The Rewatchables: ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey

Published 2023-09-26; 2:03:19 by the feed.

As extracted (engineer-sonnet-2026-10-13)

The extraction calls the show “The Rewatchables (The Ringer)” and the episode “'The Big Chill' With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey”.

Hosts: Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey. Guests: Craig (Ringer staffer, surname not said).

Subject films: The Big Chill (1983).

On the transcript: Transcript has no speaker labels and heavily garbles names; speaker attributions are mostly low confidence. Craig appears briefly near the end.

Added from the extractor's memory, not said

Years for films other than The Big Chill were omitted because speakers rarely stated them.
Michael Cera as the name behind 'Michael Sarah' and Tom Courtenay/Charles Durning/Horton Foote spellings are guesses; 'Modern Problems' is a guess for 'modern life'.

Awards and segments (102)

Double feature

pick Grand Canyon: The hosts settle on Grand Canyon as the natural pair, another Lawrence Kasdan film about the same kind of person decades on, though two of them are lukewarm on it.
“Best double feature choice with this movie. Grand Canyon, right?”
unknown · 1:48:30

Most rewatchable scene

pick The opening credits and 20-minute montage: the bathtub, Marvin Gaye's Grapevine, everyone getting ready for Alex's funeral.
“Most rewatchable scene. We mentioned the opening credits with the bathtub and Marvin gay.”
Bill Simmons · 0:36:42
pick The funeral and reception: Harold's failed eulogy, then the Rolling Stones kicking in as Karen plays the organ.
“Where did Alex's hope go? Klein goes up, does the speech. Can't get through it.”
unknown · 0:43:07
pick Richard's big kitchen scene, making a sandwich at 3 in the morning and talking about priorities.
“Next, uh, rewatchable scene, the Richards big kitchen scene.”
Bill Simmons · 0:44:23
pick The J.T. Lancer screening, dinner, cleanup and pot-smoking stretch.
“The I just wrote that in the next rewatchable scene is JT Lancer screening, dinner scene, cleanup, pot smoking.”
unknown · 0:47:21
floated Sarah (Glenn Close) saying Alex should be here, there should be a chair for him.
“I like when Glenn Close does the, he should be here.”
unknown · 0:48:38
floated Nick's what's-for-dessert line and Chloe laughing at it.
“I like when it gets super poignant, and Nick says, I know what Alex would say, what's for dessert, and nobody laughs, but Chloe thinks it's like the funniest thing ever.”
unknown · 0:49:41
floated Nick getting Sarah (Glenn Close) coked up.
“leading to CR's favorite scene when Nick gets Glenn Close's character coked up.”
Chris Ryan · 0:49:52
floated Everyone gathering around the Michigan football game.
“The Michigan football game.”
unknown · 0:51:00
floated The big Alex argument, Nick against Harold and Michael, the night before.
“The, uh, the Alex recon with the big argument, which we talked about.”
unknown · 0:51:21
floated The ending: Nick hugs Sam over breakfast and the credits roll.
“As I said, I love when Nick hugs Sam.”
unknown · 0:53:59
pick The opening 20 minutes as a whole, with Grapevine and the Stones; two hosts give this as their answer when asked.
“It's the opening 20 minutes.”
unknown · 0:54:57

Ebert review · The hosts read Roger Ebert's review of the film.

pick The Big Chill: Two and a half stars. A mostly positive review that reads the film as a technical exercise with no payoff; the hosts think the lack of payoff may be the point.
“The Big Chill is a splendid technical exercise. It has all the right moves. It knows all the right words.”
unknown · 0:29:46

Apex Mountain · Where each actor's or thing's career or run sits against this movie.

