Dear Cinephiles,
I remember seeing “The Big Chill” in 1983. The film is about a group of college roommates who get together 15 years later for a weekend following the funeral of their much-admired friend Alex who committed suicide for no apparent reason. The minister at the funeral asks, “Where did Alex’s hope go?” While at the University of Michigan in the late 60s, they had hoped to change the world by becoming activists, civil right lawyers and artists. Now they’re reconciling with how their lives have turned out. Michael who is now a reporter from People magazine describes the weekend to his editor on the phone, “I don’t know, it’s about everything: Um… suicide, despair, where did our hope go? Lost hope, that’s it, lost hope.” At the time when this movie was made, President Reagan had been touting optimism for America. Writer/director Lawrence Kasdan intended this film to be a reaction to that view.
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The movie serves as a time capsule for the 80s – yet both the personal and political conflicts at the heart of the movie remain timelessly urgent. How do we reconcile our youthful aspirations and dreams with the choices and compromises we’ve made in our lives? When I first saw the film I was in college – and it served as a warning to never lose track of the dreams and hopes of my youth. As I sit writing this, I realize that thoughts of optimism and hope have been on my mind a lot. And like the characters in this movie, I have used this extended ‘weekend’ I have been given for introspection, evaluation and reconciling. That’s why I wanted to sit and watch it again.
Kasdan’s writing and directing are warm, funny, poignant and the actors never allow the film to become sentimental. And what a cast! Glenn Close, Kevin Klein, Tom Berenger, William Hurt, Jo Beth Williams, Mary Kay Place, Jeff Goldblum, and Meg Tilly. They all have moments to shine. They were all at the beginning of their careers – and of course they all went on to incredibly successful futures. The soundtrack is probably one of the most iconic music soundtracks ever. It serves as a constant reminder of the 60s – as well as a propulsive force to ignite each scene.
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My dear readers, put on “The Big Chill” and never give up hope. Remain optimistic.
Meg: “The last time I spoke with Alex, we had a fight. I yelled at him.” Nick: “That’s probably why he killed himself… What was the argument about?” Meg: “I told him he was wasting his life.”
Love, Roger
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Category: WHY
