By Debbie Harmsen For more than 20 years, the nation looked to Chicago for movie recommendations by reading and watching the reviews of film critics Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert. Siskel died in 1999, but Ebert continues his reviews in print, on television and online. Hollywood producers look to Chicago, too, as an ideal filming spot. The big-screen attention has added plenty to the local economy.
Some people come to the city solely for the purpose of visiting sites used in movies.
The Blues Brothers have a particularly strong following. Fans of My Best Friend's Wedding often ask about the boat ride Julia Roberts and Dermot Mulroney enjoyed. It was an architectural boat cruise on Chicago's First Lady, which departs from Michigan Avenue and Wacker Drive. Other places in the film include Union Station, Comiskey Park and The Drake hotel. Ferris Bueller's Day Off fans will want to see Wrigley Field, the Art Institute of Chicago and the Sears Tower, from which, on a clear day, you can see Wisconsin, Indiana and Michigan.