pick Glenn Close as Sarah: Not her apex.
“Apex Mountain, no for close.”
unknown · 1:30:29
pick Kevin Kline as Harold: Not his apex.
“No for Kevin Quine.”
unknown · 1:30:32
pick Meg Tilly as Chloe: Masquerade comes up first, then they land on this movie because nobody has heard of Masquerade.
“I think it's this because I've never heard of masquerade.”
unknown · 1:30:53
pick Mary Kay Place as Meg: This movie.
“This is definitely Mary Kay Place, right?”
unknown · 1:30:59
pick Platoon: Tom Berenger's apex.
“Probably platoon, right?”
unknown · 1:31:06
pick Broadcast News: William Hurt's apex, along with winning the Oscar.
“Probably winning Oscar, right?”
unknown · 1:31:13
pick Poltergeist: JoBeth Williams, 1981 to 1983.
“Poltergeist, right? Right before this?”
unknown · 1:31:19
pick The Santini house: The house, rather than the movie, as its own apex.
“Probably the Santini.”
unknown · 1:31:31
nominee Nick's 1972 Porsche 911 Targa
“How about the Porsche, 1972, 911 Targa?”
unknown · 1:31:33
nominee Sleeping with your wife's friend because she is ovulating that weekend
“How about, um, sleeping with your wife's friend because she is avulating that weekend?”
unknown · 1:31:42
pick Lawrence Kasdan: Yes, this is his apex, coming off the Star Wars films and directing it too.
“I think it is coming off all the Star Wars.”
unknown · 1:32:40
nominee The backyard football game, against the one in Wedding Crashers
“What about backyard football?”
unknown · 1:32:46

What Aged the Best · The parts of the movie that have held up best.

pick Sam telling Harold he does not know who to trust in LA and Harold's reply
“I like when Sam says, for what's age the best, in LA, I don't know who to trust.”
unknown · 0:59:29
pick Kevin Kline as Harold: His deadpan jokes.
“Kevin Klein gets off like 5 really good, like deadpan Kevin Klein jokes.”
unknown · 0:59:41
pick Richard and Karen's marriage, the beds pushed together then apart
“Richard and Karen's marriage, for what stage the best?”
unknown · 1:00:13
pick Sarah using the mom voice on her kids: Resonated more once the speaker had kids.
“Sarah talking to her kids when she's using the mom voice, Glenn Close.”
unknown · 1:00:21
pick Nick's 1972 Porsche 911 Targa
“Knicks Porsche? 1972? Incredible. 911 Targa?”
unknown · 1:00:48
pick Two quotes: the party on the one day you can't come, and not meeting many happy people
“I like 2 quotes, amazing tradition. They throw a great party for you on the one day they know you can't come.”
Bill Simmons · 1:01:24
pick The arc of a friends' getaway weekend, from awkward to awesome to a fight to everyone leaving
“One is the arc of a friend's getaway weekend is perfectly broken down in this movie where it goes from awkward.”
Chris Ryan · 1:01:41
pick The signature serious comedies of the 1980s: Compares it to Tootsie, Baby Boom, Broadcast News and others; says they no longer make these.
“I also feel like this has aged well as one of the signature serious comedies of the 1980s.”
Chris Ryan · 1:02:13
pick Nick's hog not working, a quiet Vietnam callback
“Uh, I got Nick's hog not working.”
unknown · 1:03:03
pick Nick as Alex's ghost
“Um, and also just the Nick character being Alex's ghost.”
unknown · 1:03:22
pick The Santini house as a location
“One more would stage the best for me is they use the great Santini house.”
unknown · 1:03:47
pick Nick and Sam watching TV together: Not at rewatchable-scene level.
“It's not a rewatchable scene level, but Nick and Sam just watching TV together is great.”
unknown · 1:04:10

Big Kahuna Burger, best use of food and drink · The best use of food or drink in the film.

winner The coffee and the coffee pot
“The use of coffee in this movie is elite.”
unknown · 1:05:19
nominee Richard's 3 a.m. sandwich
“I could really go for Richard Sandwich right now.”
unknown · 1:51:50

Great Shot · The best shot in the film.

winner The dissolve from the stitches on Alex's wrist to the rows of farmland outside the church: Cinematographer John Bailey's story of the match; the hosts say it has to be the Costner shot.
“they were shooting the field outside the church where they see all the rows of like farmland and he's like, 0 my god, this matches perfectly with the stitches on Alex's wrist.”
unknown · 1:06:17
nominee Triads of three object shots referencing Ozu
“So when you see like 3 shots of objects that all tell you something about characters, it's like this thing called a triad, right?”
unknown · 1:06:06

Butch's Girlfriend Award · The weak link of the film.

winner Karen's choice to go back to Richard after J.T. Lancer: Others defend it as a character choice about not giving up the life she built.
“Karen, going back to Richard at the end, never sat right to me.”
unknown · 1:08:14

What Aged the Worst · The parts of the movie that have held up worst.

