An always entertaining and perceptive film that hardly ever lapses into sentimentality.
The Big Chill (1983)
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Reviews Counted:31
Fresh:21
Rotten:10
Average Rating:6.1/10
Runtime: 2 hrs 50 mins
Genre: Dramas
Synopsis: Seven members of a close-knit college group of friends are reunited fifteen years later after the eighth commits suicide. The funeral and reception lead to an extended weekend for all as they... Seven members of a close-knit college group of friends are reunited fifteen years later after the eighth commits suicide. The funeral and reception lead to an extended weekend for all as they decide to spend time together pondering the recent events. Amidst a barrage of Motown classics, the members each offer little tidbits about their current lives while reminiscing about the past. In college, the absent and recently deceased Alex was the biggest and brightest star of the bunch but never seemed to get anywhere after being set loose in the real world. The slow acknowledgement that their champion never materialized leads the group in ever widening circles of thought. Discussions of their past lives and current bring about the realization that each has changed so much while remaining remarkably similar. Despite the tragic circumstances, the group disperses with renewed friendships and a newfound appreciation for life. [More]
Starring: Tom Berenger, Glenn Close, Jeff Goldblum, William Hurt
Starring: Tom Berenger, Glenn Close, Jeff Goldblum, William Hurt, Kevin Kline, Mary Kay Place, Meg Tilly, JoBeth Williams
Director: Lawrence Kasdan
Director: Lawrence Kasdan
Composer: John Williams
Screenwriter: Lawrence Kasdan, Barbara Benedek
Producer: Michael Shamberg
Reviews for The Big Chill
An entertaining look at the 80s embourgeoisement of 60s student activists steers skillfully between social satire and sentiment.
Characters are generally middle-of-the-roaders, and pic lacks a tough-minded spokesman who might bring them all up short for a moment.
Strong acting and a string of classic rock and soul tunes make up for a superficial script.
There is no place for depth or nuance in this slickly engineered complacency machine.
More significant sociologically than artistically, Kasdan's portrait of the Baby Boom generation--the Yuppie--is a zeitgeist film that despite a shallow script is enjoyable due to strong ensemble acting and popular rock and soul tunes.
It has all the right moves. It knows all the right words. Its characters have all the right clothes, expressions, fears, lusts and ambitions. But there's no payoff and it doesn't lead anywhere.
A thoroughly entertaining, fluid and wonderfully relaxed movie that delivers some of the finest ensemble acting to be seen on the screen for years.
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