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Special Features
- 56-minute documentary featuring new interviews with the cast and director Lawrence Kasdan, behind-the-scenes footage and deleted scenes
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com essential video
Lawrence Kasdan's 1983 big-budget variation on John Sayles's The Return of the Secaucus Seven finds a cluster of old college radicals--who have since gone on to sundry professions and various degrees of materialism--reuniting over the death of a friend. Both playful and thoughtful, the film represents Kasdan (Body Heat) at his most astute. The attractive cast meshes perfectly into a group of characters for which a former closeness is out of synch with their current lives, yet their warmth is enviable and inviting. The script may be a bit too glib, with many one-liners, but it is still a perfectly designed story with telling irony and no little passion. --Tom Keogh
Product Description
William Hurt, Glenn Close, Kevin Kline, Jeff Goldblum, JoBeth Williams, Tom Berenger. A group of former 1960s college students gather to mourn the death of a close friend and wind up grieving for their lost ideals. Directed by Lawrence Kasden. 1983/color/103 min/R/widescreen.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
31 of 32 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
THE BIG CHILL is one of those films (like AMERICAN GRAFITTI) that people of a certain age will watch and experience a sense of generational identification. The film is an enjoyable (if somewhat surface) treatment of a generation's coming to terms with the compromise and loss of its youthful ideals. The real treats of the movie are the performances of its ensemble cast and the soundtrack, which is filled with great Motown (and other) hits of the era. This DVD is the best video version yet of this film. The colors are warm and autumnal and the soundtrack is crisp (it practically begs to be pumped up during the songs). This is a special edition which contains deleted scenes (which, unfortunately, do not include the scenes with Kevin Costner) as well as a 55-minute documentary on the making of the film. This features current interviews with the cast and crew reflecting on their experiences making the film and what it has come to mean to them. For those who have a wide-screen TV, this film is enhanced for the 16:9 screen ratio. All in all, this is a first-rate presentation of a fine film.
42 of 48 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Since this film first appeared about 20 years ago, it has become a favorite of those who comprise what is referred to as the "Baby Boomer" generation" but its appeal is by no means limited to that age group. So many of its themes (e.g. nostalgia, disenchantment, sexual frustration, egocentricity) are common to all generations. As is often the case, a reunion of friends occurs because of a death, in this case Alex whose corpse is being formally dressed for burial as the film begins. (It is Kevin Costner's body but his head is concealed, with the balance of Costner's appearance lying on a cutting room floor.) Sarah and Harold Cooper (Glenn Close and Kevin Kline) serve as unofficial hostess and host. After the burial, their friends return with them to their home where accommodations are provided. Their extended celebration of both Alex and themselves begins, during which Kasdan (who also wrote the screenplay) carefully reveals the strengths and weaknesses of each central character. The Coopers seem to be the strongest, happily married and prosperous but also generous and caring. Nick (William Hurt) is a confused and self-absorbed veteran (in some respects a survivor) of the Viet Nam war. The group includes one celebrity, Sam (Tom Berenger) who stars in a television series. Karen has always been in love with Sam. Now a somewhat unhappily married woman, she struggles with her conflict of emotions (obligations to husband and children juxtaposed with her enduring attraction to Sam). Mary Kay Place is a successful attorney who yearns for parenthood but not necessarily marriage. For me, the most interesting character is Michael (Jeff Goldblum) who comes across as a smarmy, almost desperate social misfit. Although claiming to be secure as a journalist with People magazine, he is obviously desperate to be accepted, to make favorable impressions, and if nothing else, taken seriously. His vulnerabilities are almost palpable.
Kasdan and his associates have created in this film an especially effective portrayal of certain values during the period in which the action (such as it is) occurs. For example, most of the characters are almost wholly preoccupied with what they want but do not have. There is a strong element of codependency among them as they struggle to absorb and digest the reality of Alex's death. They are mutually devoted but, at the same time, several seem (to me) to be asking the same question once posed by Peggy Lee: "Is this all there is?"