winner Glenn Close's haircut
“Glenn Kluss's haircut in this movie is... It's not my favorite, absolute affront. hairstyles.”
unknown · 1:09:42
pick Return of the Secaucus 7: Hangs over the movie as a way to ding it.
“Just kind of hanging over this movie a little bit.”
unknown · 1:10:55
pick Treating insomnia with a giant cold cut sandwich in the middle of the night
“Yeah, uh, I just think that we've probably medically moved past the idea of treating insomnia with a giant cold cut sandwich in the middle of the night.”
unknown · 1:11:20
pick Meg's constant smoking
“I love I love smoking, but like I Meg smokes literally more than Carl Bernstein.”
unknown · 1:12:02

Best Needle Drop · The best use of a song in the film.

winner You Can't Always Get What You Want: The Rolling Stones song at the funeral reception.
“The Kid Cudi Pursued Happiness, a word for Best Needle Drop, goes to the Rolling Stone song, but there's also 5 other songs that could go.”
unknown · 1:12:42
nominee The Weight: One host's pick; another had it as a runner-up.
“I'm gonna go with the weight.”
unknown · 1:12:50
nominee Bad Moon Rising
“Bad Moon Rising's good too.”
unknown · 1:12:52
nominee Ain't Too Proud to Beg: Played over the dishes and cleanup.
“Well, I mean, I feel like ain't too proud to beg in doing the dishes and cleaning up is the most memorable one, right?”
unknown · 1:12:55
nominee You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman
“Well, you make me feel like a natural woman is a pretty big one too.”
unknown · 1:13:17

Mallory Rubin Award (did it need a better sex scene) · Whether the movie needed a better sex scene; the sex scene award.

pick Harold and Sarah's attempt to conceive for Meg, Harold gently rocking in the missionary position: Later called one of the greatest scenes in movie history because it is so weird.
“I think I'm good with Kevin Klein just gently rocking in the missionary position, not his best friend.”
unknown · 1:14:03

Picking Nits · Nitpicks of a movie they love.

pick Meg asking the guys to father her baby, and Sarah offering up Harold: Called a pretty big nitpick; the hosts then debate whether it is a good move or loser behavior.
“Well, it's a pretty big nitpick.”
unknown · 1:15:15
pick Harold's South Carolina accent
“I think Kevin Klein is elite, but what do we think about his South Carolina accent?”
unknown · 1:17:36
pick The touch football scenes: no Mississippis, a blitz, a tiny yard
“I was going to do this for picking nits, but these touch football scenes.”
unknown · 1:33:02
pick How many bedrooms Harold's house has and how the back house works
“So how many rooms did how many bedrooms did Harold's house have?”
unknown · 1:35:23
pick Harold's running company being publicly traded with stock tips
“I'm confused how Harold's company had stock.”
unknown · 1:36:47
pick Nick staying calm about a bat flying through his window
“Uh, I don't think that Nick would be as chill about a bat flying through his window after 3 lines of cocaine as he is in this movie.”
unknown · 1:38:11
pick Harold bombing the eulogy with no one mentioning it afterward
“Well, the only other thing was just like, Harold really bombs that eulogy, and then he like totally pulls it together afterwards.”
unknown · 1:39:24
pick Meg Tilly's Chloe hanging around the group after finding her boyfriend dead: Another host agrees she is a freeloader.
“If something like this happened, would you really let Meg Tilly's character hang around you and all your friends?”
unknown · 1:39:55

Hottest Take · The host's hottest take on the film.

pick Sarah offering up Harold to father Meg's baby was actually a good move
“The take is this was actually a good move.”
unknown · 1:17:08
pick A sequel at a 25th college reunion, instead of Grand Canyon
“Why not a sequel instead of doing Grand Canyon.”
unknown · 1:20:21
pick Lawrence Kasdan: His first five years are the greatest screenwriting run in movie history.
“I already burned it, which is that the 1st 5 years of Kazden's career is the greatest screenwriting run in movie history.”
Chris Ryan · 1:22:00

Casting What Ifs and Recasting Couch · Almost-castings and recasts.

