The Big Chill (1983)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

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
Meg Kasdan	...	Airline Hostess
Patricia Gaul	...	Annie
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Kevin Costner	...	Alex (scenes deleted)

Directed by
Lawrence Kasdan

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

Produced by
Lawrence Kasdan	....	executive producer
Marcia Nasatir	....	executive producer
Barrie M. Osborne	....	associate producer (as Barrie Osborne)
Michael Shamberg	....	producer

Cinematography by
John Bailey

Film Editing by
Carol Littleton

Casting by
Wallis Nicita		(as Wally Nicita)

Production Design by
Ida Random

Set Decoration by
George Gaines

Costume Design by
April Ferry

Makeup Department
Michael Germain	....	makeup artist
Lyndell Quiyou	....	hair stylist
Mickey Scott	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Barrie M. Osborne	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Stephen P. Dunn	....	second assistant director (as Stephen Dunn)
Michael Grillo	....	first assistant director
Daniel J. Heffner	....	second assistant director (as Dan Heffner)

Art Department
Donald R. Abblett	....	production painter (as Donald Ablett)
Michael Casey	....	assistant property master
Tim Donelan	....	set dresser
Mike Higelmire	....	set dresser (as Michael Higelmire)
Gary Kudroff	....	set dresser
Michael Muscarella	....	construction coordinator
Rick Young	....	property master
Lewis Bowen	....	painter (uncredited)
David Goldstein	....	painter (uncredited)

Sound Department
Raul A. Bruce	....	boom operator (as Raul Bruce)
Gene S. Cantamessa	....	production sound mixer
Dennis Drummond	....	sound editor
Patrick Drummond	....	sound editor
Robert Grieve	....	sound editor
Rick Kline	....	sound re-recording mixer
Donald O. Mitchell	....	sound re-recording mixer
Kevin O'Connell	....	sound re-recording mixer
Norman B. Schwartz	....	post-production dialogue
Michael Tomack	....	sound editor
Dody Dorn	....	assistant sound editor (uncredited)
Steve Purvis	....	adr post-production (uncredited)
Donald C. Rogers	....	technical director of sound (uncredited)
Philip Rogers	....	sound recordist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Lawrence J. Cavanaugh	....	special effects supervisor (as Larry Cavanaugh)

Stunts
James Winburn	....	stunt coordinator (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Lou Barlia	....	camera operator
Michael W. Blymyer	....	best boy (as Michael Blymyer)
Bobby Brown	....	assistant camera (as Robert Brown)
Jack Brown	....	assistant camera
Michael Ginsburg	....	still photographer
Al LaVerde	....	key grip
Ronald W. McLeish	....	gaffer (as Ron McLeish)
George R. Schrader	....	dolly grip (as George Schrader)
Ty Suehiro	....	second grip
Jeffrey W. Petersen	....	electrician (uncredited)
Riko Schatke	....	grip (uncredited)
Ronald Vidor	....	camera operator (uncredited)

Casting Department
Sandra Dawes	....	extras casting
Deborah Lucchesi	....	casting coordinator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
April Ferry	....	costume supervisor
Michele Neely	....	costumer
Mort Schwartz	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Bruce Cannon	....	assistant editor
Mia Goldman	....	assistant editor
Bruce Pearson	....	color timer (uncredited)

Music Department
Meg Kasdan	....	music consultant
Mike Deasy	....	musician (uncredited)

Transportation Department
John Reade	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Pamela Alch	....	script supervisor
Jenny Collins	....	production assistant
Nan R. Eisley	....	assistant: Mr. Kasdan
Wayne Fitzgerald	....	title designer
Michael Hill	....	production accountant
Mark Indig	....	location manager: South Carolina
Larry Kaplan	....	unit publicist
Stratton Leopold	....	location manager: Atlanta
Scott Musgrave	....	production assistant
Elise Rohden	....	production coordinator
Gerald Scaife	....	production assistant
Emily T. Warwick	....	assistant: Mr. Shamberg
Michael McCulley	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Carson Productions (as Carson Productions Group)
• Columbia Pictures Corporation

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1983) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1986) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1999) (USA) (DVD) (widescreen)
• Criterion Collection, The (????) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (????) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures International Video (1992) (Germany) (video) (laserdisc)

Other Companies

• Delta Airlines  travel services
• Dolby Laboratories  sound post-production
• Modern Film Effects  titles
• Motown Records  soundtrack

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:

The main house in the film is in Beaufort, SC. It is the same house where The Great Santini (1979) was shot. Director Lawrence Kasdan liked "The Great Santini" so much that he decided to shoot his film in the same house.

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:

Chloe: I haven't met that many happy people in my life. How do they act?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Take a Number (1997)

Soundtrack:

THE WEIGHT

peace, love and yuppie-ness

"The Big Chill" was a classic film of the 1980's. It was the film which identified the 1960's baby boomer's as modern contemporary "yuppies". Throughout the 1980's, yuppies were spotlighted in the media as the generational trend in post-Reagan era living. After "the Big Chill" people turned to Doonesbury and "Thirtysomething" to find out what the baby boomer's were up to. What once became a generation of free spirited hippies soon changed into a lifestyle revolved around corporate jobs, wearing suits and driving Volvo's.

"The Big Chill" is a simple story that involves a group of old friends who reunite after hearing the news that Alex, a close friend has committed suicide. After the funeral, they spend a long weekend at the house of one of their friends, a married couple played by Kevin Kline and Glenn Close. They get together and spend time talking and trying to make sense of their lives by questioning the death of Alex and what's become of themselves. There is a sense of confusion about who they are and what they've become. "I always feel like somebody wants something from me" says a friend played by Tom Bergeron whose turned into a famous Hollywood actor. He feels guilty about his fame and the wealth that's earned him his paranoid suspicion's of other people. How could a group of friends like this go from "tuning in an dropping out" to living this corporate lifestyle? "I hate to think it was all just...fashion." says a confused Glenn Close. Kevin Kline offers reassurance that they "accomplished things". The 1960's did change a lot for the civil rights movement, the women's movement and protesting to help stop the war in Vietnam. What I always wanted to know, was Kevin Kline speaking on behalf his friends or his whole generation?

Both of my parents who lived through the 1960's never became yuppies. I tried watching this film once with a close friend who was heavily involved in the drugs, protests and road trips of that period. After a half hour or so into the movie, he was incapable of watching anymore. He did'nt believe that these characters actually lived through the same things that he lived through. It sort of falls into this notion that if you grew up during the sixties and listened to the Beatles and had somewhat shaggy hair, you were instantly considered a hippie. It's a way for people to identify with something they had little or nothing to do with. The number of people who actually did experiment with drugs, sex and other aspects of life were really far few from the mass culture. This is why I feel suspicious of "The Big Chill". How involved were these characters in the hippie movement? There is one character Nick, played by William Hurt who seems like the most believable character. He has a great performance as a bitter man who is tormented between the past and the present. He still has some of his naive and youthful instincts. He also seems like the most likable because he doesn't seem to hide any emotions like the rest of his friends. The other characters like the lawyer, the writer for People magazine and the movie star...how genuinely involved were they in the 1960's movement? We see these characters trying to relive the past by doing drugs and even sharing sexual partners. As my friend said "It seems so phony. I don't know anyone who turned into this".

A lot of baby boom audiences have responded bitterly about this film because it seems so personal and yet they cannot relate to the characters, and therefore they feel fooled, tricked or envious of these characters." The Big Chill" does not speak for an entire generation and that is the problem. William Hurt may have been stuck in the past, but for crying out loud, he shouldn't be wearing a suit and driving a Porsche!