Rating: 
Summary: Wore out our video
Review: I've grown in and out and up and around the Big Chill over the last 20 years, but I get a craving to watch it every so often. I love the family the friends have made, the sound bites, and the music.
We have worn out our video tape, so while watching it today I figured it's time to buy a DVD.
Rating: 
Summary: SOMEONE IS MISSING
Review: Second film of director Lawrence Kasdan, THE BIG CHILL could have been a confidential movie reserved to the 1970 american college educated generation. Fortunately a great cinematography and 8 outstanding actors have put some universality in Kasdan's screenplay.I saw THE BIG CHILL in the theaters in 1983 and what has stayed in my memory from this film is its first scene : the preparation of Alex dead body for the funeral. With a 1970 musical score. Really haunting. Most of the picture has very well passed the test of time except maybe for Sarah's amical sacrifice of her husband's fidelity. A little bit ridiculous in my opinion. Bonus features consist in a documentary with interviews of the director, the cast and the editor as well as SILVERADO's theatrical trailer. A wish you were here DVD.
Rating:
Summary: Worth It.
Review: I'm a bit hesitant about reviewing this movie, since I am only 18 years old and from a whole different generation. But I did see some dilemmas portrayed in this movie that was revelant to my life and my peers'. I do think I'm entitled to some complaints, though. First of all, the biggest setback for me was that I was not able to feel, and believe the grief from the eight. This is a wonderful cast- William Hurt, Kevin Kline, Glenn Close, Jobeth Williams, Jeff Goldblum,etc- who all moved on to great things. I'm sure they must have at least the common sense and acting talent to really wring out a believeable amount of grief for their friend whom committed suicide. Although I was impressed with Glenn Close's performance, because she seemed to be the only one who truly grieved. The most intimate scene is her naked in the shower, crying her eyes out. I found that scene especially poignant because I could feel her sadness, and I lost that as the movie progressed. They seemed to forget about Alex as they whined about their lives. To me, Sarah(Close) was the only one who felt the loss, because she brought up Alex as they're sitting around the dinner table, and then pours her heart out. Then after that, it goes kind of haywire. But it was Close who sort of kept the movie together, like the stitches holding together Alex's wrist wounds during the opening credits.
There was another thing that moved me-Harold(Kline) agreeing to get Meg(Place) pregnant because her supposedly biological clock is ticking and she can't get a man to inseminate her. As she put it, "These are my favorite men in the world", therefore narrowing the list down to Harold, Sam, and Michael (Nick's out of the picture because it seems like he recieved an 'owie' during 'Nam). So, in the end Harold's the lucky winner. Sarah cheerfully gives up her husband to Meg for one night. That really grabbed my attention because, who in the HELL would do a thing like that? There's way too much mess involved. That really stood out for me, because in a way it convinced me that these eight would do anything for each other. They share the same blood, thoughts, and running shoes.
So, don't miss this, because the intimacy is worth tasting for one night.
Rating: 
Summary: The Whiniest Generation
Review: The baby boomer as self absorbed, whiny yuppie entered into the mainstream of American culture with this insufferably bad 1983 film. The story is simple -- a group of boomers are united for a weekend stay at a vacation home when they gather for the funeral of a friend. During this time together they complain about how much better everything (music, etc.) was when they were younger all the while they dive further into denial over the fact that they have merely become the ambitious, materialistic types that they once so loathed. All of this is topped off with drug usage and spouse swapping (and a Motown soundtrack) to assure themselves that they indeed have not morphed into a smug, self satisfied version of the people they once rebelled against. This film launched a whole slow of boomer nostalgia pieces and even a few Generation X copycat movies (the equally dreadful "St. Elmo's Fire" springs to mind) proving that while the baby boomer generation might not have a monopoly on self absorption, they certainly know best how to corner the market on it and profit handsomely from it. Pass.
Rating:
Summary: "The Big Chill" is RED HOT!
Review: Now that my horrible, horrible pun has gotten your attention, I will dispense with all terrible wordplay henceforth.
