Why The Big Chill still matters

More than 30 years after its original release — and with About Alex, a spiritual successor, hitting theaters — the 80s drama remains both relevant and relatable

The Big Chill
(Image credit: (Columbia Pictures))

More than 30 years after its original run at the box office, Lawrence Kasdan’s reunion classic The Big Chill is back on shelves in a flashy new Criterion release. The film remains a divisive cultural touchstone; some reflect on it with nostalgia, while others heap scorn on it. It is both an iconic film that appealed to scores of soul-searching adults desperate to connect, and a problematic poster-child for a privileged, uber-white Baby Boomer mindset that continues to infect both film and society.

The Big Chill follows a group of old college buddies who reunite after a mutual friend's suicide. As they fall back on the postures of their youth, they face the reality of their present, with problems ranging from the serious scars of war, to the angst of success without personal fulfillment.

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Monika Bartyzel

Monika Bartyzel is a freelance writer and creator of Girls on Film, a weekly look at femme-centric film news and concerns, now appearing at TheWeek.com. Her work has been published on sites including The Atlantic, Movies.com, Moviefone, Collider, and the now-defunct Cinematical, where she was a lead writer and assignment editor.