What are the best Chicago movies? (Aurora, Wayne: live, train, food)

[Chi-town Native]

Originally Posted by Drover

I find the before/after aspect interesting as well. I just mention it since the OP is a frequent visitor to Chicago and often asks for suggestions on what to do/see here, and I wanted to make sure he's aware that he may not find what he sees in many of these movies if he sets out looking for them.

As for the "geographical nonsense" angle, not to mention the sheer implausibility aspect, nothing beats the chase scene in Running Scared when they're driving on the L tracks. Speaking of "then versus now," I like how the Billy Crystal character lives in a massive loft in the "iffy" neighborhood of Wicker Park, and it's actually quite plausible at the time that he could afford it on a cop's salary.

Nice catch on Running Scared.

Probably mentioned, but for a blast from the past (and good flick) in terms of many of the neighborhoods often discussed here, The Color of Money is tops.

Not even Hollywood could really do justice to some of those old-school places, the St. Paul billiards hall that was on Fullerton (I believe it's now Small Bar) was possibly the skeeviest joint I ever stepped foot in as a kid.

Good info here: Film locations for The Color of Money (1986)

Has anyone here ever seen The Hunter? I hear it's got some great footage of Uptown from the 60s. This looks intriguing:

Filming Locations of Chicago and Los Angeles: The Hunter

oh, and the Relic is pretty bitchin. Much of it was actually shot in New York's natural history museum, but they used the Field Museum for quite a bit as well, including scenes in the drainage system.

[baileyvpotter]

Dragonfly with Kevin Costner 2002. Saw Costner while he was doing the film, walking south on Michigan
Ave. by the Wrigley Building. He was at the Bears game that weekend too.

[Atlanta_BD]

-Weird Science
-My Big Fat Greek Wedding (though mostly shot in Canada)

[Ace Rothstein]

Above the Law with Steven Seagal might be the best Chicago movie.
The Hunter is great, even if just for the Marina City scene.
The Fugitive and Backdraft were my favorite Chicago dramas growing up, Ferris Bueller my favorite Chicago comedy.

[Drover]

Then there's Code of Silence whose opening scene captures Wrigleyville when it was still a semi-gritty neighborhood. Same with Uncle Buck, a chronically unemployed schlub who can still manage to afford an apartment on the corner of Sheffield and Waveland in a building that is now worth several million dollars and has bleachers sitting on top of it.

[Drover]

[BRU67]

Martin Short's Captain Ron, John Candy's Only the Lonely, and Meg Ryan's Prelude to a Kiss aren't often mentioned but should be on the list. Some good shots of Chicago in the early 90s. These came out around the same time as Candyman and Backdraft.

Adventures in Babysitting is a Chicago movie in my mind but most of it was filmed in Toronto. Its attention to detail is also a bit sloppy. The main characters are supposed to be from Oak Park but their house looks like nothing I have ever seen in Oak Park. And one second they're happily driving east on the Stevenson near Damen and the next second they have a flat near Ohio on the Kennedy, for one example. If you watch it closely it doesn't make a lot of geographical sense.

[Manigault]

Originally Posted by ChiNaan

The Maxwell/Halsted scene from Blues Brothers (John Lee Hooker playing in front of Aretha Franklin's soul food restaurant) always makes me sad that it got turned into such a generic planned commercial development by UIC. I wish I could have seen it back then.

I saw them filming 'The Blues Brothers' in Chicago in 1979 (Guess I'm old!). Believe me, it was a good thing for Maxwell Street to go. Think of Delancy street in NYC.

Movies not mentioned:

Barbershop
Ali
Native Son

The best movie filmed in Chicago which portrays Chicago was "The Fugitive". Folks competed to name the Chicago regulars used in the film.

[snoylekim]

"Mickey One" .. Warren Beatty ..from 1965 Some interesting shots of the Near North Side , with a twist. Arthur Penn directed .
Also check out "The City of Necessity" a documentary featuring Chicago in 1961 , with shots of downtown, the then new Hyde Park Shopping Center , the South Loop Burlesque District , and parts of the near south sides . The film is 52 years old, but some of the issues are timeless . Recommended for anyone interested in recent Chicago history and has 23 minutes to spare .

[RogersParkGuy]

Originally Posted by MoItaly

I am sure this was discussed already, but a search "Chicago movies" here gave me all kind of results.

What movies come to mind that are based in Chicago and they show areas of the cities?

I remember only a few off the top of my head: The Untouchables, of course, Mercury Rising, When Harry Met Sally, before they go to NY, Road To Perdition, BLues Brothers and one with Harrison Ford, I think (the Fugitive? but I could be wrong).

Very, very few movies about Chicago show anything much beyond downtown.

The best use of Chicago as a location was the movie Thief, starring James Caan. It really caught the look and feel of Chicago in the late 70's, early 80's...