The Big Chill (1983)

A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."

Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

I agree with what Roger Ebert has written about this movie: something in the style of "it knows all the moves but has no payoff and it doesn't go anywhere". It's interesting as a portrait of (very) early middle age but eventually you're left with a question: "so what?".There are also some minor inconsistencies which are each very forgivable but all together contribute to the disconnect I feel towards this movie: it's clearly set in the 80s but the characters are supposed to have a past rooted in the 60s counterculture, and yet they seem so relatively young. And yet they have turned that page pretty swiftly, and made it big, while continuing from time to time to utter oddly naive considerations. There's a lot of music in the film, diegetic and not. Sometimes we get whole songs while the characters do stuff in the background, and it seems a bit of a narrative copt-out.For the positives: it's very well acted and contains several genuinely funny moments. But I struggle to see what's supposed to be "seminal" about it. There's another film on a very similar theme, "Le déclin de l'empire americain" -- which feels infinitely more real and poignant than this one.

One of the best ensemble casts ever gathered together. I love everything about this movie. Great cast, great soundtrack, great script. My first exposure to Lawrence Kasdan was big shocker as a screenwriter for Star Wars and Indiana Jones movies. But barring a couple films here and there I really got to appreciate Kasdan as a filmmaker on his own merits. And this is where it started for me. With a bunch of friends mourning a loss and pining for the past, while listening to the best music ever recorded.

it's pretty much a dialogue movie, which is OK, but the dialogue is very tightly scripted. every word so carefully thought out, that it's unrealistic. people, even good friends, simply don't talk and interact like that. as for the music, it seems the producers realized there wasn't much beef, so to add some meat to the bone they overlayed popular songs every once in a while to make it seem cool and fill the time. parts almost seemed like a music video.in summary, i would say it's OK to watch to see some actors that eventually became quite popular, before they were well known. but expect to say to yourself "omg this is ridiculous", every once in a while. also, as others have stated, don't expect much of a story.

This one has it all. If you ever had a really tight knit group of school friends that you absolutely love and then spent years without them, this film will allow you to feel like you are having a reunion with your friends. The closeness, inside jokes, various personalities, mini-dramas all add to the flavor. The soundtrack is one of the best of all time and the storytellers use the music to connect the audience with the characters. For such a large cast of strong actors, this group does a wonderful job not to overshadow one another. It is a harmonious blend of styles and personalities that can make solid use of non-verbal communication. I have viewed thousands of movies. Very, very few deserve a second viewing. The Big Chill is one that I have enjoyed at least ten times over the years.