pick JoBeth Williams and Glenn Close as Meg: Both wanted to play Meg.
“Um, As you mentioned, Joe Beth Williams going close want to play Meg.”
unknown · 1:22:53
pick Phoebe Cates as Chloe: She auditioned for Chloe, where Kevin Kline met her; Meg Tilly got the part.
“Kevin Klein met Phoebe Cates because she auditioned for Chloe.”
unknown · 1:22:59
pick Kevin Kline as Michael: Wanted Goldblum's part as the funnier role.
“Kevin Klein wanted Goldbloom's part because he thought it was a funnier role, but they pushed him too.”
unknown · 1:23:36
nominee Sean Penn as Alex: Rejected as too young at the time.
“Ormer, which is Sean Penn for Alex.”
unknown · 1:23:58
pick Glenn Close as Meg: Recasting couch: Close in Mary Kay Place's part and Meryl Streep as Sarah, which one host thinks is a better movie.
“Meryl Streep and the Glenn Close part and Glenn Close playing Mary Kay plays this part.”
unknown · 1:25:56

Overacting Award · The most overacting in the film.

winner Don Galloway as the preacher: He has to talk for five minutes about a man he did not know.
“No, nobody in the movie except for the preacher pastor.”
unknown · 1:24:18

Dion Waiters Award · Small role, big impact.

winner Kevin Costner as Alex: Argued over because his face is never seen; they spent 20 minutes talking about him.
“No, it's Costner, man.”
unknown · 1:24:58
nominee The preacher
“Dion Waiters, the preacher, probably?”
unknown · 1:24:56
nominee The cop
“What about the cop?”
unknown · 1:25:19

Coked Out Glenn Close Award · A new category for the best use of cocaine in the movie.

winner Sarah lying in bed coked up, kneading the sheet, then going to the roof
“It's when she's lying in bed and she's like off fridge day.”
unknown · 0:55:17

Best Racehorse Name · Best racehorse name drawn from the film.

winner J.T. Lancer
“I think J.T. Lancer is pretty good for...”
Chris Ryan · 1:35:14

Sequel, prequel, prestige TV · The sequel, prequel, prestige TV show or remake they would make.

pick Harold in prison for an SEC violation, as the sequel
“That actually is the sequel, is Harold's in prison for SEC violation.”
unknown · 1:37:17
pick All five formats: sequel, prequel, prestige TV, Black cast, remake
“I think it's all five.”
unknown · 1:41:25
pick A prestige TV version of Nick in Vietnam
“I would watch like a prestige TV version of Nick and Nam.”
unknown · 1:41:30
pick An all-Black version, riffing on the remake: Followed by a riff on a cast of names read out in the transcript.
“The black chill, like they made the black chill.”
unknown · 1:41:41
pick Netflix reviving J.T. Lancer as a new 10-episode series, with Harold's bastard son
“10 years later, Netflix revives JT Lancer, new 10 episode series.”
unknown · 1:48:07

Oscar pick · Who should have won or been nominated.

pick Terms of Endearment: Should have won best picture over this film.
“No, I think terms of endearment should have.”
unknown · 0:27:41
pick The Dresser: Picked for best picture by someone who has not seen it.
“The dresser, but I haven't seen it.”
unknown · 0:27:49
pick William Hurt as Nick: Not getting nominated is insane.
“The William Hurt not getting nominated is fucking insane.”
unknown · 0:27:10
winner Lawrence Kasdan: Should have won original screenplay over Horton Foote for Tender Mercies.
“Yeah, it's it's crazy that he didn't win for original screenplay with magnetic.”
unknown · 1:42:52

Unanswered Questions · Questions the movie leaves open.

pick Nick's cocaine in the wheel well: for distribution or for party time
“Was it meant for distribution or was it meant for party time? I think both.”
unknown · 0:50:36
pick Did Meg get pregnant?
“Did Meg get pregnant?”
unknown · 1:43:14
pick Why the Rutledge scholarship was such a big deal
“Why was the Rutledge scholarship such a big deal?”
unknown · 1:43:22
pick What happened to Alex, and whether he went to Vietnam
“So what happened to Alex then?”
unknown · 1:43:56

Zihuatanejo Award (what happened the next day) · What happens to the characters after the movie ends.

pick Nick, arrested for drug possession before Harold gets divorced
“Nick's going down.”
unknown · 1:49:27
pick Harold and Sarah, still married in name only
“Maybe like he lives at the summer house and she lives up in the city house, like kind of thing where it's like married and named only.”
unknown · 1:49:39
pick Nick and Chloe, lasting about a week and a half
“Oh, like a week and a half .”
unknown · 1:50:09
pick Sam, how long J.T. Lancer ran and what came after: Four seasons, cancelled, then an LA Law-style lawyer role.
“Four seasons.”
unknown · 1:46:48

