Embraced by the Baby Boomer generation and spawning countless imitators, the sophomore film of writer-director Lawrence Kasdan was a successful comedy-drama with a best selling soundtrack of Motown hits. Kevin Kline and Glenn Close star as Harold and Sarah Cooper, a couple whose marital troubles are put on hold while they host an unhappy reunion of former college pals gathered for the funeral of one of their own, a suicide victim named Alex. As the weekend unfolds, the friends catch up with each
other, play the music of their youth, reminisce, smoke marijuana, and pair off with each other in unexpected combinations. Included are Michael (Jeff Goldblum), a smarmy journalist; Sam (Tom Berenger), a TV star; Karen (JoBeth Williams), unhappily married and pining for Sam; Nick (William Hurt), a drug-addicted Vietnam vet; and Meg (Mary Kay Place), a single career woman who wants a child. Joining the group is Alex's bizarre girlfriend Chloe (Meg Tilly), who finds new love with Nick. As they learn to deal with the truth about the loss of idealism in their lives and Alex's sad demise, the friends find their bond still intact, while the marriage of Harold and Sarah is healed in an unusual way that's in sync with the era of their youth. Cut from the release of The Big Chill (1983) was the brief appearance of young actor Kevin Costner as Alex. Kasdan promised Costner a role in his next picture, which turned out to be a star-making part in Silverado (1985). ~ Karl Williams, Rovi
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.
The performances represent ensemble playing of an order Hollywood films seldom have time for, with the screenplay providing each character with at least one big scene.
More significant sociologically than artistically, Kasdan's portrait of the Baby Boom generation--the Yuppie--is a zeitgeist film that is enjoyable due to strong ensemble acting and popular tunes.
This one is a timeless gem. Seven friends are reunited after a long time, not for the best of reasons though - the eighth member of their once intimate group having committed suicide.With emotions teetering between joy and sorrow, they decide to make the most out of the time they have. A night of booze and laughs
follows, and soon each one realize how much things have changed in their lives. The most captivating aspect about the movie, something every viewer relates to himself, is that sense of dreams lost and ideals surrendered - how life never turn out as we plan it to be.
A decent cast with a decent story but somehow this just felt like a 10 hour bore. Way too talky and with the amount of characters it was sometimes difficult to keep up because they weren't well established in the beginning. I didn't know until 20 minutes in that they all were old friends, and too much of a significance
was put on the dead man. Never watch again.
No quotes approved yet for The Big Chill. Logged in users can submit quotes.
Submit a Quote from 'The Big Chill'
A quote can be a single line from one character or a memorable dialog between several characters. Please make your quotes accurate. Quotes will be submitted for approval by the RT staff.
Example:
Luke: Alright. I'll give it a try. Yoda: No. Try not. Do or do not. There is no try.
Top Critic
