Review of Return of the Secaucus Seven (1980) by Ken S — 23 Nov 2013

John Sayles' directorial debut provides a poignant look at the baby boom generation -- a reunion of 1960s activists.

Back in the 1960s, seven restless friends, the children of Kennedy and Abbie Hoffman, were burning with worthy causes like the War on Poverty and Vietnam. They smoked dope, engaged in affairs--and talked politics. They took off for Washington to march on the Pentagon, but only got as far as Secaucus where they were arrested on a phony charge and spent a night in the local cooler. Dubbing themselves "The Secaucus Seven," they missed the big event in the capitol, but the experience strengthened their bonds.

Now, a decade later, they come together for a reunion weekend in New England, hosted by Mike and Kate, both teachers. T.J., who still dreams of becoming a folk-singer, arrives with his guitar. Irene, who once had an affair with T.J., brings her new preppie lover, Chipp. Maura, having left Jeff, is also alone. Jeff, a former Vista volunteer who now works with drug addicts, is almost tempted to try drugs himself.

It's apparent that these baby boomers can't handle tension; the rift between Jeff and Maura sends tremors through the weekend. And although they put up a front of having a good time, one senses that things haven't turned out well for them -- either in terms of meaningful relationships or in terms of personal fulfillment. It's the story of a weekend reunion of a large group of old friends with complexly interconnecting life histories. In fact, watching it is like walking into a party with a bunch of strangers who all know each other and trying to digest who's married to who, who's sleeping with (or has slept with) who, who's friends, who has old scores to settle and so on.

It's confusing and it reveals itself to be sloppily made, overwritten, and horrendously performed (with the exception of David Strathairn and Gordon Clapp).