Before Disney decided to remake their animated classics, musicals were rare in the movies. There was literally only a handful of them during the 2000s. At the time, people were more into rom-coms or crime capers—there wasn't that much enthusiasm for the grandeur of movie musicals. However, there still some that managed to knock the audiences' socks off! A lot of them even won or were nominated at the Oscars.
Here are the top 5 musicals from the 2000s. In an era when movie musicals were rare, these got people singing show tunes again!
Chicago
Of course, Chicago tops this list, of course! It was, after all, the only movie musical that won the Academy Award for Best Picture since "My Fair Lady" in 1964! Perhaps the best part about it is that it redefined movie musicals and made it more modern and risque. It was a lot sexier too, in contrast to classic movie musicals which were always sweet and saccharine. Here, the likes of Catherine Zeta-Jones, Renee Zellweger, Richard Gere, and Queen Latifah heat up the screen so much it was almost criminal!
Moulin Rouge!
Talking about sexy musicals, Baz Luhrmann's "Moulin Rouge!" was almost all about sex with a capital S. Nicole Kidman was at her finest and most beautiful as Satine, Ewan McGregor was his most dashing and utterly romantic as Christian. Even John Leguizamo gave his funniest performance as a fictional version of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. This is perhaps the grandest musical in this list, and for good reason. It had beautiful costumes, opulent sets, and an amazing jukebox selection of songs that were just perfect.
Dreamgirls
Without sound too cliche, "Dreamgirls" was simply dreamy. It harkened back to a great time in music history. But even though this was a period piece, and an adaptation of a Broadway musical from the 1980s, it felt fresh, modern, and new. And we have the special stylings of Beyoncé, Jennifer Hudson, Jamie Foxx, and more for it. Their stellar performances were top-notch and gave such soul to a story that's all too familiar but still staggering to watch on screen.
Hairspray
Movie musicals aren't too teeny-bopper nowadays. 2006's "Hairspray" was probably the last of its kind. And while today's modern musicals are welcome, there's nothing like that classic show tunes-kind to get you up your feet and start dancing. And you can't deny the numbers in this underrated movie musical are full of life and as zesty as ever. Not to mention socially aware and poignant. This is the type of film that never gets old, and if you want a flick to just put a smile on your face, this is the one!
Nine
Remember when I said "Moulin Rouge!" was sexy? Well, "Nine" takes it to a whole new level! Inspired by the great Federico Fellini's "8 1/2" and adapted from the Broadway musical of the same name, this film is a masterpiece. With an all-star cast with the likes of Marion Cotillard, Penelope Cruz, Nicole Kidman, Kate Hudson, Daniel-Day Lewis, and Sophia Loren, it was Hollywood at its finest. Each number—and woman, for that matter— had a certain sensuality that was completely enchanting!
Don’t let your love for movie musicals fade. Here are modern picks you can watch over and over to fulfill your show tunes need!
