Return of the Secaucus 7

Return of the Secaucus 7

DVD cover
Directed by John Sayles
Produced by Jeffrey Nelson
William Aydelott
Screenplay by John Sayles
Starring Bruce MacDonald
Maggie Renzi
David Strathairn
Adam LeFevre
Maggie Cousineau
Music by Mason Daring
Cinematography Austin De Besche
Edited by John Sayles
Production
company
Salsipuedes Productions
Distributed by Libra Films
Release dates
  • September 5, 1980 (1980-09-05) (United States)
Running time
 110 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $60,000 (estimated)[1]
Box office $2 million[1]

Return of the Secaucus 7 is a 1980 drama film written and directed by John Sayles. It features Bruce MacDonald, Maggie Renzi, Adam LeFevre, Maggie Cousineau, Gordon Clapp, Jean Passanante, and others.[2] It tells the story of seven friends who spend a weekend together in New Hampshire. The weekend is marred by the break-up of a relationship between two of the friends. This causes a ripple effect among the group and brings up old desires and problems.

The picture was thought to have inspired The Big Chill (1983), which is a more widely known film with a similar storyline.[3] However, writer/director Lawrence Kasdan has denied having seen Return of the Secaucus 7 before working on The Big Chill.[4]

Cast

Reception

Critical response

Film critic Emanuel Levy liked the film and wrote, "The movie became influential, launching a cycle of "reunion" films, which included The Big Chill and the TV series Thirtysomething. As a portrait of disenchantment, Return was more authentic and honest than Lawrence Kasdan's star-studded Big Chill...A rueful movie about unexceptional lives that have prematurely grown stale, Secaucus is a bit commonplace, lacking genuine drama. But Sayles uses effectively a discursive, episodic format; he constructs strong scenes with resonant dialogue. The characters are complex and individually distinguished by speech, gesture, and manner."[5]

Critic Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat wrote, "Here's a nice little movie about the baby boom generation...Novelist John Sayles wrote, directed, and edited this movie. It is a labor of love. We watch these laidback individuals share their stories and reminisce about the past...But these baby boomers can't handle tension; the rift between Jeff and Maura sends tremors through the weekend. And although they put up a front of having a good time, one senses that things haven't turned out well for them — either in terms of meaningful relationships or in terms of personal fulfillment. Return of the Secaucus Seven leaves one with a rueful feeling about this generation."[6]

The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 80% of critics gave the film a positive review, based on eleven reviews.[7]

Accolades

Wins

Nominations

Other distinctions

References

  1. 1 2 Gerry Molyneaux, "John Sayles, Renaissance Books, 2000 p 37
  2. ↑ Return of the Secaucus 7 at the American Film Institute Catalog.
  3. ↑ Lingan, John. Slant Magazine, August 30, 2010. Accessed: August 18, 2013.
  4. ↑ Big Chill screening, the Michigan Theater, Ann Arbor, Michigan, April 20, 2006.
  5. ↑ Levy, Emanuel. Emanuel Levy Film Reviews, 2004–2008. Accessed: February 25, 2008.
  6. ↑ Brussat, Frederic and Mary Ann. Spirituality & Practice, film review, 1970–2007. Accessed: February 25, 2008.
  7. ↑ Return of the Secaucus 7 at Rotten Tomatoes. Accessed: February 25, 2008.
  8. ↑ "Librarian of Congress Names 25 New Films to National Film Registry". Library of Congress. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
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