Memorabilia · What piece of memorabilia they would want from the movie.

pick Nick's Porsche
“Porsche.”
unknown · 1:51:35
pick Michael's Village Voice t-shirt
“I like Michael's Village Voice t-shirt.”
unknown · 1:51:38
pick Game-worn Running Dog sneakers
“The sneakers, I thought the running dog, game worn running dog sneakers would be pretty good.”
unknown · 1:51:42
pick The record collection
“The record collection, I think, would be really good too.”
unknown · 1:51:46
pick The coffee maker
“And the coffee maker.”
unknown · 1:51:49

Coach Finstock Award · Best life lesson from the movie.

pick Everyone sells out
“Everyone sells out.”
unknown · 1:52:29
pick Meg's line about the cold world out there and worrying she is getting cold too: Not a lesson so much as a truism; the movie has many smaller lessons.
“I always liked Meg's line about like it's a cold world out there and like sometimes I'm worried I'm getting cold too, kind of.”
unknown · 1:52:33

Who Won the Movie · Who came out the winner of the movie.

winner Lawrence Kasdan: Usually the cast and the director, but here it is the writer-director's personal, generational movie.
“But in this case, it feels like, what a personal movie.”
unknown · 1:54:41
winner Lawrence Kasdan
“I think it's Kazden as well.”
unknown · 1:54:48

What if it were made today · How the movie would differ if made now.

pick The Big Chill remade now: Meg becomes the most sympathetic, Lancer a self-parody, Harold more of a sellout
“I feel like if they make this movie now. Meg becomes this most sympathetic character.”
unknown · 0:17:19
pick The same reunion for his generation, with worse music like Avicii and Kygo
“Also, I was thinking about it if this movie was made today with people my age or something, like 10 years from now, my friends meet up after 15 years and just how much worse the music would be that we're listening to?”
Craig Horlbeck · 1:55:48

Films that came up

Claims (80)

