Chicago (2002)

Murderesses Velma Kelly (a chanteuse and tease who killed her husband and sister after finding them in bed together) and Roxie Hart (who killed her boyfriend when she discovered he wasn't going to make her a star) find themselves on death row together and fight for the fame that will keep them from the gallows in 1920s Chicago.

Director:

Rob Marshall

Writers:

Bill Condon (screenplay), Bob Fosse (book),

Stars:

Taye Diggs, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Renée Zellweger

Won 6 Oscars. Another 42 wins & 57 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Taye Diggs	...	Bandleader
Cliff Saunders	...	Stage Manager
Catherine Zeta-Jones	...	Velma Kelly
Renée Zellweger	...	Roxie Hart
Dominic West	...	Fred Casely
Jayne Eastwood	...	Mrs. Borusewicz
Bruce Beaton	...	Police Photographer
Roman Podhora	...	Sergeant Fogarty
John C. Reilly	...	Amos Hart
Colm Feore	...	DA Martin Harrison
Robert Smith	...	Newspaper Photographer (as Rob Smith)
Sean Wayne Doyle	...	Reporter
Steve Behal	...	Prison Clerk
Robbie Rox	...	Prison Guard
Chita Rivera	...	Nickie

Storyline

Murderesses Velma Kelly (a chanteuse and tease who killed her husband and sister after finding them in bed together) and Roxie Hart (who killed her boyfriend when she discovered he wasn't going to make her a star) find themselves on death row together and fight for the fame that will keep them from the gallows in 1920s Chicago.

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Plot Keywords:

murder | fame | jail | vaudeville | 1920s | 

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Taglines:

In a city where everyone loves a legend, there's only room for one.

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Musical

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for sexual content and dialogue, violence and thematic elements

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA Germany

Language:

English Hungarian

Release Date:

24 January 2003 (USA)

Also Known As:

Chicago: The Musical

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$45,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$929,809 (Japan) (18 April 2003)

Gross:

$170,684,505 (USA) (29 August 2003)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Miramax Films, Producers Circle, Storyline Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

113 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Kathy Bates was director Rob Marshall's first choice to play Matron Mama Morton, but she was scheduled to film About Schmidt. Queen Latifah (playing Mama in Chicago) and Kathy Bates in About Schmidt were both nominated for Best Supporting Actress Oscar in 2003.

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Goofs

During "Cell Block Tango",as Liz twirls and lands on her partner Bernie's knee, a lock of her long hair lands on top of his head. In alternating medium/closeup shots, the lock of hair disappears/reappears on top of Bernie's head.

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Quotes

Velma Kelly: [to Roxie] You wanted advice? Well here it is... straight from me to you... keep your paws off my underwear.

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Crazy Credits

Dedicated to Bob Fosse, Gwen Verdon, and Robert Fryer

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Connections

Referenced in Saturday Night Live: Queen Latifah/Ms. Dynamite (2003)

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Soundtracks

"Me and My Baby"
(1975)
Music by John Kander
Lyrics by Fred Ebb
Published by Unichappell Music, Inc. (BMI)

User Reviews

Banal old-time variety show linked by a comic book script.

Two women are thrown behind bars to await trial for the slaying people that have betrayed them, but in the 1920's Chicago world of sensation, slick lawyers and tabloid newspapers is this their downfall or their making?

This is such a stupid plot that any sort of analytical discussion of it should be reduced for fear of making my cheeks redden. Before seeing this I thought the musical Tommy had a silly and unbelievable script! There are bits here that make the Warren Beatty/Madonna/Al Pacino film Dick Tracy (with which this film shares art Stalins) look like Hamlet!

For the record, a lot of what takes place is set in a strange surreal prison where conditions are harsh outside of the hair and make-up department. The Chief Warder is a top heavy black lesbian - played by Queen Latifah - presumably because that is what the cliché demands?

(The stretch leather/plastic/PVC hot-pant outfits the dancing prisoners wear are about as 1920's as the Apollo space programme!)

From what I've told you already the only things that can save this is great song and dance. Sadly it falls in to the middle ground. All That Jazz is the nearest we have to a classic and they know it too - spinning it out and repeating it at the end.

The dancing is, however, passable - especially when the CO-leads Zellweger and Jones do a double hoof.

Richard Gere seems to have learnt from his Cotton Club (a total flop musical and yet more fun viewing than this Best Picture Oscar winner!) experience and got himself wide awake before someone shouted "action" - although his song and dance is pure village hall.

Let me tell a little secret about Catherine Zeta Jones - she used to be on a TV programme called Junior Showtime here in the UK. This involved little children pretending to be adults and was cast in the form of an old time music hall review. The Muppet Show borrowed the format. While the show-biz brats loved it I know of no one of my age that could stand it. I have dark suspicions as to why it stayed on air so long!

I am not one to spoil anyone's fun, because I am sure that there are people that love this kind of thing, but Cabaret and even the Sound of Music had a life outside of the song and dance. This is as limp as a boiled noodle as soon as the music stops.

The whole thing plays like an evening flicking channels between a dreadful 2 AM B picture and a big budget variety show from the 1970's.From what I read this is purely intentional.