Chicago Movies

Batman Begins explores the origins of the Batman legend and the Dark Knight’s emergence as a force for good in Gotham. In the wake of his parents’ murder, disillusioned industrial heir Bruce Wayne travels the world seeking the means to fight injustice and turn fear against those who prey on the fearful. He returns to Gotham and unveils his alter-ego: Batman, a masked crusader who uses his strength, intellect and an array of high tech deceptions to fight the sinister forces that threaten the city. Plot synopsis courtesy of imdb.com.

After the release of Jake Blues from prison, he and brother Elwood go to visit the old home where they were raised by nuns. They learn the church stopped its support and will sell the place to the education authority, and the only way to keep the place open is if the $5000 tax on the property is paid within 11 days. The brothers want to help and decide to put their blues band back together and raise the the money by staging a big gig. As they set off on their “mission from god” they seem to make more enemies along the way. Will they manage to come up with the money in time? Stars John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd.

Pushed to the breaking-point after their latest, “why can’t you do this one little thing for me?” argument, art dealer Brooke calls it quits with her boyfriend, Gary, who hosts bus tours of Chicago. What follows is a series of remedies, war tactics, overtures and underminings suggested by the former couple’s friends, confidantes and the occasional total stranger. When neither ex is willing to move out of the condo they used to share, the only solution is to continue living as hostile roommates until somebody caves. But somewhere between protesting the pool table in the living room, the dirty clothes stacked in the kitchen cupboards and the sports played at sleep-killing volume in the middle of the night, Brooke begins to realize that what she may be really fighting for isn’t so much the place but the person. Stars Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn.

Eddie Kasalivich (Keanu Reeves), an undergraduate at the University of Chicago, works as a technician for a scientific team that discovers an alternative, low-cost, pollution-free fuel source. When one of the chief scientists is murdered and the invention stolen, Eddie and physicist Lily Sinclair (Rachel Weisz) are framed for it and have to flee for their lives, with the FBI, CIA and other involved parties in close pursuit. Paul Shannon (Morgan Freeman), Eddies mentor, is the director of a scientific company which – unknown to Eddie – has commercial interests in the invention. Eddie and Lily set out to find the stolen invention and hopefully clear themselves of the false charges. Plot synopsis courtesy of imdb.com.

This movie adaptation of Bob Fosse’s 1975 Broadway musical is about two dreamers, Velma Kelley and Roxie Hart. Velma is the Windy City’s top nightclub star until the night she guns down her cheating husband, after which she becomes an even bigger celebrity, thanks to smooth attorney Billy Flynn. Roxie also desperately wants fame, so the solution is simple: shoot her abusive lover dead. After Roxie replaces her, an outraged Velma plots Roxie’s demise as she obsessively pursues her goal of being back on top. Stars Catherine Zeta-Jones, Renee Zelwegger and Richard Gere.

Batman raises the stakes in his war on crime. With the help of Lieutenant Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent, Batman sets out to dismantle the remaining criminal organizations that plague the city streets. The partnership proves to be effective, but they soon find themselves prey to a reign of chaos unleashed by a rising criminal mastermind known to the terrified citizens of Gotham as The Joker. The Tribune pulled together a map of Dark Knight locations. Plot synopsis courtesy of imdb.com.

Eight Men Out tells the true story of the infamous ‘Black Sox’ scandal of 1919, in which the White Sox players deliberately lost the World Series. The movie places the scandal in the context of a labor dispute between the players and their then all-powerful team owner, and how mobster Arnold Rothstein took advantage of the dispute. The result was a human tragedy for players like “Shoeless” Joe Jackson. Plot synopsis courtesy of imdb.com.

Ferris Bueller has played hooky numbers of times, and this time he’s got the entire school and more believing he is on the verge of death. On this special day off, Ferris invites his friend Cameron Fry and girlfriend Sloane Peterson to his day of fun, while taking Cameron’s father’s precious Ferrari for transportation. All the while, the principal Ed Rooney is determined to prove Ferris is faking his illness and Ferris’s agitated sister Jeanie also has a goal to catch Ferris off guard. Ferris enjoys his day with his friends, until the mileage of the Ferrari reads one too many miles driven and Cameron has a blow out. Stars Matthew Broderick, Alan Ruck, Mia Sara, Jeffrey Jones and Jennifer Grey.

Based on the cult novel of the same name by Nick Hornby, High Fidelity follows the ‘mid-life’ crisis of Rob (John Cusack), a thirty-something Chicago record-store owner who must face the undeniable facts – he’s growing up. In a hilarious homage to the music scene, Rob and the wacky, offbeat clerks that inhabit his store expound on the intricacies of life and song all the while trying to succeed in their adult relationships. Are they listening to pop music because they are miserable? Or are they miserable because they listen to pop music? This romantic comedy provides a touching and whimsical glimpse into the male view of the affairs of the heart. Plot synopsis courtesy of imdb.com.

Toula Portokalos is 30, Greek, and works in her family’s restaurant, Dancing Zorba’s, in Chicago. All her father Gus wants is for her to get married to a nice Greek boy. But Toula is looking for more in life. Her mother convinces Gus to let her take some computer classes at college (making him think it’s his idea). With those classes under her belt, she then takes over her aunt’s travel agency (again making her father think it’s his idea). She meets Ian Miller, a high school English teacher, WASP, and dreamboat she had made a fool of herself over at the restaurant; they date secretly for a while before her family finds out. Her father is livid over her dating a non-Greek. He has to learn to accept Ian; Ian has to learn to accept Toula’s huge family, and Toula has to learn to accept herself. Plot synopsis courtesy of imdb.com.

The daughter of a brilliant but mentally disturbed mathematician (recently deceased) tries to come to grips with her possible inheritance: his insanity. Complicating matters are one of her father’s ex-students who wants to search through his papers and her estranged sister who shows up to help settle his affairs. Stars Gwyneth Paltrow, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Anthony Hopkins. Written and directed by a University of Chicago alumni and filmed on campus.

Henry Rowengartner is a young kid who is a big baseball fan. He even plays on a little league team, but he is rather lacking in skill. This is highly evident when Henry slips on a baseball and breaks his arm. When his arm heals, Henry attends a Chicago Cubs game. A home run by the opposing team is hit, and, corresponding with the tradition, must be thrown back. Henry ends up throwing the ball back, but he throws it back all the way to home plate on a dead line. Henry is quickly signed by the Cubs and is the biggest phenom in Major League Baseball. But, is all the fame and fortune too much for him to handle at such a young age, or will he continue as the best pitcher in baseball? Plot synopsis courtesy of imdb.com.

Young Treasury Agent Elliot Ness (Kevin Costner) arrives in Chicago and is determined to take down Al Capone (Robert DeNiro) but he learns that it’s not going to be easy, because Capone has the police in his pocket. But Ness meets Jimmy Malone (Sean Connery) a veteran patrolman and probably the most honorable one in the force. He asks Malone to help him get Capone but Malone warns him that if he goes after Capone, he is going to war.. Plot synopsis courtesy of imdb.com.

Harry and Sally meet when she gives him a ride to New York after they both graduate from the University of Chicago. The film jumps through their lives as they both search for love, but fail, bumping into each other time and time again. Finally a close friendship blooms between them, and they both like having a friend of the opposite sex. But then they are confronted with the problem: “Can a man and a woman be friends, without sex getting in the way?” Stars Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal.