A group of seven former college friends gather for a weekend reunion at a South Carolina vacation home after the funeral of another of their college friends.A group of seven former college friends gather for a weekend reunion at a South Carolina vacation home after the funeral of another of their college friends.A group of seven former college friends gather for a weekend reunion at a South Carolina vacation home after the funeral of another of their college friends.
- Nominated for 3 Oscars
- 3 wins & 8 nominations total
Jonathan Kasdan
- Harold and Sarah's Son
- (as Jon Kasdan)
Jake Kasdan
- Autograph Seeker
- (as Jacob Kasdan)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaActor Tom Berenger described this film as being " . . . about that period in life when you're beginning to realize you have limitations, that you will never accomplish certain goals and dreams . . . Suddenly, you know you're not a kid anymore".
- GoofsWhen the cast is eating their first dinner, a crew member is visible through the window on the right.
- Alternate versionsCBS edited 6 minutes from this film for its 1986 network television premiere.
- ConnectionsEdited into The Pitchfork Retreat
- SoundtracksI Heard It Through the Grapevine
Written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong
Performed by Marvin Gaye
Courtesy of Motown Records and Jobete Music
Featured review
an intelligent and sensitive script for a talented cast
Reunions of former college mates can be an enthusiastic, but also dramatic experience, mainly when you have shared with your now adult friends great ideals in a better and just world, and all those ideals have been abandoned in favour of professional careers and wealthy lives and, moreover, when the only mate who has faced the unfillable gap between the ideal and the real has just committed suicide and thus caused that same reunion.
Single sense of more or less pretended personal self-fulfilment, but hiding a dramatic sense of disillusionment, is rendered through noteworthy dialogues: intelligent, witty, ironical, sensitive and deep. Each protagonist will have to take off his/her mask, and show himself/herself for what he/she is now: the easy and devouring enthusiasm of those, not so distant, at least chronologically, but mentally and emotionally buried times cannot be acted for long. The only form of consolation, a very significant one, actually, is the possibility to share this sense of disillusionment, and the understanding that the only way out of personal dramas is communing with others.
Evidently, the actors, nowadays known as talented performers, but not so famous in 1983, are more than good. Not to mention the soundtrack, which contributes strongly to the emotional impact of the movie and makes one feel like rediscovering the great and out of time hits of the 60's, 70's. A cult and must see movie.
Single sense of more or less pretended personal self-fulfilment, but hiding a dramatic sense of disillusionment, is rendered through noteworthy dialogues: intelligent, witty, ironical, sensitive and deep. Each protagonist will have to take off his/her mask, and show himself/herself for what he/she is now: the easy and devouring enthusiasm of those, not so distant, at least chronologically, but mentally and emotionally buried times cannot be acted for long. The only form of consolation, a very significant one, actually, is the possibility to share this sense of disillusionment, and the understanding that the only way out of personal dramas is communing with others.
Evidently, the actors, nowadays known as talented performers, but not so famous in 1983, are more than good. Not to mention the soundtrack, which contributes strongly to the emotional impact of the movie and makes one feel like rediscovering the great and out of time hits of the 60's, 70's. A cult and must see movie.
helpful•244
- yris2002
- Jun 15, 2009
- How long is The Big Chill?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Der große Frust
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $8,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $56,399,659
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $3,662,152
- Oct 2, 1983
- Gross worldwide
- $56,399,735
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content