Review of Return of the Secaucus Seven (1980) by Tyler R — 26 Sep 2010

It's hard to really explain the appeal of John Sayles' [b][u]Return of the Secaucus 7[/u][/b], his first feature and precursor to "The Big Chill" (actually, "Big Chill" is suspiciously similar to this movie--even the Kevin Kline character in this one bares a resemblance to Kevin Kline). It centers around a generation of people I was never a part of. It's very low-budget. You can tell it's a first film. And it hinges on acting and how much you're interested in the characters.

So, about 98% of my generation (and that's being generous) would be asleep after the opening credits. Though, that's probably the same percentage of my peers who thought "Dead Man" was too slow.

There's no denying the film's likability; the believable characters, the warm, conversational dialogue.... The editing is fantastic--its tight and manages to balance the situations of all the characters. In a sense, I appreciate this more than "Big Chill" because that one had a lot more money put into it, without as much of the heart (which it made up for with music and Jeff Goldblum). "Secaucus 7" doesn't yank at your heartstrings--in fact, it doesn't really ask much. Both times I've watched this, I've gone into it not thinking much of the mundane situations and conflict. But after the movie, I'm filled with a warm feeling; I'm not quite sure where exactly I pick it up. In hindsight, what seems ordinary becomes extraordinary.

And with that, I'm going to bed.