Film Review Flashback: Spotlight on Chicago’s Chicest Flicks

The Windy City plays host to
some of cinema’s most memorable moments. From Hitchcock
(“North by Northwest”) to Hughes (“Sixteen Candles”),
Chicago
gives California and New York a run for their money when it comes to
movie magic.

The movies filmed in Chicago
reveal more than just a great setting, they show us the city’s
evolution. Films allow us to see our history as it’s
being written— through fashion, love, modernity, violence
and society’s overall taste and development.

‘Sixteen Candles’
(1984)           

Molly Ringwald captivated an
entire generation as John Hughes’ muse and resident “it
girl” in the 1980s. “Sixteen Candles”
exemplifies Hughes’ Chicago. A brash, sometimes cruel
American City that is ready to be unzipped with fairytales. Love
Hughes or hate him, he offers insight to what the city was like in
the 1980s. Plus, the 80s outfits alone are worth watching this flick
for.

 ‘Ferris
Bueller’s Day Off’ (1986)

“Bueller . . .
Bueller?” Is still the anthem for lovable clowns, thanks to
Mathew Broderick’s stellar performance. Ferris Bueller is
the perfect anti-hero let loose in the perfect city. Lake Shore
Drive, The Art Institute, Wrigley Field and the Sears Tower all fuel
Ferris’ reasons for skipping school— and we
don’t blame him.

‘The Fugitive’ (1993)

Dr. Richard Kimble is the
everyman of the 1990s, and Chicago is, once again, the perfect city
to tell his story. “The Fugitive” has all the
depth and elements of the perfect action film/underdog story. The
film also features the Hilton, Four Seasons, the St. Patrick’s
Day Parade and Chicago icons Pam Zekman and John Drummond, the
city’s real-life crime reporters at the time.

‘High Fidelity’ (2000)

Record store guys around the
world rejoiced when this film hit the theater. They now have a
handsome, lovable spokesman. As far as screwball comedies and cheeky
rom-coms go, “High Fidelity” hits the
mark—and the location as well. Cusak’s
character’s record store was created out of an abandoned
building in Wicker Park. Local record store owner and musician Mike
Felton was used as a consultant on the film, making it as authentic
as it is delightful.

‘The Dark Knight’ (2008)

The Dark Knight may not
inspire you to hunt for Chicago apartments at
ForRent.com, or line up to buy a townhouse in Lincoln Park,
but it does show Chicago in an ethereal, hauntingly beautiful light.
“The Dark Night” solidified the new genre of
brooding superhero in the public’s favor, and cast a new,
dark light on Chicago. Although Gotham City is fictional, no other
city could realistically play Gotham like Chicago. From the old Post
Office on West Harris Street to the Financial District,
Chicago’s fingerprints are in every frame.