The Butter Cow Goes Hollywood

Des Moines Register:

Butter sculpture has been a blockbuster in Iowa for a century. Hollywood has finally decided to cash in.
“Butter” is an upcoming comedy starring Jennifer Garner and Ty Burrell that draws direct inspiration from the beloved Iowa State Fair butter cow, its longtime creator, the late Norma “Duffy” Lyon, and Iowa’s other noted pastime, our first-in-the-nation political caucuses.
Iowa State Fair officials consulted on the movie, which makes its debut Tuesday at the Toronto International Film Festival. They shipped filmmakers dozens of photos, brochures, banners, booklets and even measurements of the cooler where current sculptor Sarah Pratt assembles the annual butter cow.
“They were very concerned with authenticity,” said Lori Chappell, State Fair spokeswoman, who started getting calls from producers in March 2010.
“They wanted to know what people who attended the fair looked like so they would have people dress appropriately,” she said. “They were especially interested in the cooler where the cow is made. They wanted all kinds of measurements.”