Return of the Secaucus 7

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John Sayles began his commendable directing career with this terrific portrait of 1960s counterculture survivors, now teetering on the brink of turning 30. A homegrown movie all the way, Return of the Secaucus Seven was made for around $60,000 of Sayles's own money (earned writing horror pictures such as Piranha). An effortlessly funny and thoughtful ensemble piece, Secaucus unmistakably provided the template for the bigger-budgeted The Big Chill: old friends reunite for a weekend to sort through fond memories, old resentments, and new problems. Sayles, longtime producing partner Maggi Renzi, and then-unknown David Strathairn are among the actors. The marvelous back-and-forth patter of the characters and the sprightly pacing show Sayles already had a sure sense of what he wanted on screen, and his mastery of the running gag is in place (the name Dwight won't ever sound quite the same again). This is the definition of "low-budget classic," from an indie pioneer. --Robert Horton

Description

The visionary writer-director behind such films as Passion Fish, Lone Star and Sunshine State, OscarÂ(r)nominee* John Sayles has been at the forefront of the independent film movement for more than twenty years. In this, his 'triumphant directorial debut (Los Angeles Times), Sayles delivers an utterly engaging (Time) look at seven friends who reunite ten years after their radical college days for a dramatic, poignant and revelatory weekend. Hailedby critics as delightful (The Washington Post), irresistible (The Boston Globe) and a minor miracle (The San Francisco Examiner), Return of the Secaucus 7 inspired the later hit film The Big Chill and heralded the arrival of a brilliant new force in independent cinema. *1996: Original Screenplay, Lone Star; 1992: Original Screenplay, Passion Fish

Customer Reviews:

Interesting but not wonderful.......2007-05-05

Return of the Secaucus 7 is an OK film probably best enjoyed by those who either remember the 1960's fondly or have a big interest in that time period and its aftermath since is likely to leave others a bit underwhelmed. I had difficulty caring greatly about the characters and their lives and the acting is a bit uneven. The movie was obviously shot on a shoestring budget and nothing in the storyline is really compelling enough to make up for the lack of a big studio production. I did enjoy unexpectedly seeing a young Gordon Clapp of NYPD Blue fame show up in this film.

Disappointing.......2006-04-19

This is the first effort by John Sayles, who has gone on to produce a series of excellent films. Unfortunately, this is not one of them.

Plot Synopsis: A group of aging hippies get together for a weekend to relive their relatively meaningless youth.

The only people likely to enjoy this film are those who identify with the Movement of the late sixties.

a historically important slice of life.......2005-10-10

If you lived through the sixties and especially if you were involved in the movements to transform society, this movie is a must and you'll rate it as five stars. If you didn't, the lack of a story and the presence of only one event (sex between two of the characters--and even that happens offstage) will make you wonder what all the raving is about.

This reunion of a group of typical sixties characters was portrayed in 1980, about the time it would have happened. Everyone involved in the various movements of the sixties thought at the time that all their efforts had come to nothing. And the mass media pushed this idea all through the seventies to cool down the activists after the rash of bombings that followed the Kent State massacre. Many of the sixties activitists had graduated, they had to have jobs and they figured that all was lost. Many others, however, had escaped from the draft by going to graduate school, and they were just emerging with their PhDs and getting jobs teaching in colleges and universities. Quickly, they realized they could use their skills in organizing and networking to vote themselves into heading departments where they had hidden out (the "soft" fields like literature, education, history, sociology, etc.) and could transform society "from the inside" by educating the next generation of Americans. (If you want the whole story, you can read The Rape of Alma Mater.) But they knew from bitter experience that they could only succeed if they kept it quiet.

This movie is a slice of life portrait of those who did not go to graduate school and whose outlook reflects the view of the time--that the movement was dead. With a story, this could have been a much more affecting movie. It is unfortunate that filmmakers think that in order to create an art film, they have to make a film in which little or nothing happens; and it is unfortunate that their view of art defines as art only films that are static.

My First Indie Film.......2004-05-25

'Return of the Secaucus 7" was my first. Independent film, that is. It is not an independent film the way you'd consider indie films of today. VERY low budget - and it shows, though that's not a bad thing. Overall, this film has held up well - which is pretty good 23 yrs later! Sayles did a great job w/the writing and directing - and even his acting is fine.

Released maybe two years ahead of 'The Big Chill', which I found cold, lifeless and built around a soundtrack - not a script. 'Secaucus 7' had a much more intimate feel - and lower key humor, but way more my style (though I didn't find myself as amused as I was @ 17 when I orignally saw it).

The cast is understated and good. It's amazing that more of them have not gone on to do more films of higher (David Strathairn to numerous things, Gordon Clapp to NYPD Blue', Adam LeFevre to many commercials). There is no one stronger character - all have their moments.

I do believe, there is at least one scene cut from the restoration comedy play they attend, but other than that, the movie is intact. One original song by Adam LeFevre ("Mean to Me") is actually very good.

The extras are sparse - w/just commentary from John Sayles and Maggie Renzi. Rent or buy it.

Chillin' with the Seven.......2004-02-22

If you know only one thing about "The Return of the Seacaucus 7," you've probably heard that this obscure little $40,000 home movie from 1980 was shamelessly ripped off three years later by Lawrence Kasdan's hit "The Big Chill."

Both movies tell the story of a gang of former 60's activists who reunite for a long weekend, but "Chill," with its bigger budget, name actors and excellent soundtrack, became a cultural touchstone. "Seacaucus," on the other hand, has remained largely unseen for 25 years and, though it marked screenwriter John Sayles' directorial debut, it only recently emerged on DVD.

On the disk's commentary track, Sayles rightly puts to rest "Chill" comparisons, pointing out that the two films have the same format but are intrinsically different. Unlike the affluent yuppies of "Chill," Sayles' characters are crucially younger and less successful; overeducated and underemployed, they're blinking into the headlights of both the Reagan era and their 30's, which are rapidly approaching.

Shot on weekends with money Sayles earned writing Roger Corman horror movies ("Pirhanna" and "Alligator"), "Seacaucus" is a rough gem. His amateur cast isn't too comfortable in front of a camera and their lines feel stagey, but Sayles' writing was good even then. Despite its occasional clunkiness, this early homegrown film paved the way for much better later efforts, like "Matewan," "The Secret of Roan Inish" and the truly great "Lone Star."

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