The Big Chill

40th anniversary screening.

Director: Lawrence Kasdan
Starring: Glenn Close, Kevin Kline, William Hurt, Jeff Goldblum, Mary Kay Place, JoBeth Williams, Tom Berenger, Meg Tilly
Runtime: 105'
Year of Production: 1983
Language: English
Subtitles: Greek

Whatever one may say about it, the truth is that "The Big Chill" will always stand as an emotional evidence of cinema's ability to engage you in a personal conversation with it. To present itself as an alternative form of psychotherapy. To stand as a mirror in which you can always see something of yourself. To repeat over and over again a crystal clear, yet so essential principle: that although time is relentlessly ticking away and the world around us finds a way to become more and more cynical every day, one undeniable certainty remains that the only thing worth having out there is to give and receive some love.

Lawrence Kasdan took that principle 40 years ago and turned it into a film. He surrounded it with an enviable cast, whose exceptional members had not yet become famous. He embellished it with some of the most witty and spirited bits of dialogue ever heard in cinema. He musically attired it in one of the finest golden oldies soundtracks, bringing the glorious musical legacy of soul to the forefront. And he generously offered it to millions of viewers, many of which at some point stopped counting how many times they had watched and re-watched it. Loukas Katsikas