Chicago

Lights, camera, Chicago

Opening act

Lights, camera, Chicago!

The Windy City has long been a popular filming location for Hollywood movies. Iconic Chicago landmarks like Wrigley Field, the L tracks, and the Bean provide recognizable backdrops. Chicago’s neighborhoods showcase diversity on the big screen. From gritty dramas to big-budget blockbusters, Chicago’s streets have hosted an impressive array of cinematic stories. The city morphs into a character depending on the genre. Romantic comedies revel in Chicago’s charm. Action flicks feature dramatic car chases along the lakefront.

The Windy City on the big screen

The Midwest metropolis continues to be a coveted destination for location scouts. Chicago captures the eye of directors looking for urban energy and architectural grandeur. The city landscape plays a starring role right alongside the actors. Let’s look at 34 memorable movies filmed in Chicago. Whether you already live in Hogtown or you’re planning on

, Chicago native

Jon Finch

compiled this list of great movies that take place in the great city of Chicago Illinois.

Chicago films – list of 34 Windy City cinema movies set in Chicago

The Sting Paul Newman and Robert Redford. Need I say more? The Sting is one of their best. The film is one of everybody’s favorites. Set in 1936 Chicago, The Sting portrays two grifters, Henry and Johnny. They not only con the villain—Doyle—but in scene after scene, they trick the viewers. You’re an idiot if you haven’t seen this movie.

Some Like It Hot This movie is still hilarious in 2020. Marilyn Monroe can act! In the prohibition-era Illinois and in winter, two starving musicians by chance witness the Valentine’s Day Massacre. Escaping with only their lives but losing their musical instruments, our feverish duo is compelled to take it on the chin. The two dress up as women to hitch a ride with an all-woman orchestra and head to the Sunshine State. Then enters Sugar Kane (played by Marilyn Monroe), an enchanting combination of sexy and innocent. When the two boys (dressed as girls) cover for Sugar when she got caught with booze, Sugar feels an instant bond with the two boys (posing as girls).

Above the Law

High school students love to see their own face drawn on canvas. A caricaturist can draw a portrait within minutes, so the students won’t be sitting there looking at their phones with nothing to do. In the film Above The Law, shot in Illinois, the action is great and the martial arts are ahead of its time; not to mention this film straddles many levels of meaning. Steven Seagal has a great face for an action hero actor, but his voice sounds brittle and he runs like a girl. Toscani, played by Seagal, must rise above the law (like in all his movies) to stop the corrupt police force and CIA who are above the law. When the law behaves unlawfully, then it’s up to Toscani to take matters into his own hands. I found that, during wartime, Toscani’s concern when witnessing torture of prisoners was overdone and mismatched with his brutal treatment of a teenage boy who gave drugs to his (Toscani’s) niece. Maybe Toscani was a softy wussbag back in his war days and later got more ruthless.

But it gets even better.. They will have something to take home with them.Airplane!

Check out my favorite Chicago caricaturist Angel Leslie Nielson started as a actor, but he’s now best known for silly—but hilarious—movies like Airplane. In Airplane!, the one man with a fear of flying is forced to save a plane and land it in Illinois safely when both the pilots get food sick. If you’re a little wary about films that have an exclamation point in the title, fear not. Without doubt, Airplane! Is one of the most hilarious films ever put to print. The picture comprises a string of funny scenes that thread together a gossamer plot. In Airplane!, the comedy is superb It conceals the paper-thin plot. This movie is filled to the brim with zingers: zingers which you can and will use, if you want to be funny.

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What’s cool about the caricaturist is that the artist can add personality and theme to the picture.Backdraft

One of the best movies set in Chicago Illinois about firefighters, Backdraft confirms that Ron Howard is a heavy hitter in Hollywood. Starring Kurt Russell and Alec Baldwin’s brother, the acting is top notch, the tone is sentimental, and the special effects were the best of 1991.

4. Post prom photoshoot

Bad Teacher

Cameron Diaz portrays a typical teacher in Chicago IL. From what I’ve heard, the film is not funny and not worth viewing. Normally I personally don’t care whether a picture is predictable, but in Bad Teacher there is no laughter to make up for it, and the dialogue is uninspired.

The Bourne Legacy

The culmination of the Bourne saga ends in the Windy City—i.e., Chicago. Though this picture is not as good as the masterpiece Is the Bourne trilogy (that would be near impossible), this film bobs up and down on the resulting ripples that happened because of The Bourne Ultimatum.

If you can’t find a caricaturist, get a professional photographer, or use the same one you got from the prom prom. This is such a must at prom parties that you’ve probably thought of it already.Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

But even better than a photograph with a sheet for a backdrop is one where you can change the backdrop digitally! They’ve got those now too, so the student can choose the backdrop. A classic, one-of-a-kind movie that will still make you laugh even after watching it a dozen times. Aspiring high school drop-out Ferris hates school, he skips class and takes his girlfriend Sloane and his friend Cameron to downtown Chi-Town. The ways he skips school and gets his friends in trouble is always devious and clever. The redhead principal soon catches on to Ferris’ skipping and playing hooky, and tries hard (and consistently fails) to catch Ferris. Throughout the comedy, Ferris Bueller’s character develops, discovering parts of himself he hadn’t noticed before. His bitter, vengeful sister cannot comprehend how Ferris gets away with his antics. Ferris Bueller was taped in Chicago Illinois.

For this fun Centerville High School After Prom near Richmond, Indiana,

DAJO Photos

was brought in to capture many of the magical moments.The Fugitive

In the classic The Fugitive—shot in Chicago Illinois—Harrison Ford plays Richard—a man falsely accused of murdering his wife. His goal is to find the man who killed his wife, and in the process vindicate himself. Even if you’ve seen this film 10 times, it will still surprise you when you watch it again. The acting, the dialogue, and the action are all superb.

Grappling with how to keep 100+ high schoolers engaged at your post prom party?

Call Jon right nowThe Lake House

 

(317) 766-6519

to check for availability…He’ll be in touch within 24 hours. Or email A beautiful film with a moving sci fi element. I’m not ashamed to say I love this movie. I love motion pictures with time travel in them (another on this list, The Time Traveler’s Wife). A good sci fi movie makes you care about the characters in the movie more than the sci fi element, and The Lake House—set in a suburb of Chicago—does this masterfully.

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A League of Their Own

Tom Hanks, Geena Davis, and Madonna play baseball in the largest city in Illinois (Chicago). During the war, most of the men had been drafted to battle, leaving the baseball teams empty. To fill this void, the sports people had to resort to finding female baseball players. What doesn’t make sense to me is that, if the men were drafted to war, then how is the demand for baseball the same? Nobody cares about baseball.

I, Robot

Loosely based on the Isaac Asimov novel, I, Robot stars Will Smith in this sci fi drama as he battles robots in 2035 era Chicago Illinois. It’s an excellent movie, and gets better with age (in 2023 it’s especially good).

No list of Chicago IL movies would be complete without the obvious movie titled Chicago. Richard Gere and John C. Reilly star in this outstanding remake of a classic musical. Watching this picture is like sitting in the audience of a broadway play (though I’ve never done either).