Return of the Secaucus Seven (1980)
Seven former college friends, along with a few new friends, gather for a weekend reunion at a summer house in New Hampshire to reminisce about the good old days, when they got arrested on the way to a protest in Washington, D.C.
- John Sayles
- Elizabeth Shafer
- John Sayles
Rating: 6.534/10 by 59 users
Alternative Title:
Return of the Secaucus 7 - US
Country:
United States of America
Language:
English
Runtime: 01 hour 44 minutes
Budget: $0
Revenue: $0
Plot Keyword: protest, gathering, volleyball, new hampshire, reunion, skinny dipping, group of friends, remembrance
**_The Indie blueprint for “The Big Chill”_** Seven former college friends from Boston meet at a cabin-in-the-woods in New Hampshire, along with a couple of others. They talk about where they were, where they are, where they’re going, plus other things, like romances ending or reigniting. "Return of the Secaucus Seven” (1980) is a cabin-in-the-woods drama without any boogeyman focusing on the lives of former ‘radicals’ in college, all of them around 30 years-old now. Obviously “The Big Chill” (1983) used this as a template, but they’re both different enough to appreciate. This one had a way smaller budget ($60,000) and no-name actors with only David Strathairn going on to any notable success, not counting director John Sayles, who plays peripheral character Howie. The biggest differences are the locations and the fact that the protagonists here are about 9 years younger. Like “The Big Chill,” you have to be in a mood for a dialogue-driven drama to enjoy this. There’s some good droll humor, a fun swimming sequence, an entertaining bar episode and more. The film runs 1 hour, 44 minutes, and was shot in North Conway & Jackson, New Hampshire. GRADE: B
