The Big Chill (1983)

Director:

Lawrence Kasdan

Writers:

Lawrence Kasdan (written by) &
Barbara Benedek (written by)

Release Date:

28 September 1983 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Music

Tagline:

The story of eight old friends searching for something they lost, and finding that all they needed was each other.

Plot:

A group of seven former college friends gather for a weekend reunion at a posh South Carolina winter house after the funeral of one of their friends.

Plot Keywords:

Funeral | Suicide | 1960s | Reunion | Reflection

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Tom Berenger	...	Sam Weber
Glenn Close	...	Sarah Cooper
Jeff Goldblum	...	Michael Gold
William Hurt	...	Nick Carlton
Kevin Kline	...	Harold Cooper
Mary Kay Place	...	Meg Jones
Meg Tilly	...	Chloe
JoBeth Williams	...	Karen Bowens
Don Galloway	...	Richard Bowens
James Gillis	...	Minister
Ken Place	...	Peter the Cop
Jon Kasdan	...	Harold and Sarah's Son
Ira Stiltner	...	Running Dog Driver
Jake Kasdan	...	Autograph Seeker (as Jacob Kasdan)
Muriel Moore	...	Alex's Mother

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:15 | Denmark:A (DVD rating) | Singapore:M18 | South Korea:18 | Argentina:18 | Australia:M | Chile:18 | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:R | West Germany:16 | Italy:T | Iceland:12

Filming Locations:

Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Company:

Carson Productions

Trivia:

Flashback scenes with Kevin Costner as Alex were filmed, but cut. He is still visible as the body being dressed at the beginning of the film.

Goofs:

Continuity: The position of Harold's and Sarah's left arms after she and Harold talk to Nick on the front steps after the wake.

Quotes:

[about men]
Meg: They're either married or gay. And if they're not gay, they've just broken up with the most wonderful woman in the world, or they've just broken up with a bitch who looks exactly like me. They're in transition from a monogamous relationship and they need more space. Or they're tired of space, but they just can't commit. Or they want to commit, but they're afraid to get close. They want to get close, you don't want to get near them.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Baghead (2008)

Soundtrack:

THE WEIGHT

Great movie!!

After reading several of the user comments on this movie, it is clear that many people missed quite a bit. Those "funny one-liners" (and there are plenty!) are much more than that: they tell us volumes about the characters. This movie certainly does not spell anything out to the viewer (except, perhaps, the obvious), so you must be able to find the meaning behind the words. If you listen to what the characters are saying, then you can understand their past relationships, their present feelings, which friends have stayed close, etc. Remember, these are old friends: the script is very realistic so the characters are not going to explain every line to one another. I believe to truly enjoy this movie you need to pay close attention to all of the details and understand a bit about the attitudes and ideals of the two eras the movie depicts.

Wonderful, intelligent movie!