The Big Chill (15th Anniversary Collector's Edition) by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment by Lawrence Kasdan

This movie is a classic coming of age and someone’s inability to survive life. The death (suicide) of a friend devastates his college friends and they gather for his funeral. The music is an integral part of the story setting the timeframe. Great actors and story line. One of my favorite movies.

My review here of "The Big Chill" Blu-ray and DVD combo focuses on just the Blu ray, in particular its picture quality, and the overall value for the price paid. The movie, in terms of the acting ensemble, the story, the writing, the performances, and its relevance, seems to have been reviewed plenty here already!I was very much looking forward to viewing this Blu-ray to see how nice the condition would be that they remastered the movie to in High Definition. The reviews on the technical review websites such as Bluray.com were glowing. I viewed this Blu-ray on my 2-year-old LG 55-inch high definition TV set and a brand-new Sony Blu-ray player.The Blu-ray picture quality for this movie is a solid "good," but it is in no way spectacular or even well above average. This is a 1983 movie, and I have certainly seen Blu-rays of films from that era and earlier that have higher quality High-Definition pictures. Again, this is a solidly good effort, and a bit of the occasional softness is likely what was intended originally when photographing this movie. The color palette is thankfully very natural and accurate (such as flesh tones), though not vivid.I would point out that the Blu-ray was first available in 2014 for approximately $35.00, and still is hard to find brand-new for under $20 or $22. With that in mind, I don't consider this Blu-ray a particularly good value. In fact, I have never really gotten the impression that Criterion creates beautiful, sharp, and vivid high-definition picture quality on the Blu-rays that it produces. I believe Criterion is more than a little bit overrated, actually. They seem to create nice DVD or Blu-ray "packages," with decent-sized booklets enclosed, but not amazingly remastered films on its discs. This Blu-ray is touted as having the remastering approved by the the original director, I believe, and/or the original head of photography. Well, I just don't see it. The picture quality is not unusually good, unusually natural, unusually sharp, or in any way particularly great, despite that billing.Again, the Blu-ray is a solid effort in terms of the movie's picture quality. Certainly, there are several good special features on this disc, such as the fine "making of" documentary, and I think any fan of this movie would be pleased with this purchase for the overall pleasure he/she will derive. However, this is not cheap, and I think not a great value, considering how highly touted it was before the Blu-ray was released, with the high pre-release price of $35.00 and even the current pricing.Having said all of this, I am one of the many who love this movie, as it is engrossing from the start, and does a great job in taking a person back to a certain time in the United States (1983), as well as reflecting lives of college friends about 15 or 18 years after college (again, 1983) when lives have turned out not quite as expected. The film is refreshing in another sense, in that they didn't throw in a token black person, a token Latin, or a token Asian person, in order to be politically correct or to attract a larger viewing audience (this is said with no prejudice toward anyone). The characters were all clearly liberal 1960's protester types at the University of Michigan, who would not have a racist bone in their bodies, but who nonetheless congregated in the late 1960s in college and again in 1983 (at the funeral of a friend) as this all-white group of friends. My only point is that it makes the movie more realistic, avoiding contrivances.It is pretty great to see this wonderful group of well known actors all working together in the same film, a feeling I had also when I first saw this movie during its original run in the theaters in 1983. The soundtrack certainly is famous, with numerous very memorable 1960's popular music tracks, and this is definitely a movie which certain segments of us will watch over and over again. It does have mass appeal, too, for at least one viewing or two, as well.By the way, there is an enjoyable, well-crafted booklet enclosed, for those people who like such things. You will not learn so much about the movie from the booklet, as it is just sort of a tribute to the movie, and the text seems to be rather esoteric. There are in fact two essays, by two authors, in it.As long as you are not seeking a low price or incredible value, you will enjoy this Blu-ray very much for the quality of this unique film, the good, but not amazing, blu-ray transfer, and the extras included on the disc.

