Blogging about two ensemble movies, The Women and The Jane Austen Book Club, got me thinking about my favorite ensemble film of all time, The Big Chill (1983). . Every character is pitch perfect and their chemistry together and their improvised jokes sell the idea that these people really have known each other forever. Writer-director, Lawrence Kasdan rented houses in a remote resort community in South Carolina in the off season. The cast members had nothing to do for a month but rehearse their parts, improv and hang out together building a rapport. Kasdan filmed most of the movie in one location which allowed them to do all the scenes in chronological order, a rare thing in the film industry. The basic premise is that a group of college friends gathers for a funeral of Alex, a character we never see except as a corpse at the beginning of the movie. Alex's girlfriend, (Meg Tilly above, left) is the one person that is not a Baby Boomer.To talk about the movie in depth, I've decided to try something new for Cinema OCD, a pic spam. (Click here to see Part One, which I posted in my livejournal rather than make my whole blog really hard to load.)
2 comments:
Wow - what awesome way to discuss a movie. I love the last two caps - I always thought the scene with them jogging was so beautiful. I agree about the jeans.
I loved your earlier comment: "He does the classic movie theater stretch into the arm on the shoulder. One thing you can say about Michael, no flies on him."
I have always liked this movie. I agree it is due to the ensemble cast. Without out such killer performances with great chemistry, this would have been a disaster.
If people like this format, I'd like to try it again with something a bit older.
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