As the "Goofs" section of this website noted there is a shot of the revelers boating merrily out toward the sun setting into the EAST (off the coast of MAINE!!)...but no mention is made that the very last image in the film is of Bigelow and his "heavenly friend" heading back toward heaven as the sun sets in the east AGAIN...
If this was shot on location...HOW DID THEY ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN TWICE!!!!
The sun-is-setting-in-the-east has been one of the most popular, albeit week, criticisms of this film. If that were the worst thing about this outstanding film musical, I could easily live with it.
Look at a map of Maine and note the many islands off the southern coast. It is very clear that the boats heading to the clambake could have been going from east to west! Same with the end of the film--YOU DON'T HAVE TO LOOK EAST TO SEE THE OCEAN FROM CERTAIN POINTS IN MAINE, YOU CAN LOOK WEST.
Those assuming that an island off the coast of an east coast state has to be east of that state might want to check an actual map or atlas.
How can they tell that the sun is setting in the east in that final shot? I certainly can't.
All you see in is the two actors walking up a hill. Gordon MacRae pauses and takes a look back for one last time and then follows the Heavenly Friend offscreen.