The Big Chill (1983)

 

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When director and screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan toured the studios with the script for “The Big Chill”, he was turned down by all the big studios. According to Kasdan, they did not see the point of the movie. I am not really surprised. On the face of it, I see where they were coming from. It is a movie that does not seem to have a story arc or a plot and with too many characters to stay in focus. However, when you then dig into it, it manages to work surprisingly well. You just have to through away your expectation of what a movie should be like.

A guy called Alex (whom we never see), has died, killing himself, and his old friends from college show up at his funeral. There is a reception at the nearby home of Sarah and Harold Cooper (Glenn Close and Kevin Kline), where Alex also used to live. Sarah and Harold are living an affluent, yet very conventional life. Also staying at the house is Chloe (Meg Tilly), Alex’ much younger girlfriend. The visitors include television star Sam (Tom Berenger), journalist Michael (Jeff Goldblum), psychologist turned salesman (and Vietnam veteran) Nick (William Hurt), defence lawyer Meg (Mary Kay Place) and housewife Karen (Jobeth Williams) who’s husband leaves the next morning to take care of their children.

All these people (with the possible exception of Nick) seem to have reached a comfortable position in their adulthood and while it sounds like they were a tightknit group in college, the years since have taken them away from each other. Both physically and mentally. Being gathered again they both enjoy each other’s company and are surprised to learn how different they have become. The big chill of the title is supposed to be the effect when a supposedly familiar person says something that reveal a fundamental difference in values or worldview.

Over the weekend the characters interact, talk about their lives, banter and argue. There is no straight line here, it is more like seven balls simultaneously in a pinball game. What we do learn, though, is that all of these people need some readjustment in their lives. Not that they necessarily have gotten lost, but something is missing and the weekend together makes them realize this and even offers an opportunity to fix it. Sort of a coming-of-age movie for adults.

 Realizing this is what makes the movie interesting. Having a lot of Hollywood stars talking, laughing and arguing may have been entertaining in its own right, but when the characters start to not only unfold but also to develop, that is where the movie shows its value, something all those studio heads clearly missed.

Normally I am very sceptic about ensemble movies. In order to give screentime to all of them we often do not get enough of each. Not so here. Being confined to a very narrow space (they rarely leave the house), there is always interaction. One on one, one on two or any combination and they all bring something into the mix, allowing a depth to all the characters.

It also helps that the issues these people are dealing with are relatable adult problems. Not terribly exotic but also not naively juvenile. It is also not so much the cliché midlife crisis, but more a life-caught-up-with-me, what-happened-to-the-person-I-used-to-be kind of issues. I am not saying we all suffer from that, but as an adult, this is relatable.

Of course, I also must mention that it is fun to watch so many of the great actors of the eighties together in a movie that is all about acting. Yeah, they could discuss shopping it Walmart and it would be interesting to watch.

I enjoyed “The Big Chill” a lot more than I expected I would. It is a good pick for the List.