Comparing Return Of The Secaucus Seven And The Big Chill

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It is impossible to deny the similarities of characters, setting, cinematography and more, between The Return of the Secaucus Seven by John Sayles and The Big Chill by Lawrence Kasden. This paper will focus on the similarities and differences in the themes between the two movies. Specifically, focusing on relationships, aging, and death. The two films differ in many aspects but parallel in other ways. Impacts of these themes within the two movies are important to recognize because they are relevant to everyday life, relatable, and realistic. Contrasts in the films are immediately recognizable. The Return of the Secaucus Seven is young and new; the film begins with a young girl and boy, Mike and Katie, who live together and are preparing for …show more content…

In The Return of the Secaucus Seven, while waiting for the others to arrive, a kerfuffle occurs between two of the individuals that were dating, Jeff and Maura, which is the end of their relationship. One of the friends, Irene, is bringing her new boyfriend and wonders if her long-term friends will accept him. As a representation this time period, relationships are highly focused on sex and sexual interactions. It is nonchalantly discussed and taken part, whereas previously these actions would have been absurd. Immature relationships and conversation between the characters are another representation of the carefree undertones in the movie. However, in The Big Chill, the relations are matured. Couples are married and have children together such as Harold and Sarah. Some of the friends have not seen each other in years, and others have moved away and are in their careers. Many of the characters, even being adults, are unhappy with their lives or are trying to change …show more content…

We never believe it will happen to the ones we love or us. In The Big Chill, these aging friends are facing that death is becoming an aspect of their lives. They have reached an age where individuals who are not typically in their lives very often anyway, are taken from their lives forever. As a result of this aging dynamic, when people get older they move away and create their own lives. The relationships they have built are made distant, and as a result, they begin to lose touch with one another. The friendship is still there, however, because of the maturity and growth these relationships are

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