The Big Chill is actually remarkably similar to John Sayles 1980 effort, The Return Of The Secaucus Seven, an original, spot-on look at a group of 60s college friends and erstwhile radicals reunited for a weekend of reminiscences, revelations and regrets.
Sayles movie cost only $60,000, however, had no names attached to it, and so petered about the arthouse circuit, well regarded but little seen.
Lawrence Kasdan, coming off Body Heat, had more resources and promptly spun a box-office hit with his own story of a generation and a wonderful acting ensemble whose wage bill would be staggering to meet now (Tom Berenger, Glenn Close, Jeff Goldblum, William Hurt, Kevin Kline, Mary Kay Place, Meg Tilly and JoBeth Williams).
Goldblum is a hustling, cynical journalist, Hurts tragi-comic drugs dealer yo-yos on chemical All-Sorts, Places lawyer seeks a volunteer to impregnate her, Klines entrepreneur treats everyone to new trainers, Closes earth mother doctor is subjected to everyones sob stories and Tillys much younger, aerobicising Merry Widow reminds them of their age. Meals, jogs, unexpected couplings and confessions in the kitchen provide hilariously interwoven vignettes of the groups lifestyles and concerns, all to a wittily used soundtrack of Motown classics.
The now famous forehead and extremities of Kevin Costner make cameo appearances as the much talked-about corpse, Alex.
