The Big Chill (1983)
The Big Chill (1983)
In my humble opinion, 1983’s The Big Chill is a classic. Up to this point, I have seen the movie twice. Each time I have viewed the movie, I was affected in ways I did not think I would have been. I find that funny because both times I have seen this film, I am not even close to the age of the characters. As a man still in my 20’s, obviously I haven’t had to ask the question, “What is it like to be in your 30’s”? But the theme of reminiscing about your past, about your college days is very prevalent to me. College shaped my life in an enormous way and five years after graduation, not a day go by as I think about these experiences I collected. I guess ten years down the line, I will be like the characters as seen in the movie. Also, this film is about friendship, love, and sex. Very important themes for any rational human. What I truly liked is how Lawrence Kasdan’s script and the performances from the ensemble cast were able to effectively use these themes to the greatest effect.
Lawrence Kasdan directed the film based off his original screenplay about a bunch of friends who attended the University of Michigan together in the 1960’s. These group of friends shared many of the same ideologies, politics, and thoughts. After they graduated, they pursued their own separate, successful careers although they remained in touch for the most part. It’s now 1983 and they all reunited thanks to the unfortunate happenstance of a suicide from one of their friends. Being in their mid to late 30’s, their ideas about life and the world changed. The group of friends along with Alex’s younger girlfriend, Chloe (Meg Tilly) stay at Sarah (Glenn Close) and Harold’s (Kevin Kline) house. As these friends get to know each other once more, they just might see how much they have changed as individuals.
What do all of these names have in common? Kevin Kline, Glenn Close, William Hurt, Jeff Goldblum, Tom Berenger, JoBeth Williams, Meg Tilly, and Mary Kay Place? They were all of the fantastic actors who made up this ensemble. This movie truly works as an ensemble, not as a singular character piece. Each character had their moments to shine, but they worked together well as one collective group. Honestly, I felt like a part of their circle. Watching these actors interact with each other was so much fun as well as emotional. They all asked relevant questions, such as what is it like to be in their 30’s, can we still have children, what should we have changed about the past, and so forth. Many of these actors, while not entirely at the height of their careers yet, would go on to have fantastic careers. Glenn Close was this film’s MVP (and she was nominated for an Academy Award), but William Hurt is a close second for me.
Another reason why this film affected me the way it did was because of the killer soundtrack. I am an old soul, so 60’s rock and roll and R&B is my jam. Even though the setting is the 1980’s, these characters grew up in the 1960’s where their radical personalities were able to jive out to this music. Smokey Robinson, The Rolling Stones, The Temptations, and the list goes on. This film might just be able to boast the title of the best soundtrack of all time. I really mean it!
I did not pay attention to any reviews and did minimal research before watching the movie. The cast is what attracted me to the picture. I was pretty shocked to see how many mediocre reviews this film has. The overall scores are not terrible, but I consider this to be one of the best films of 1983. It does not have much of a narrative and it can be overly talky, but I am a nostalgic person. No matter if its 1983 or 2019 or 1968, all generations goes through the same themes of friendship, love, and nostalgia.
The Big Chill spoke to me in ways many films do not. The music, the dialogue, the acting performances are all great. Glenn Close and William Hurt lead the fantastic ensemble. The film is authentic and pure. It may not have a point or lead to anywhere earth-shattering, but watching friends come together to share their joy, sorrows, and pain is always fun to watch.
My Grade: A
In my humble opinion, 1983’s The Big Chill is a classic. Up to this point, I have seen the movie twice. Each time I have viewed the movie, I was affected in ways I did not think I would have been. I find that funny because both times I have seen this film, I am not even close to the age of the characters. As a man still in my 20’s, obviously I haven’t had to ask the question, “What is it like to be in your 30’s”? But the theme of reminiscing about your past, about your college days is very prevalent to me. College shaped my life in an enormous way and five years after graduation, not a day go by as I think about these experiences I collected. I guess ten years down the line, I will be like the characters as seen in the movie. Also, this film is about friendship, love, and sex. Very important themes for any rational human. What I truly liked is how Lawrence Kasdan’s script and the performances from the ensemble cast were able to effectively use these themes to the greatest effect.
Lawrence Kasdan directed the film based off his original screenplay about a bunch of friends who attended the University of Michigan together in the 1960’s. These group of friends shared many of the same ideologies, politics, and thoughts. After they graduated, they pursued their own separate, successful careers although they remained in touch for the most part. It’s now 1983 and they all reunited thanks to the unfortunate happenstance of a suicide from one of their friends. Being in their mid to late 30’s, their ideas about life and the world changed. The group of friends along with Alex’s younger girlfriend, Chloe (Meg Tilly) stay at Sarah (Glenn Close) and Harold’s (Kevin Kline) house. As these friends get to know each other once more, they just might see how much they have changed as individuals.
What do all of these names have in common? Kevin Kline, Glenn Close, William Hurt, Jeff Goldblum, Tom Berenger, JoBeth Williams, Meg Tilly, and Mary Kay Place? They were all of the fantastic actors who made up this ensemble. This movie truly works as an ensemble, not as a singular character piece. Each character had their moments to shine, but they worked together well as one collective group. Honestly, I felt like a part of their circle. Watching these actors interact with each other was so much fun as well as emotional. They all asked relevant questions, such as what is it like to be in their 30’s, can we still have children, what should we have changed about the past, and so forth. Many of these actors, while not entirely at the height of their careers yet, would go on to have fantastic careers. Glenn Close was this film’s MVP (and she was nominated for an Academy Award), but William Hurt is a close second for me.
Another reason why this film affected me the way it did was because of the killer soundtrack. I am an old soul, so 60’s rock and roll and R&B is my jam. Even though the setting is the 1980’s, these characters grew up in the 1960’s where their radical personalities were able to jive out to this music. Smokey Robinson, The Rolling Stones, The Temptations, and the list goes on. This film might just be able to boast the title of the best soundtrack of all time. I really mean it!
I did not pay attention to any reviews and did minimal research before watching the movie. The cast is what attracted me to the picture. I was pretty shocked to see how many mediocre reviews this film has. The overall scores are not terrible, but I consider this to be one of the best films of 1983. It does not have much of a narrative and it can be overly talky, but I am a nostalgic person. No matter if its 1983 or 2019 or 1968, all generations goes through the same themes of friendship, love, and nostalgia.
The Big Chill spoke to me in ways many films do not. The music, the dialogue, the acting performances are all great. Glenn Close and William Hurt lead the fantastic ensemble. The film is authentic and pure. It may not have a point or lead to anywhere earth-shattering, but watching friends come together to share their joy, sorrows, and pain is always fun to watch.
My Grade: A
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