The Indie blueprint for “The Big Chill”
Seven former college friends from Boston meet at a cabin-in-the-woods in New Hampshire, along with a couple of others. They talk about where they were, where they are, where they’re going, plus other things, like romances ending or reigniting.
"Return of the Secaucus Seven” (1980) is a cabin-in-the-woods drama without any boogeyman focusing on the lives of former ‘radicals’ in college, all of them around 30 years-old now. Obviously “The Big Chill” (1983) used this as a template, but they’re both different enough to appreciate.
This one had a way smaller budget ($60,000) and no-name actors with only David Strathairn going on to any notable success, not counting director John Sayles, who plays peripheral character Howie. The biggest differences are the locations and the fact that the protagonists here are about 9 years younger.
Like “The Big Chill,” you have to be in a mood for a dialogue-driven drama to enjoy this. There’s some good droll humor, a fun swimming sequence, an entertaining bar episode and more.
The film runs 1 hour, 44 minutes, and was shot in North Conway & Jackson, New Hampshire.
GRADE: B