lineage (lineage): Beautiful Girls → The Big Chill. Named among the later films that tried and failed to be the Big Chill for a new generation, along with About Alex.
“I remember beautiful girls tried in the mid 90s and there's a movie called About Alex and the mid 2010s.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:04:50 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
lineage (lineage): Return of the Secaucus 7 → The Big Chill. Called a precursor to The Big Chill.
“precursor to this movie, Socaucus 7 is like this.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:05:04 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
lineage (lineage): 10 Years → The Big Chill. Another reunion-with-a-great-cast attempt that did not match The Big Chill.
“I kind of like 10 years.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:05:20 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
lineage (lineage): The Intervention → The Big Chill. Another indie friends-weekend film in the same vortex.
“There was a movie called The Intervention.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:05:24 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
craft (craft): The Big Chill → Dead Poets Society. Compared for the intense cast rehearsal and living-together period that made the actors feel like real classmates.
“this intense period of like living together, building up the story, building up the characters, is Dead Poet Society”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:05:48 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
theme (theme): Reality Bites → The Big Chill. Reality Bites is the young-person reaction to the sold-out generation The Big Chill depicts.
“And then that's why like reality bites hits and you see reality bites and you're like, oh, that's why Troy is like, fuck everything.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:12:44 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
industry (industry): Robert Zemeckis → Lawrence Kasdan. Grouped with Ron Howard as post-Lucas/Spielberg directors whose later movies became optimistic as they got wealthy; Kasdan fits the arc.
“Robert Zamechis comes to mind.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:15:03 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
career (career): Grand Canyon → The Big Chill. Grand Canyon is an interesting double pairing because it shows how Kasdan's worldview evolved; much more optimistic.
“Grand Canyon is an interesting double pairing with this movie because of the way that it's clearly him”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:15:50 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
career (career): Mary Kay Place → Private Benjamin. Mary Kay Place's early 80s run includes Private Benjamin, Modern Problems and Terms of Endearment.
“I think she tears off like Private Benjamin, modern life, this in terms of endearment.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:16:55 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
career (career): Mary Kay Place → Modern Problems. Mangled in the transcript as 'modern life'; part of the same early-80s run.
“I think she tears off like Private Benjamin, modern life, this in terms of endearment.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:16:55 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
craft (craft): Marvin Gaye → The Big Chill. 'I Heard It Through the Grapevine' is a purposeful, perfect song choice for the moment everyone hears Alex has died.
“Like, it's a purposeful choice to use that song at that moment, you know, and like just those little details that he, make sure he gets right”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:21:15 · Chris Ryan (0.55 sure it was them)
craft (craft): The Rolling Stones → The Big Chill. The Stones song at the reception, with Karen playing it on the organ, is called as well used as a song ever is in a movie.
“And then the fucking Rolling Stones come in and it's used as well as you're gonna ever use a song in a movie.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:21:45 · Sean Fennessey (0.50 sure it was them)
craft (craft): The Big Chill → Boogie Nights. The Big Chill is like Boogie Nights: a movie where the song list in order basically plays like a jukebox.
“This is a movie where you can make a Spotify playlist of all the songs in order of when they're in the movie”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:22:01 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
craft (craft): Meg Kasdan → The Big Chill. Meg Kasdan helped curate the soundtrack with Lawrence Kasdan, choosing songs that were popular to these characters in 1968-69.
“I guess Meg Kazden, Lawrence Kazden's wife, you know, helped curate the soundtrack and worked with him on it.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:23:00 · Chris Ryan (0.60 sure it was them)
craft (craft): The Big Chill → Goodfellas. Needle-drop movies where the music is part of the scene, grouped with Boogie Nights and Pulp Fiction.
“It is this Boogie Knights, Goodfellas, Pulp Fiction.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:23:48 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
verdict (verdict): The Big Chill → Terms of Endearment. One host says Terms of Endearment deserved Best Picture over The Big Chill.
“No, I think terms of endearment should have.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:27:41 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
verdict (verdict): Roger Ebert → The Big Chill. Ebert gave it 2.5 stars while calling it a splendid technical exercise; hosts think the message is the emptiness.
“The Big Chill is a splendid technical exercise.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:29:46 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
verdict (verdict): Pauline Kael → The Big Chill. Kael did not much like it, calling the seven characters a psych-major version of a bomber crew.
“you begin to see the film's flabby side”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:32:10 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
contrast (contrast): Return of the Secaucus 7 → The Big Chill. Secaucus 7 is about people who did not become yuppies; The Big Chill is the opposite, Kasdan reckoning with success.
“Sokaka 7 is about people who didn't become yuppies.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:33:28 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
career (career): John Sayles → Return of the Secaucus 7. Sayles' films are about lower-middle-class people, unlike Kasdan's.
“that's what almost all of John Sales's movies are about lower middle class people.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:33:45 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
career (career): American Flyers → Kevin Costner. The speaker first noticed Costner in American Flyers and knew he would be a star.
“I didn't know who Kevin Costner was until American Flyers”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:38:20 · Chris Ryan (0.40 sure it was them)
programming (programming): Breaking Away → American Flyers. Cycling month for the show: American Flyers and Breaking Away.
“Maybe we should do cycling month on the rewatchable.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:38:39 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