Much of the appeal of this film is explained by how seamlessly Kasdan coordinates the plot with the soundtrack which continues to be a bestseller. For example, it is an especially appropriate touch that he includes the Rolling Stones' "You Can't Always Get What You Want" early on during the funeral service for Alex. Other selections on the soundtrack include "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" (Marvin Gaye), "My Girl" (The Tempations), "Good Lovin'" (Rascals), "The Tracks Of My Tears" (Smokey Robinson and the Miracles), "Joy To The World" (Three Dog Night), "Ain't Too Proud To Beg" (Temptations), "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" (Aretha Franklin), "I Second That Emotion" (Smokey Robinson and the Miracles), "A Whiter Shade Of Pale" (Procol Harum), and "Tell Him" (Exciters).
12 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
It's been twelve years since the halcyon days of college, and eight old friends are reunited for a classmate's funeral. Glenn Close and Kevin Kline play a married couple who open their home to the gang for a weekend of reminiscences of the good old days and moans about how their lives have turned out. William Hurt plays a disillusioned and disabled ex-soldier, Jeff Goldblum is a sarcastic writer, Tom Berenger is an actor who's seen better days, JoBeth Williams is married but looking for love, Mary Kay Place is single and looking for a baby daddy, and Meg Tilly is the deceased's young girlfriend.
There is no real action or plot; the film is made up of scattered, quiet conversations that reveal the characters' emotions. The early 70s rock soundtrack is such a big part of the movie, it's almost another character. If you loved songs like, "I Heard it Through the Grapevine" and "A Whiter Shade of Pale," you will love the non-stop music. Unfortunately, I didn't connect with any of the characters or find them particularly interesting; to me they were spoiled, self-centered whiners with precious little to complain about, who spent two hours doing it anyway. If you fit the Gen-X demographic and like the music, you'll probably enjoy this low-key movie about a reunion of old friends.
There is no real action or plot; the film is made up of scattered, quiet conversations that reveal the characters' emotions. The early 70s rock soundtrack is such a big part of the movie, it's almost another character. If you loved songs like, "I Heard it Through the Grapevine" and "A Whiter Shade of Pale," you will love the non-stop music. Unfortunately, I didn't connect with any of the characters or find them particularly interesting; to me they were spoiled, self-centered whiners with precious little to complain about, who spent two hours doing it anyway. If you fit the Gen-X demographic and like the music, you'll probably enjoy this low-key movie about a reunion of old friends.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Big Thrill
Still one of my favouite movies of all time.
Great enselmble cast.
Illustrates power of frienship and love.
Music to die for. Read more
Great enselmble cast.
Illustrates power of frienship and love.
Music to die for. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Diva 1
Does not seem new. Dont know. Dont want to get sued.
At 20:00 not a real good play. Might not be your fault. Its a dvd, not world changing. Take care.
Published 2 months ago by pete
Extra features were a disappointment
Any fan of The Big Chill would have expectations for finally seeing the "Alex Alive" scenes. When I heard that an anniversary edition was being released with extensive interviews... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Barbara Russell
Classic
This movie was a classic when it came out and it's even better now ! The casting director was a genius . LOVE IT !!!
Published 4 months ago by Jane Austin
Reflections on this film, from a non-baby boomer
Quite often, I come to read Amazon reviews & someone has already written what's in my mind about the subject at hand, and therefore, I feel no need to leave my remarks. Read more
Published 4 months ago by TurquoiseEyes13579
One Of The Greats!!!
Received this movie in excellent condition in a timely manner. If you graduated in the sixties and this was your era of time
then you would definitely identify with this... Read more
then you would definitely identify with this... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Laura A. Beck
Soylent Dick Says: Lack of story cardinal sin in movies
It probably serves me right for not being more careful with choosing the movies from the DVD shop. I was looking for action / drama movies for my teenage son. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Topaz Pig
Exposes the sixties generation for what they really are
I don't know what the director and screenwriters had in mind when they made this movie, but if nothing else they did a great job exposing late 1960's and early 1970's "radicals" as... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Ulfilas
Great movie
Arrived on time. I have wanted to add this movie to my collection for a long time. So glad I could.
Published 8 months ago by Angela Price
The Big Chill.
I was very pleased with this transaction. It came within a few days of ordering it and in great condition.
Published 8 months ago by Cena Shaver
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