him into a popular tourist attraction in Florida and what The Global Tree Initiative calls a “celebri-tree.”
Related Road House Remake Cast & Character Guide The 2024 Road House remake takes some existing characters from the original, as well as introducing completely new players to the main story.
Fred’s Origins In The Florida Keys Are Unknown (But Locals Have Plenty Of Theories About How It Got There)
Fred’s Origin Story Is Quite The Mystery
Part of the fascination with Fred the Tree is the mystery surrounding his origin story. Fred is an Australian pine tree, which were introduced to Florida in the 1890s to provide lumber and shade. This species was later deemed an invasive threat due to its rapid growth rate and was subsequently outlawed in Florida.
The most commonly held belief is that Fred first sprouted from bird droppings more than 30 years ago.
Although there’s plenty of information about what type of tree he is, nobody knows for certain how Fred arose on the old Seven Mile Bridge. Over the years, various urban legends have circulated on the topic and locals have come up with plenty of theories to explain the famous tree’s inception. The most commonly held belief is that Fred first sprouted from bird droppings more than 30 years ago.
Related Are There Really Crocodiles In Florida? Fact-Checking Road House 2024’s Most Absurd Death A running joke in 2024’s Road House remake raised the question of whether crocodiles are actually native to the movie’s Florida Keys setting.
Fred The Tree Is Seen As A Symbol Of Hope In The Florida Keys
Fred’s Survival In The Face Of Adversity Is Inspiring To Locals
Regardless of how he initially materialized, Fred the Tree’s ability to grow and sustain himself all these years is just as baffling. However, this can partially be explained by the infrastructure of the original bridge itself. When it was first constructed, the trestles that support the old Seven Mile Bridge were filled with sand. This provided enough organic matter into which Fred could plant his roots and flourish into the force of nature he is today.
No matter what nature throws his way, Fred has proven himself capable of surviving it, which serves as a source of inspiration for the local residents.
Still, it’s not just his ability to grow out of a bridge that warrants fascination. Fred’s endurance of the Keys’ tropical climate, high temperatures, and salty soil is a marvel in its own right that is owed to the tree’s genetic makeup. The Australian pine tree, also known as the salt-sprayed Casuarina, can tolerate these environmental conditions, making them tough against erosive threats. This illustrates how Fred has continued to thrive in this region specifically when other tree species would have succumbed to the abrasive environment long ago.
While all of this provides valuable insight into the tree’s growth and sustainability, Fred’s ability to survive South Florida’s harsh weather conditions like storms and even hurricanes is truly remarkable and. No matter what horrific challenges nature throws Fred’s way, he’s proven capable of surviving it and remaining “Keys Strong.” Fred’s unwavering resilience serves as a source of inspiration for the local residents and has turned him into a symbol of hope and strength in the Florida Keys.
The image of Fred the Tree standing tall on the old Seven Mile Bridge is a common symbol found on Florida Keys’ souvenirs.
Dalton Is The Road House’s Own Fred The Tree
Dalton Shares The Same Mysterious Origins & Resilience As The “Celebri-Tree”
Just like Fred the Tree, Gyllenhaal’s Dalton from Road House seemed to appear out of nowhere in Glass Key and became a beacon of hope for the local townspeople. Dalton’s duty to protect the Road House bar became part of a larger effort to protect the Glass Key community from the Brandt family’s invasive attempts to take over the strip, tear down the local businesses, and build resorts.
Dalton’s inspiring journey proved to the Glass Key locals that they can win against these evil forces of destruction.
In the face of adversity, Dalton accepted the challenge, endured the struggle, and came out victorious. Even though he doesn’t believe he’s “the hero in this particular story,” Dalton’s inspiring journey proves to the Glass Key locals that they can win against these evil forces of destruction. Thanks to Dalton, Glass Key was able to preserve itself and continue operating as a collective after rebuilding. In the same way that Fred the Tree perseveres amidst calamity, so do Dalton and Glass Key in Road House.
Source: The Global Tree Initiative, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Road House (2024)
Road House is a remake of the original 1989 film, which followed protagonist Dalton, a Ph.D. educated bouncer at the roughest bar in the south known as the Double Deuce. Jake Gyllenhaal stars as Dalton, with two major changes including Dalton being a retired UFC fighter and the bar locale being in the Florida Keys.
Director Doug Liman
Release Date March 21, 2024
Cast Jake Gyllenhaal , Daniela Melchior , Billy Magnussen , Jessica Williams , Joaquim De Almeida , Conor McGregor , Lukas Gage , Arturo Castro , B.K. Cannon , Beau Knapp , Darren Barnet , Dominique Columbus , Bob Menery
Distributor(s) Prime Video