Greatest Chicago-based movies of all time

Give me your top three, in order. I’ll tally who gets the most votes (3 points for a first-place vote, 2 for second-place vote, 1 for third-place vote).

Criteria? That the movie is rooted in Chicago. It’s up to you if having the city be prominently featured is important, or if the actual content of the movie trumps all.

There’s no cut-off for voting. I’ll just keep a semi-running tally of who’s ahead.

Here’s mine:

  1. The Blues Brothers
  2. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
  3. The Untouchables

Semi-running tally: So far, Blues Brothers is in the lead.

What was that movie with Catherine Zeta-Jones about the all dancers and singers in Chicago, and they were in jail in Chicago and Rene Zellweger was tried for murder in Chicago…? I think it was called The Bus That Couldn’t Slow Down.

I love Chicago, but I don’t live there. Chicagoans, forgive me if I step on toes with any of my choices.

The Fugitive
Chicago
The Blues Brothers

I’ll third The Blues Brothers. I made it a point to buy the special edition DVD when I was in Chicago. I was watching it at Midway waiting for my plane and ended up with a handful of people around/behind me watching with me on the laptop.

Call Northside 777
Medium Cool
Hoop Dreams

Perfect Strangers.

Oh dammit, you said movies.

Nevermind.

How can it not be The Sting?

No, that was Dr. Zhivago

My votes are The Blues Brothers & Chicago.

The Untouchables
The Sting (partially)

  1. Eight Men Out
  2. The Untouchables
  3. High Fidelity
  1. Eight Men Out
  2. Blues Brothers
  3. The Sting

Forgive my provincialism, but I’ve got to put in a vote for Code of Silence, since a good chunk of it was filmed in my neighborhood.

Thief also had some Uptown scenes, including one in which the Green Mill blew up. When I saw that in the ad as a kid I ran out to see and was puzzled to find the joint still standing.

You also got a glimpse of Uptown in Next of Kin, though it quickly cuts away to hill country.

My Bodyguard had a number of familiar locations, and if I recall right it was filmed at Lakeview High School.

Bad Boys featured streets in my neighborhood.

  1. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
  2. The Fugitive
  3. The Blues Brothers

With The Untouchables missing it by that much.

Man, I’ve gotta watch The Untouchables again, I haven’t seen it in years. Although I did manage to catch the train station shootout on TV a months ago. Quite a lucky break.

Risky Muthafuckin’ Business
Adventures in Babysitting
Looking for Mr. Goodbar
Cooley High
Thisis a great book that pretty much covers it.

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
The Blues Brothers
Risky Business

How about the John Hughes trifecta of Sixteen Candles, **The Breakfast Club ** and Pretty in Pink? Oh wait, they were filmed in Chicago burbs but I guess the city itself didn’t really figure prominently.

Okay, how about The Breakup?

I’m pretty sure that Weird Science was filmed in Chicago burbs as well.

You left out Uncle Buck.

  1. The Sting
  2. Eight Men Out
  3. The Blues Brothers

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
High Fidelity
The Fugitive & The Break Up (tied)