The Big Chill

The Big Chill, motion picture about a group of college radicals from the 1960s who reunite in the early 1980s to attend the funeral of one of their circle. Released in 1983, this film was written and directed by Lawrence Kasdan and strongly resembles John Sayles’s film Return of the Secaucus Seven (1980). The friends attend the funeral of their friend Alex, who committed suicide, and spend a weekend reflecting on how they have changed since their college years. Michael (played by Jeff Goldblum) was a radical journalist but now works for People magazine. Meg (Mary Kay Place) started out her law career as a public defender but later chose to become a real estate attorney. The very young woman (Meg Tilly) who was Alex’s girlfriend in his final days watches as the seven friends worry aloud about abandoning their ideals and growing old.

Director

• Lawrence Kasdan

Cast

• Glenn Close (Sarah)
• Tom Berenger (Sam)
• William Hurt (Nick)
• Jeff Goldblum (Michael)
• Mary Kay Place (Meg)
• Kevin Kline (Harold)
• Meg Tilly (Chloe)
• Don Galloway (Richard)
• JoBeth Williams (Karen)
• James Gillis (Minister)
• Ken Place (Peter)

Trivia

• Kevin Costner appears briefly as the dead man. He also appeared in a series of flashback scenes that were cut from the film before its release.

Quotes

• Michael (to Nick, on funerals): “Amazing tradition. They throw a great party for you on the one day they know you can’t come.”