"The Big Chill" is very funny, with excellent casting and wonderful writing. To this day, no screenwriter has so clearly etched an ensemble of characters as Lawrence Kasdan & Barbara Benedek did for this movie. It may be surprising to some people that a Gen Y-er is speaking so well of "The Big Chill." Sure, the movie has plenty of faults: how the characters often have the perfect one-liner for every given situation; the way the writers seem to think that the essence of the ever-complicated 60s can be recreated so simply by having the characters smoke lots of pot and listen to Motown; the way that these people, who have supposedly been so hardened by their materialism and life experiences, are effortlessy self-aware. And those are just the ones I can think of off-hand. But still, I think that most people don't dislike "The Big Chill" because of those flaws I just mentioned. I think most people hate it because it's simply in fashion to dislike "The Big Chill". From "High Fidelity" to various other movies, screenwriters have gotten comedic mileage out of disparaging the movie. I guess I must be nuts because unlike my MTV-saturated brethren, I like to judge things for myself. Not being a baby boomer myself, I missed whatever cultural significance this movie had for that group in the 80s. However, it's a pleasant diversion in its own right, even without the generational statement. Funny and touching without being maudlin, "The Big Chill" is good enough for me to drop a few bucks on.
Rating:
Summary: AWESOME~!
Review: Okay...I'm 19 so you're probably thinking "what does this kid know about growing up in the 60's?" Well, after watching this movie and listening to my parents talk about it I can relate! This is a timeless classic that surpasses all generations! It can apply to anyone! I have felt "The Big Chill" myself several times in my life. The world is a cold place! Anyway, about the movie, this is one of those films that needs to be watched more than once to take in all the greatness of it. I have had to watch it about 5 times to take in all the wonderful details about it. This is not a kid flick...I would say even my age group wouldn't understand it. Adults, and other people who have gone through and seen "The Big Chill" in person HAVE to see this movie! It's just an instant classic!
Rating: 
Summary: Not as good as I'd expected
Review: I rented the 15th anniversay edition of this movie when it caught my eye in the local video rental store. It was fun seeing all these actors and actresses when they were so much younger (almost 20 years ago) and in that sense the movie is sort of a nostalgic blast from the past kind of thing and had some interest for me just because of that. Unfortunately, the years haven't been kind to it, because the film seems dated now, although in a way I couldn't quite nail down. The basic idea seems like a good one--a group of friends who came of age in the more freewheeling, carefree, and chaotic 60's have lost a close friend through suicide and are brought together at his funeral. In the ensuing 20 years, they've all settled into more or less conventional careers and lives (except for William Hurt, who is a drug dealer). When Alex, who was perhaps the most talented of them all, inexplicably commits suicide, they are left asking themselves those difficult and disturbing, and perhaps ultimately unanswerable questions about life, love, and friendship. The nostalgia aspect of the movie is enhanced by the soundtrack with all the oldie goldies from the 60's and 70's, which was fine, but although there is some occasional good acting here, most of the performances are unconvincing and seem curiously detached from each other and from the movie itself. I didn't even find their grief that convincing, which is what much of the movie is about. The first 45 minutes of the movie really drags, although things do pick up in the second half, and I'll grant that there are some much better and more convincing scenes there. The dialogue gets livelier and funnier, and there one or two very serious scenes where the group of friends tries to come to grips with the tragedy of their comrade's untimely and ultimately inscrutable demise--since he seems to have left no clues--not even a suicide note. Anyway, it's not a bad movie, and as I said, I did enjoy seeing some of my favorite actors/actresses as they were 20 years ago, but overall, I was expecting much more given everything that I'd heard about it over the years.
Rating:
Summary: so good
Review: i loved this movie. i had heard alot about this movie from my mother who loves it so one day last summer i decided to watch it. i loved it too. great soundtrack including alot of 60s and 70s music. great acting particuarally glenn close. great story. just a perfect movie.
Rating:
Summary: where is the flashback scene???
Review: I've loved this film since day one, and still do...just recently bought the DVD. One thing that bugs me incredibly, though, is that the big flashback scene alluded to by Director Lawrence Kasdan, is not included! Does no one know that that is the very scene everyone wants to see? Is it being kept for another dvd release later? Was Costner's price too high? What is the deal???
Rating:
Summary: Great acting - Shallow treatment - No emotion
Review: There is a paradox about this movie. Although the actors are great, they are directed in a very cold way. You don`t know much about them and you feel even less. I should say most of them are caricatured rather than portrayed, except maybe for William Hurt, Jobeth Williams and Glenn Close). They make a believable crowd but you don`t care a dime what happens to them. I did not find their grieving believable or moving at all (maybe because we never see Alex). The treatment of their past is very shallow : what is it that made them think they were great exactly ? The viewer is left to guess, or remember his/her own youth... What is is that make them feel they lost something with time ?? I have seen this movie 3 times and think it ages well, but it is shallow and rather pretentious. For true and poignant nostalgia, rent "Splendor in the Grass" with Natalie Wood and Warren Beatty... the antithesis.
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