Ah sweet home Chicago! Although I'm not a native Chicago resident, I call this home and still get those warm fuzzies every time I get a great view of the skyline. I always try to explain how amazing this city is to friends who have never been, but it's hard to put the entire experience into words. So instead, I leave it to the movies. Ironically, a handful of my all time favorite movies are set in this city and I guarantee that watching one (or all) will make you want to plan a trip to this great city stat!
10) Sixteen Candles ~ Ok if you didn't know that John Hughes was from Chicago, you probably wouldn't know that Sixteen Candles is based in Chicago...but surprise - it is! And since it's a classic, it makes this list.
9) While You Were Sleeping ~ Who can forget that iconic scene with Sandra Bullock working guard at the El station when Peter Gallagher falls onto the tracks? Between the realistic view on the risk of taking our public transportation and the sneaky ice that forms on our sidewalks in the Winter - this movie is a great reminder of the amazing everyday people in Chicago.
8) Home Alone ~ If you've never flown into the American Airlines terminal at O'Hare airport, you should know that walking down the main hallway (to this day) looks exactly like it did in the scene where Kevin and his family were racing to make their flight. With the exception of the seasonal decor, flags are up all year round and will make you feel like you're running late for your flight.
7) Never Been Kissed ~ Josie Grossie is one of my all time favorite characters and I can't help but feel like the grown up version of her whenever I walk along the Michigan Avenue bridge across the river in front of the Wrigley building. This movie has great scenes and even sneaks in a few mentions of existing suburb high schools like Glenbrook high school.
6) The Break-Up ~This hands down is one of my favorite movies and as we were prepping for our move to Chicago, this was the movie that got me excited about our new adventure. While the storyline was not relevant, the mix of scenes between iconic places like the Riv, Cellular Field and the streets of Lincoln Park were enough to get me excited for our new city.
5) Mean Girls ~ This movie not only has memorable sayings ("Is butter a carb?"), but it's based in the suburb of Chicago and if you remember the movie as vividly as I do, Cady Heron's parents moved their family back to the US (specifically Chicago) to take jobs at Northwestern University.
4) Batman Begins & Dark Knight Rises (yes they count as one since they're a series) ~ Let's be honest, how could this NOT make my list? When we first moved to Chicago they were filming on our street and Matt got a glimpse of Heath Ledger (RIP) in his memorable role as the Joker. No other movie captures wide shots of the city scape like this series and every time I watch them I get goosebumps because of the breath taking scenes of the city.
3) My Best Friend's Wedding ~ As a teen I relieved the architectual boat scene in my head where Dermot Mulroney and Julia Roberts slow danced under the city bridges as he sang "their song" in her ear. This movie takes you all the way from the south side to the north side of the city and the scene where Cameron Diaz cuts across all lanes on Lake Shore Drive is a perfect example of how real life drivers are on that road.
2) Adventure's in Babysitting~ There was a time when Elizabeth Shue was expected to be the next big thing, but alas her time was short lived. Thankfully she did grace us in one very memorable movie that is set in Chicago which I was reminded of every day since my previous office looked directly at the building Sara slid down as she wore her metal Thor cap.
1) Ferris Bueller's Day Off ~ Everything about this movie screams Chi-Town! All the scenes as Ferris, Cameron and Sloane run free around the city embrace everything that is great about this city. You have sports, culture and a little bit of random excitement at any given moment throughout the year, and the only downfall is that no one ever has enough time to enjoy it all.
So whadya say? Ready for a visit?
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