Search - Chicago [Widescreen] on DVD

MPAA Rating: PG-13 Content Advisory: Mild Violence, Adult Situations, Questionable for Children, Adult Language, Sexual Situations Movie Release: 2002 DVD Release: 08/19/2003 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV - Closed Captioned Edition: Dual Layered Audio Tracks: English, French Subtitles: Spanish SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 53 mins Studio: Miramax Total Copies: 108 Genres: Musical, Musical Drama, Prison Film See Also: Chicago [Fullscreen], Chicago [The Razzle Dazzle Edition], Chicago [Blu-ray]

A starry-eyed would-be star discovers just how far the notion that "there's no such thing as bad publicity" can go in this screen adaptation of the hit Broadway musical Chicago, originally directed and choreographed by Bob Fosse. In the mid-'20s, Roxie Hart (Renee Zellweger) is a small-time chorus dancer married to a well-meaning dunderhead named Amos (John C. Reilly). Roxie is having an affair on the side with Fred Casley (Dominic West), a smooth talker who insists he can make her a star. However, Fred strings Roxie along a bit too far for his own good, and when she realizes that his promises are empty, she becomes enraged and murders Fred in cold blood. Roxie soon finds herself behind bars alongside Velma Kelly (Catherine Zeta-Jones), a sexy vaudeville star who used to perform with her sister until Velma discovered that her sister had been sleeping with her husband. Velma shot them both dead, and, after scheming prison matron "Mama" Morton hooks Velma up with hotshot lawyer Billy Flynn (Richard Gere), Velma becomes the new Queen of the scandal sheets. Roxie is just shrewd enough to realize that her poor fortune could also bring her fame, so she convinces Amos to also hire Flynn. Soon Flynn is splashing Roxie's story -- or, more accurately, a highly melodramatic revision of Roxie's story -- all over the gutter press, and Roxy and Velma are soon battling neck-to-neck over who can win greater fame through the headlines. A project that had been moving from studio to studio since the musical opened on Broadway in 1973, Chicago also features guest appearances by Lucy Liu and Christine Baranski. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Catherine Zeta-Jones - Velma Kelly
Renée Zellweger - Roxie Hart
Richard Gere - Billy Flynn
Queen Latifah - Matron Mama Morton
John C. Reilly - Amos Hart

Rob Marshall's Chicago gets the treatment one might expect for a Best Picture Oscar winner in the age of DVD on this release. The film is presented in a widescreen anamorphic transfer that preserves the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1. Closed-captioned English soundtracks are rendered in both Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1, while a French soundtrack has been recorded in Dolby Digital Stereo. Spanish subtitles are accessible. Supplemental materials include a commentary track recorded by Marshall and screenwriter Bill Condon. They do offer insights into the making of the film, but mostly they heap praise onto the actors, the people who worked on the film, and each other. A deleted duet between Queen Latifah and Catherine Zeta-Jones, titled "Class," is a treat. Commentary is available for that sequence as well. A making-of documentary offers lots of rehearsal footage and interviews with the cast. This is a strong release from Disney/Buena Vista. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide