Chicago (2002) Renee Zellweger Roxie Hart Catherine Zeta-Jones Velma Kelly Richard Gere Billy Flynn Queen Latifah Matron Mama Morton John C. Reilly Amos Hart Lucy Liu Kitty Baxter Taye Diggs The Bandleader Colm Feore Martin Harrison Christine Baranski Mary Sunshine Dominic West Fred Casely Mya Mona Deidre Goodwin June Denise Faye Annie Ekaterina Chtchelkanova Hunyak Susan Misner Liz Chita Rivera Nickie Sebastian La Cause Al Lipschitz Directed by: James Mangold Produced by: John Carter Cash, Alan C. Blomquist, James Keach Everyone loves a legend--but in Chicago, there's only room for one. Velma Kelly burns in the spotlight as a nightclub sensation. When she shoots her philandering husband, she lands on Chicago's famed murderess row, retains Chicago's slickest lawyer, Billy Flynn, and becomes the center of the town's most notorious murder case--only increasing her celebrity. Roxie Hart, seduced by the city's promise of style and adventure, dreams of singing and dancing her way to stardom. When Roxie's abusive lover tries to walk out on her, she too ends up in prison. The ambitious Billy recognizes another made-for-tabloids story, and postpones Velma's court date to take on Roxie's case. Infamy is Roxie's ticket to stardom. Billy turns her crime of passion into celebrity headlines, and in this town, where murder is a form of entertainment, she becomes a bona fide star--much to Velma's chagrin. As Roxie fashions herself out to be America's latest sweetheart, Velma has more than a few surprises in store for her. Tensions climax as the two women stop at nothing to outdo each other in their obsessive pursuit of fame and celebrity. =========== Murderesses Velma Kelly (a chanteuse and tease who killed her husband and sister after finding them in bed together) and Roxie Hart (who killed her boyfriend when she discovered he wasn't going to make her a star) find themselves on death row together and fight for the fame that will keep them from the gallows in 1920s Chicago. =========== Fame hungry Roxie Hart dreams of a life on the Vaudville stage, and spends her nights jazzing it up in the bright lights of Chicago, continually hoping that she'll find her lucky break, and be shot into 1920's stardom, so able to flee her boring husband Amos. In awe of seductive club singer Velma Kelly (who is subsequantly arrested for the murder of her husband and sister - after discovering their affair), Roxie meets Fred Cassely a man who convinces her he can 'make her showbiz career take off'. However after Roxie has undergone the 'casting couch' treatment, and Fred has had his wicked way with her, he reveals that he has no more connections in showbusiness than she does. This is the final straw for Roxie, and her constant anger at rejection explodes. She shoots Fred Cassely and kills him. Upon discovering her infidelity, Roxie's husband Amos refuses to take the blame for the murder and Roxie is sent to jail, pending hanging. In jail she finally meets tabloid darling Velma Kelly, currently receiving huge media attention for the double murder she committed earlier in the tale. Sharing the clink with Velma, are a collection of other sly females, all awaiting trial for the murders of their own partners. Velma is aloof to Roxie, however the prison Warden Mrs Morton offers Roxie the opportunity of representation by slick Chicago lawyer Billy Flynn. Billy is more a showbiz P. R agent than a legal lawyer and minipulates the tabloids into thinking Roxie is no more than an innocent 'good time girl' who took the wrong path, than a scheming murderess. The tabloids go crazy for the new girl on the cell block, and Roxie finally becomes a star. However due to Roxie's new found fame, Velma is forgotten about. She is forced to approach Roxie with an offer of a part in her Vaudville act (filling the gap left by her murdered sister), but Roxie turns down her offer flat, thinking she needs no support in topping the bill. However, just as Velma's star fell, so does Roxie's, when Go-to-hell Kitty arrives at the jail on a multiple murder charge, the press forget Roxie and now she and Velma are in the same boat. With one more trick up her sleave Roxie manages to bring the media attention back onto her, and her day in court arrives. Billy is now ready to play the ultimate showman! ============= Velma Kelly is the sexy vaudeville star who murders her husband and sister after finding them in bed together. Roxie is the wannabe vaudeville star who kills her lover after finding out he was never going to make her famous. Enter Billy Flynn, the greasy lawyer whose goal is not only to have his clients acquitted, but to make them legal legends. Billy, who apparently likes Roxie's angle (He tried to kill me) better than Velma's (I blacked out and can't remember a thing). With help from Matron Mama Morton both women vie for the spot as Illinois's most famed murderess, but there's only room for one legend... "That's Chicago". ============= Roxie Hart is a married chorus girl with hopes of being a headliner in Vaudeville. Velma Kelly is a former headliner. What do these two have in common? They both are murderesses. Roxie killed her lover when he walked out on her, and Velma killed her husband and sister, who were having an affair. Chicago's newspapers love the nitty-gritty and Velma is at the top of the headlines. But then Roxie comes along and Velma is old news. They find themselves competing for not only the press' attention, but also the focus of their shared lawyer, the suave Billy Flynn. Add to the mix a sob sister, Roxie's hapless husband Amos, and a warm prison matron who watches out for her girls (if there's something in it for her), and you have Chicago.