![]() He was, at various points in his life, an academic, an activist, a social worker he was listless and uncertain of his way in life, a direct contrast to his peers, who seem to have all found places for themselves. We don’t see Alex, the friend who has killed himself (Kevin Costner, who was hired for the role, was cut from the film) rather than relying on flashbacks, director Kasdan tells us all we need to know about Alex through his friends. Backstories about the group of college friends are all revealed through conversation - onions peeled back throughout the film, slowly and steadily. Even for a modern character drama, the script relies very heavily on dialogue - it reads much more like a stage play than a film script. After all, why should I care about the feelings and emotional turmoils of a group of people in their early 40s who have discovered, much to their dismay, that the ideals they had when they were young people slowly withered away once they realized that their progressive mentalities did not mesh with the real world? To be honest, I don’t care much about that predicament, and I care much less each time I watch the movie.īut what I do love about The Big Chill is the screenplay written by Lawrence Kasdan and Barbara Benedek. #The big chill soundtrack movie#I was born just a few weeks before the movie was released, and one would think that I would not have the affection for it that I’ve had since I was a teenager. It makes sense that The Big Chill is now seen as hokey: it is, after all, a movie that our parents loved. It’s played on the organ at the end of the funeral for Alex, whose suicide has brought his college friends back together for the first time in years, and then the soundtrack transitions into the Stones recording itself, which plays while the funeral procession leaves the ceremony en route to the burial. There’s the scene in High Fidelity when the record store dudes played by John Cusack, Jack Black, and Todd Louiso list their favorite songs about death the Rolling Stones’ “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” is dismissed immediately because of its inclusion in what is a classic scene from The Big Chill. Those of later generations, like my own, look down upon it. One could argue that the film hasn’t held up well. The film is about nostalgia, and was one of the first to incite the Baby Boomers to look fondly, if a bit narcissistically, at their own Good Old Days. The film, released 30 years ago tomorrow, spawned two records (my parents, inexplicably, had two copies of both on vinyl), including songs by The Temptations, The Four Tops, Aretha Franklin, Three Dog Night, The Band, et al - songs were popular during the mid- to late ’60s, the time during which the characters in the film attended the University of Michigan together. The soundtrack is an entirely different story though, as I’ve revisited it time and time again, partly to bask in its flawless track listing and partly to summon my sweetest recollections of my younger, more innocent days.Those of us who were born in the early ’80s (and even those a few years older than us) might know The Big Chill best because of its soundtrack. The film is enjoyable enough, but I’ve seldom, if ever, felt the need to return to it after my initial viewing. Though I didn’t actually watch The Big Chill until about fifteen years after its arrival in 1983, the vibrant, soul-affirming music contained therein-and particularly the classic Motown fare supplied by Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles-left a permanent imprint on my fledgling ears. Staples of my parents’ record collection, all three commanded heavy rotation on the family turntable and tape deck. These are the three albums that most immediately come to mind when I recall my early childhood back in the late ‘70s into the early ‘80s. #The big chill soundtrack full#Click “Next Soundtrack” below to explore each soundtrack in the list or for easier navigation, view the full introduction & soundtrack index here. Editor’s Note: The Albumism staff has selected what we believe to be the 100 Greatest Soundtracks of All Time, representing a varied cross-section of films and musical genres. ![]()
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