One of MY favorite movies but love the soundtrack even better

Great movie and Great Cast

I saw The Big Chill for the first time only this year. It was playing on TNT or some such station and I was intrigued. I've since purchased the DVD and have enjoyed the film several times now. In my view, it deserves to be considered a minor cult classic.What I found was a collection of very good efforts by actors who were, at the time, not well known and fairly inexperienced. I'm quite impressed by Mr Kasdan's eye for casting. This is a superb ensemble! We find in this story a re-grouping of a previously tightly-bonded klatch with the usual variety of contrasting personalities and yet a melding of similar interests.Alex dies and thus the reason for the gathering. At the funeral (Chapter 2), Alex does not seem to have very many friends. Outside of a handful of family members, Alex' few former classmates and his youngish girlfriend, the church is empty. Even the minister didn't really know him.These friends end up staying with Sarah (Glenn Close) and her husband Harold (Kevin Kline) over the longish weekend. They spout off glib one-liners and exchange a somewhat forced repartee in multiple attempts to lighten their grief. How many of us have done the same thing in our own moments of despair?I was impressed by the frequent and liberal use of the word `love.' Several times by word and by gesture, these people affirm their deep commitment to each other. Several exchanges (some heated, some more Socratic) ensue that reflect both unresolved issues from a previous life and the current grieving process. The obvious attachments and subsequent fulfillment of sexual tensions seems to include a nod toward our collective Survival Instinct. It's at once ironic and terribly humorous that the person most openly interested in The Act (Jeff Goldblum as Michael) is left to play with the propeller on his junior aviator's bed.Moral considerations aside, I somehow did find satisfaction in Sarah's making arrangements (Chapters 25-27) for Harold to attempt to father Meg's (Mary Kay Place) child. Perhaps this was self-induced pay-back for former sins to a degree, but I also found it to be a selfless act on the behalf of a good friend - well, maybe two good friends. Harold didn't seem to mind.I suppose the popular front-runners in this movie could be Glenn Close and William Hurt. For my money, I'll take Mary Kay Place. She's solid and she wears comfortably into middle age (episodes of Law and Order, The West Wing and Numb3rs most recently).In writing book and film reviews for Amazon, I tend to do a little research. Including in that is a reading of at least a portion of the reviews previously posted. The Big Chill seems to have pulled in an inordinate number of reviews not only negative but often angry, and for a curious set of reasons: "the sets are cheap, the acting is dated and the conversation shallow." I don't agree.This is a "Conversational Film," a true "Talkie," a film where the substance of history and idea and thought is delivered much more so by verbal interactions among the characters than by elaborate sets or expensive action sequences. It's a Time Capsule depicting a narrow segment of Collegiate Society. It could have just as easily been a group of Pre-Nursing Students, or a Bible Study/Buddhist Meditation/Holocaust Studies Group or just some Kids interested in Agri-Business. Mr Kasdan chose some young Radical Anarchist Wantabes who decided that some attempt at conformation was necessary in order to get along in The Cold World. Not all are pleased about it. One or two tried to be more faithful to the Ideal than the others but it was a costly choice: one becoming an almost constant user of recreational pharmaceuticals and the other becoming dead.Neither am I bothered so much by the `missing flashback.' Mr Kasdan made an editorial decision with which I happen to agree. I find amusement in knowing that the exposed body parts (sans the face), whilst being prepared and included in the final version, belongs to Kevin Costner. It fits in with the black humor of it all, almost on the same level as someone auditioning for the part of Yorick in Hamlet.There is wonderful nostalgia in this film! Why should we expect such a work, 23 years old, to align with current thinking? Why should we expect it to reflect the impatient and shallow Gen-X World or some middle-aged shriveled prune-head (me included) who can't or simply won't make allowances for others. We should relax a little and view it and enjoy it within the context of its own Time.I for one would be delighted to see some of my college friends again; it's been 30-plus years. And if I should do so well as these guys, who so obviously love and care for each other, I'd consider it time and money and effort well spent.But most of us would have had to have been there, I suppose.Russell de Ville8 March 2006

Everyone should watch in their lifetime.

I have watched this film a number of times over the years. I think I must have originally seen it on tv once or twice and then purchased the DVD. I enjoy good ensemble tv and films and the casting here is really top notch. Actors I otherwise do not really appreciate do a great job here (e.g. Kevin Kline), while others are their usual cool selves (William Hurt). I could easily pick at things like all the characters being caricatures, representing generic types, but they are so clearly intended in those roles, and it is the interplay and wit that makes it work brilliantly as a whole.

Sentimental, old film I loved and still do, watched it last night and enjoyed it as much as when I first saw it.

I believe being brief that "The Big Chill" is one of the best.

A great example of 1980's cinema with a great cast and superb use of Motown music. Columbia's DVD (this is the Italian pressing) is passable. Picture and sound could both be better. This really needs a blu-ray upgrade to do it justice - currently only available on region A.

Brilliant film