timcurryis god ***sort of plot spoilers, broadly speaking*** I think a more accurate synopsis of this movie is: seven old college friends get together over the funeral of one of their cohorts. They each center themselves amidst the tragedy of the suicide of their friend, i.e. "it's all about me, b/c I should have...." They reminisce over their convictions when in college as compared to now. They realize they're sell outs but agree they are okay with it. The one person in the group who reminds them how cushy they've always had it gets chastised for so doing while everyone else agrees they're all still good people. Everyone ends up happy because they all have money to continue pursuing their own interests. Meg Tilly's character complements the self-serving dialogue of the others with unpretentious, guileless candor. The movie attempts to convey the bittersweet-ness/ sadness/ realization that the white baby boomers who grew up privileged and "came of age" during the 1960's~ a time of social consciousness and change ~ really did not carry those same convictions into their post college lives, and they must face this. A star-studded, entertaining movie w/ a cool soundtrack, but definitely told from a privileged POV.

statman122 I would have given this a 7 20 years ago, but it hasn't worn that well with me. The basic point of the story, that this could be you and your group of friends (and probably will be one day), is not lost. Many have already experienced a similar situation. Everyone raves about the music, and while there is no doubt it is good, this is where I have my largest bone to pick. The overly clichéd use of most of these songs is unforgivable. "Bad Moon Rising", in fact, makes the leap from cliché to utterly absurd. Add in the fact that Glenn Close has never done a thing for me, and a 6 is generous I'd say

holograf it's pretty much a dialogue movie, which is OK, but the dialogue is very tightly scripted. every word so carefully thought out, that it's unrealistic. people, even good friends, simply don't talk and interact like that. as for the music, it seems the producers realized there wasn't much beef, so to add some meat to the bone they overlayed popular songs every once in a while to make it seem cool and fill the time. parts almost seemed like a music video.in summary, i would say it's OK to watch to see some actors that eventually became quite popular, before they were well known. but expect to say to yourself "omg this is ridiculous", every once in a while. also, as others have stated, don't expect much of a story.

TheUniquePerception This one has it all. If you ever had a really tight knit group of school friends that you absolutely love and then spent years without them, this film will allow you to feel like you are having a reunion with your friends. The closeness, inside jokes, various personalities, mini-dramas all add to the flavor. The soundtrack is one of the best of all time and the storytellers use the music to connect the audience with the characters. For such a large cast of strong actors, this group does a wonderful job not to overshadow one another. It is a harmonious blend of styles and personalities that can make solid use of non-verbal communication. I have viewed thousands of movies. Very, very few deserve a second viewing. The Big Chill is one that I have enjoyed at least ten times over the years.