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I tried to watch it a few times before, each time cathing it about 30 minutes into the action, and each time turning it off quickly.This time I was able to catch it from the beginning, and it presented itself as something watcheable. Apparently there is something to be said for continuity there - some films don't care.
Not great, but with enough interesting observations to keep me till the end. It follows the old formula, and as such doesn't break any new grounds, you will feel like you have already seen it many times before, but that is OK, we all have seen people live and behave in a seemingly "normal" fashion and yet being able to make an interesting statement here, a surprising move there. Same in this movie - while predictable, some of the many story lines do make intriguing stops along the way.
I never understood the fascination with Big Chill... it always bored me to near clinical death, a few people going out of their way to say something meaningful, only to see their lips produce more of the same cliche's and things completely uninteresting to anyone except the screen writer.
The Party suffers from the same illment, but to a lesser degree, it seems. Perhaps simply because it doesn't try to elevate the trivial thinking and mediocre dialog to something they are not. In the Party people mostly act more like normal people, with a few exceptions, and that alone might be a significant achievement in today's movies. Even the inclusion of the whole Kline family did not seem too contrived. Except they could have left papa Kevin at home... he is as dull as ever.
And... of course in any such group there had to be a beautiful woman whose presence would work mostly as an eye relief... Jennifer Beals is it, and at 40 she is a quiet pleasure to watch - no nude shots, no hysterics... bummer... just an elegant woman.
Overall, not a bad effort for two young writers/directors.
Follow Ups:
The Big Chill was one of those films of the era like Chariots of Fire, or The Mission, a little later. Who can possibly begin to guess at the profound irrational mystery of their critical or box office sucess?
Reputedly, this film was largely ad libbed by the actors. I think it was presented as more of a gathering of actors who were friends, then to simply let the cameras role. I think their intent was the process more than telling a story, and the film should probably be viewed in that light.
.......a look back at our generation and the ideals and fantasies that seemed so very tangible at the time and then the realization of our true bourgeois tendencies, like them or not.
Well the hippy-dippy types think everybody thought like them back then but most most white boomers were simply working or preparing for work. Or going into the army.The banality of boomer ideals is shown by those who think that they're fundamentally different from thier parents because they drive an Audi instead of an Olds and have a stainless stove instead of a white one.
is a fine director, though not of the first rank. The Accidental Tourist, Body Heat (Kathleen Turner purring, "You're not very smart, are you? I like that in a man...")., Silverado, Wyatt Earp (perhaps the greatest miscasting in the history of modern cinema: Big Nose Kate interpreted by Isabella Rosselini!).
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than the Big Chill
The Big Chill is sad because their mutual friend has died; the Anniversary party is sad because the characters are portrayed as shallow, insincere and insecure; of all the people that attend, the protagonists only seem to have one real friend that isn't there to simply be a hanger-on on or to advance their careers
A sly cinematic nod to Blake Edwards "The Party" with the Peter Sellers clone as guest, but this film doesn't have a fraction of a percent of the joy of the Sellers film, + maybe that's the point the director was making
Overall very solid acting by a great cast
The ever-divine Ms. Paltrow stole the limelight I thought
Wish more films were like thisGrins
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