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Kevin Kline,
Kevin Kline,
Glenn Close,
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Lawrence Kasdan,
Lawrence Kasdan
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: Columbia TriStar
: 106 min.
: English, Spanish, French
: English, Spanish, French
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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, All Movie Guide
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| Shows its age but still asks good questions
by hneline1
April 11, 2002 - 2:37 PM PDT
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4 out of 4 members found this review helpful
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| I've been wanting to see this movie for several years, ever since a few of my friends said that it was their favorite film. Well, maybe I waited one (or two) decades too long, because some of the issues would have more drama if we were truly in the early 80's (like needing to reconcile the high ideals from the late 60's with the harsh capitalism of the 80's, and understanding that "over 30" meant more to people of that generation than to people in subsequent generations). As it is, it's a very good lookback to that era and a fair exploration of the process of maturing in our society. People in their 30's will relate to many of the issues (women choosing career first and facing the biological timeclock, losing contact with friend and reconnecting after everyone has changed, deciding to stay in a boring marriage or leave, among other issues). It's also fun to see the cast at the beginning of their careers (Glenn Close, Jeff Goldblum, Kevin Kline, William Hurt, etc). Be sure to see the Extra where Lawrence Kasdan talks about the making of this movie. |
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GreenCine Member Rating
(Average 5.91)
85 Votes
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