Director: Rob Marshall Cast: Renée Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Richard Gere, Queen Latifah, John C. Reilley, Taye Diggs, Christine Baranski, Mýa Harrison, Deidre Goodwin, Ekaterina Chtchelkanova, Susan Misner, Denise Faye, Chita Rivera, Colm Feore, Lucy Liu, Dominic West, Jayne Eastwood
Academy Awards: Best Picture; Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Catherine Zeta-Jones); Best Art Direction-Set Decoration; Best Costume Design; Best Film Editing; Best Sound
Also Nominated For: Best Actress in a Leading Role (Renée Zellweger); Best Actor in a Supporting Role (John C. Reilley); Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Queen Latifah); Best Director (Rob Marshall); Best Adapted Screenplay (Bill Condon); Best Cinematography; Best Original Song (John Kander & Fred Ebb for “I Move On”)
I First Saw In: 2002
Synopsis: Murderesses Velma Kelly and Roxie Hart find themselves on death row together and fight for the fame that will keep them from the gallows in 1920s Chicago.
Did You Know? Renée Zellweger had no singing or dancing training prior to this film.
Quotables: BANDLEADER: Ladies and gentlemen, Miss Velma Kelly in an act… of desperation.
And now a Word from the Guise:
My two best friends in middle school coerced me into seeing this when it was first released. This was when I was vehemently opposed to musicals. But I was glad that they did, because I absolutely loved it. I wasn’t certain at first, but by “Cell Block Tango”, I was mesmerized: the lyrics were hilarious, the music was catchy, and the choreography was stunning. I know it’s different in the stage production, but the thing I loved the most about the film was that the musical numbers were imagined by Roxie. It’s a riveting and fun spectacle of glitz and glam.
Oscar Madness Ranking – ??? out of 233
