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The Big Chill on DVD (1983)

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Average rating: 67%
1214620161557
3.0
from 401 members
 
Starring: Tom Berenger, Jeff Goldblum, William Hurt, Kevin Kline, Glenn Close, Mary Kay Place, Meg Tilly, JoBeth Williams, Don Galloway, Kevin Costner
Director: Lawrence Kasdan
Studio: SONY PICTURES HOME ENTERTAINMENT
Run time: 100 mins
Certificate: 15
Collections: 100 Eighties Greats
User collections: A little more conversation,a little less action please..., Olympia Hall
Genres: Comedy
Languages: English
Dubbed: French, German, Italian, Spanish
Subtitles: Arabic, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Icelandic, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish
Released: 07/06/1999

Brief synopsis of The Big Chill

Seven members of a close-knit college group of friends are reunited fifteen years later after the eighth commits suicide. The funeral and reception lead to an extended weekend for all as they decide to spend time together pondering the recent events. Amidst a barrage of Motown classics, the members each offer little tidbits about their current lives while reminiscing about the past. In college, the absent and recently deceased Alex was the biggest and brightest star of the bunch but never seemed to get anywhere after being set loose in the real world. The slow acknowledgement that their champion never materialized leads the group in ever widening circles of thought. Discussions of their past lives and current bring about the realization that each has changed so much while remaining remarkably similar. Despite the tragic circumstances, the group disperses with renewed friendships and a newfound appreciation for life.

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Critics Reviews

Rating of 4 stars out of 5 Radio Times

At one time a cult movie among 20-somethings, this chic comedy is now better known as the picture from which Kevin Costner had all his scenes cut. Smartly written by director Lawrence Kasdan and Barbara Benedek, the Oscar-nominated script clearly owes a debt to John Sayles's overlooked and infinitely superior reunion drama The Return of the Secaucus Seven. However, there are still plenty of original insights into both 1960s counterculture and the pretensions of the chattering classes. There's a dream cast, although Meg Tilly upstages her more famous co-stars, while the soundtrack is packed with the anthems of an age. It's over-clever, but very slick.

Time Out

A funeral reunites a group of friends from the idealistic '60s who have gone their separate ways in the pragmatic '80s.... Read more on www.timeout.com

Variety

"...All of [the actors] are given opportunities to shine, and all rise to the occasion with seeming effortlessness..."

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Members Reviews

Reviews Voted Most Helpful

Rated - 4 starsA Classic fun movie

Shay3 from Maidenhead , 15/03/2005

Just a classic fun movie. Good music, good friends, good feelings. Enough thought provoking topics to have a conversation about but no stress.

  3 out of 3 people found this review helpful
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Rated - 2 starsI shouldn't like this but...

Simmy from West Yorkshire , 09/03/2004

It is full of whinging middle class American ex-hippies moaning about relationship problems and falling share prices. The cast has some charm, JoBeth Williams is always good, Tom Berenger and Kevin Klein work well here and I love Jeff Goldblum. Glenn Close leaves me cold mostly and here is no exception. Actually, thinking about it there isn't a lot to like about a load of angst ridden 35 year olds trying to come to terms with relationships that all but ended 15 years previously. I am led to believe that Kevin Costner played the corpse, mmmm, great casting.

  3 out of 5 people found this review helpful
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Rated - 4 starsHippies try to grow up, with great soundtrack

Hilda from London [Highly rated reviewer] , 29/11/2004

Middle-aged sixties revolutionaries try to come to terms with their changing personas. Strangely believable. If you watch the 'making of' extras you will begin to see how such a naturalism was achieved. Probably mainly appeal to the same generation, unless very broadminded.

  2 out of 3 people found this review helpful
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Rated - 5 starswarm to the chill

Karen Dawson from edinburgh , 30/06/2005

It is astonishing that something so 'of its time' can still feel so fresh. I expected it to seem dated, but was blown away by the subtlety of the performances. Kevin Kline - a mere youth here - shows his colours as an actor of great depth in the making, with strong and moving performances by his co-stars. The big chill manages to study the existential question of why not kill yourself while entertaining with appropriate light hearted touches. See it!

  1 out of 1 person found this review helpful
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Most Recent Reviews

Rated - 4 starsCustomer Review

A customer from UK , 23/06/2008

If you can look past the 80s perms, knitwear and the nostalgic soundtrack, this is a very rich expression of so many human complications, truths and disappointments. Not the kind of thing Hollywood makes much any more. Very enjoyable.

  1 out of 1 person found this review helpful
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Rated - 4 starsA Classic fun movie

Shay3 from Maidenhead , 15/03/2005

Just a classic fun movie. Good music, good friends, good feelings. Enough thought provoking topics to have a conversation about but no stress.

  3 out of 3 people found this review helpful
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