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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
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
Seven friends who were political activists are reunited during a weekend gathering. The changing course of their various lives provides insight into each of their personalities and evolving adult identities. After spending several years writing B-movie scripts (PIRANHA, LADY IN RED) for Roger Corman's New World Pictures, John Sayles directed his debut feature, THE RETURN OF THE SECAUCUS SEVEN, on a budget of $60,000. Because the budget dictated that the film employ few technical frills, Sayles decided to create an ensemble piece, like Robert Altman's NASHVILLE, so that the characters' interweaving stories would carry the film along.
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Manufacturer: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date: 15 September 2003
Number of discs: 1
UPC: 027616886484
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