Chicago

Chicago is a 2002 musical film adaptation of the satirical stage musical Chicago, the film explores the themes of celebrity and scandal in Jazz age Chicago. Directed and choreographed by Rob Marshall, and adapted for film by screenwriter Bill Condon, Chicago won six Academy Awards in 2003, including Best Picture. The film was the first musical film to win the Best Picture Oscar since Oliver! in 1968.




Chicago centers on Velma Kelly and Roxie Hart, two murderesses who find themselves on death row together in 1920s Chicago. Velma, a professional vaudevillian, and Roxie, a housewife with aspirations of being a star, fight for the fame that will keep them from the gallows. The film stars Catherine Zeta-Jones, Renée Zellweger, and Richard Gere, also featuring Queen Latifah, John C. Reilly, Christine Baranski, Lucy Liu, Taye Diggs, Colm Feore, and Mýa Harrison.



Plot

The film takes place in Chicago, circa 1924. Naive Roxie Hart (Renée Zellweger) visits a nightclub where star Velma Kelly (Catherine Zeta-Jones) performs ("And All That Jazz"). Hart is having an affair with Fred Casely (Dominic West) in hopes that he will get her a gig as a vaudeville star. Velma is arrested after the show for murdering her adulterous husband and sister Veronica after finding them in bed together. After Roxie realizes that Fred will not help her break into show business, she kills him in a fit of rage and tries to make her simple-minded husband Amos (John C. Reilly) take the fall ("Funny Honey"). However, the police and Amos (realizing she has been unfaithful to him) see through her ruse and Roxie is arrested and sent to the Cook County Jail.

Once Roxie arrives and is booked, she is sent to Murderess' Row to await trial, under the care of the corrupt Matron "Mama" Morton (Queen Latifah), who supplies her girls with cigarettes and other materials if she is paid well enough ("When You're Good to Mama"). Roxie meets Velma in jail as the woman in charge, and learns the stories behind the other women in Murderess' Row ("Cell Block Tango"). Roxie decides that she wants Velma's lawyer Billy Flynn (Richard Gere) to get her off ("All I Care About"), and convinces her husband to talk to him. Billy decides to take Roxie's case and get her off by making her a star.

Flynn and Roxie manipulate the press at a press conference, reinventing Roxie's identity to make Chicago fall in love with her ("We Both Reached for the Gun"). Roxie becomes the new infamous celebrity of the Cook County Jail, much to Velma's disgust and Mama's delight ("Roxie"). Velma, desperate to get back into the limelight, tries to talk Roxie into opening a vaudeville act with her once they get out of jail ("I Can't Do It Alone"). Roxie haughtily refuses and mocks Velma, since Velma mocked Roxie earlier. Roxie and Velma become locked in a rivalry to outdo each other in stardom. The tables are turned on both women, however, when a new killer named Kitty (Lucy Liu) – a wealthy woman who killed her husband and both of his mistresses – enters the scene.

Roxie manages to steal back attention by claiming to be pregnant, which is falsely confirmed by a doctor (whom she seduced), much to Amos' delight; however, nobody notices that he even exists ("Mister Cellophane"). A Hungarian inmate, who is innocent of the murder of which she was convicted, is considered guilty and hanged after losing her final appeal, which fuels Roxie's desire to be free. Roxie's trial date approaches, and she and Billy begin to plan their strategy to find her innocent of murder using her star power and sympathy vote ("Razzle Dazzle"). Her trial proceeds and becomes a media spectacle, fed off the sensationalist reports of radio personality Mary Sunshine (Christine Baranski). The trial goes Roxie's way, until Velma shows up with Roxie's diary and, in exchange for amnesty, reads incriminating entries that Roxie claims to never have written. Using some quick talking, Billy manages to get Roxie off the hook and she is proclaimed innocent. However, Roxie's publicity is short lived: as soon as the trial concludes, the public's attention turns quickly to a new murderess. Roxie leaves the courthouse after discovering that Billy wrote the false diary entries, and sent the journal to Velma to get Miss Kelly off death row. Roxie reveals to Amos she faked her pregnancy for the fame and he finally leaves her.

With nothing left, Roxie once more sets off to find a stage career, with little success ("Nowadays"). However, she is soon approached by Velma, who is willing to revive a two-person act with Roxie. Roxie refuses at first, because of the hatred that they share for each other, but relents. The two murderesses, no longer facing jail time, finally become the enormous successes they have been longing to be ("Nowadays"/"Hot Honey Rag").

Cast

* Renée Zellweger as Roxie Hart
* Catherine Zeta-Jones as Velma Kelly
* Richard Gere as Billy Flynn
* John C. Reilly as Amos Hart
* Christine Baranski as Mary Sunshine
* Queen Latifah as Matron "Mama" Morton
* Taye Diggs as Bandleader
* Dominic West as Fred Casely
* Jayne Eastwood as Mrs. Borusewicz
* Colm Feore as Harrison
* Lucy Liu as Kitty Baxter
* Chita Rivera (cameo) as Nicky (original Velma on Broadway 1975)

Awards and Nominations

Academy Awards record
1. Best Supporting Actress, Catherine Zeta-Jones
2. Best Art Direction, John Myhre, Gordon Sim
3. Best Costume Design, Colleen Atwood
4. Best Editing, Martin Walsh
5. Best Picture, Martin Richards
6. Best Sound, Michael Minkler, Dominick Tavella, David Lee
Golden Globe Awards record
1. Best Musical/Comedy Picture
2. Best Musical/Comedy Actor, Richard Gere
3. Best Musical/Comedy Actress, Renée Zellweger
BAFTA Awards record
1. Best Supporting Actress, Catherine Zeta-Jones
2. Best Sound, Michael Minkler, Dominick Tavella, David Lee, Maurice Schell

Nominations

In addition to winning six Academy Awards, Chicago was nominated for seven others:

* Best Director (Rob Marshall)
* Best Actress (Renée Zellweger)
* Best Supporting Actor (John C. Reilly)
* Best Supporting Actress (Queen Latifah)
* Best in Cinematography (Dion Beebe)
* Best Original Song ("I Move On" by John Kander and Fred Ebb)
* Best Adapted Screenplay (Bill Condon).

It was also nominated for five additional Golden Globe Awards:

* Best Director (Rob Marshall)
* Best Actress in Musical or Comedy (Catherine Zeta-Jones)
* Best Supporting Actor (John C. Reilly)
* Best Supporting Actress (Queen Latifah)
* Best Screenplay (Bill Condon)

American Film Institute recognition

* 2004 AFI's 100 Years... 100 Songs:
o "All That Jazz" #98
* 2005 AFI's 100 Years of Musicals #12