Chicago

Chicago deserves its spot in the pantheon of modern film musicals. The Kander-and-Ebb score is catchy and iconic - there simply isn't a single dud in the entire picture. The choreography is top-notch, and the social satire is as prickly as it was when this great show first premiered on Broadway in 1975. I worked behind the scenes in my high school's production of Chicago. I was instantly impressed by how deep the show is. The lyrics are pitch-perfect, an incredibly sharp and humorous send-up of celebrity culture, sex, dishonesty, crime, justice (and the lack thereof) and prejudice, and the media's complicity with injustice, set against the glamorous, decadent backdrop of the Roaring 20s. The jazz and vaudeville inspired music is genius, nailing the "razzle dazzle" of Roxie and Velma's public performance of innocence, versus the reality. This is a better fit for mature kids who can understand irony and satire. Of course, none of the characters are anywhere near role models, but they're not supposed to be, and your kids should be able to understand that if you want to watch this movie with them. They should also be old enough to handle a LOT of sexuality and violence portrayed in an irreverent way. This brilliant film is more than just razzle-dazzle: it offers a lot of fodder for conversation.

I love Chicago. Really the only bad thing is the sex scene withing the first 6 minutes of the movie. There is a little bit of language but nothing worse than a marvel movie. There is smoking and booze but it is set in the 20's.