career (career): Kevin Costner → No Way Out. Costner hit with No Way Out in 87 and became one of the biggest stars by the late 80s.
“Okay. Costner in 87 hits with no way out.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:38:58 · Bill Simmons (0.40 sure it was them)
craft (craft): The Big Chill → The Godfather Part II. The cut Costner scene, going back in time to college, was compared to the end of Godfather 2.
“A little like the end of Godfather 2.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:39:21 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
career (career): Kevin Costner → Silverado. Kasdan cut Costner from the Big Chill but gave him the weed part in Silverado to make up for it.
“right, it's basically gives them the weed part in Silverado.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:39:43 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
contrast (contrast): Lawrence Kasdan → Michael Mann. Kasdan never released the cut Costner scene; Mann is doing recuts of Black Hat.
“who's doing recuts of Michael Mann?”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:40:01 · Bill Simmons (0.40 sure it was them)
contrast (contrast): The Shawshank Redemption → The Big Chill. Shawshank's deleted Red scene shows why a director may keep cut scenes buried.
“I remember seeing the deleted scenes from Shawshank”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:41:08 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
craft (craft): J.T. Lancer → Mystery Science Theater 3000. The friends' mocking of JT Lancer is like MST3K.
“The mystery science theater to like the opening credits of that.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:47:39 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
career (career): Fatal Attraction → Glenn Close. First extended Glenn Close appearance on the show is Fatal Attraction; Garp is expected eventually.
“Garp's gonna happen at some point.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:48:58 · Chris Ryan (0.30 sure it was them)
contrast (contrast): The Wolf of Wall Street → The Big Chill. Quaaludes apex mountain belongs to Wolf of Wall Street, not The Big Chill.
“No, Ludes is Wolf of Wall Street.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:50:56 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
career (career): JoBeth Williams → Kramer vs. Kramer. Her good run was Kramer vs. Kramer, Poltergeist, then The Big Chill.
“Kramer versus Kramer Poltergeist.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:53:21 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
lineage (lineage): J.T. Lancer → Magnum, P.I.. JT Lancer is a Magnum PI type; Matt Houston was the ripoff.
“Because it wasn't just Magnum PI back then.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:55:49 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
career (career): Tom Berenger → Major League. Berenger had the Major League decade and a solid career.
“He's the major league decade.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:56:19 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
career (career): Tom Berenger → The Substitute. He went into a five-o'clocker stage with action movies like Sniper and The Substitute.
“What was he in the substitute?”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:56:28 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
career (career): Tom Berenger → Inception. Later he was in one Nolan movie, Inception.
“Inception, right.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:56:36 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
what-if (what-if): Kevin Kline → Tom Hanks. Kline could have had a Tom Hanks type career.
“He could have been Tom Hanks.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:00:02 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
theme (theme): The Big Chill → Tootsie. The Big Chill is part of a lost wave of 80s serious comedies like Tootsie, Lost in America, Baby Boom, Broadcast News.
“I also feel like this has aged well as one of the signature serious comedies of the 1980s.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:02:13 · Chris Ryan (0.40 sure it was them)
theme (theme): The Big Chill → Broadcast News. Same 80s serious-comedy wave.
“Tootsie, Big Chill, Lost in America, Pritzies on, or Baby Boom, Broadcast News.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:02:23 · Chris Ryan (0.40 sure it was them)
theme (theme): The Big Chill → Parenthood. Also in the 80s dramedies about life crises that are no longer made.
“Cities liquors like that, working girl, parenthood, you know, there's a bunch of movies that are like this.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:02:37 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
industry (industry): The Big Chill → The Adults. A new Michael Cera film is trying to bring mumblecore back.
“It's a new movie that Michael Sarah's trying to bring Mumblecore back.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:02:55 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
craft (craft): The Big Chill → The Great Santini. The Big Chill used the Great Santini house.
“One more would stage the best for me is they use the great Santini house.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:03:47 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
people (people): John Bailey → Lawrence Kasdan. Bailey said in an interview that Kasdan largely turned over some of the filmmaking to him.
“he gave this really great interview where he talked about, like, you know, Kazen largely like turned over some of the filmmaking stuff to him.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:05:41 · Chris Ryan (0.55 sure it was them)
craft (craft): John Bailey → Yasujiro Ozu. Bailey and the film reference Ozu with triad shots of objects that tell you about characters.
“they're referencing the Japanese filmmaker Ozu in like some of the shots that they do.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:05:55 · Chris Ryan (0.40 sure it was them)
craft (craft): John Bailey → The Big Chill. Bailey's dissolve from the stitches on Alex's wrist into the rows of farmland outside the church.
“they were shooting the field outside the church where they see all the rows of like farmland and he's like, 0 my god, this matches perfectly with the stitches on Alex's wrist.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:06:17 · Chris Ryan (0.55 sure it was them)
people (people): Carol Littleton → John Bailey. The editor and cinematographer were married and talked shop away from work.
“Carol Littleton was married to John Bailey, the cinematographer.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:06:51 · Chris Ryan (0.40 sure it was them)
career (career): Carol Littleton → E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. Littleton edited E.T.; Spielberg helped Kasdan along.
“So the editor of the movie is Carol Littleton, who edited ET”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:06:51 · Chris Ryan (0.40 sure it was them)
craft (craft): John Bailey → The Big Chill. The camera in the one-house movie moves with purpose, subtle zooms and pans, because editor and cinematographer trust each other.
“But if you look at how the camera's moving, like very subtle zooms panning very purposefully around, like, it seems perfunctory, but if you pay close attention, it's really purposeful”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:07:15 · Chris Ryan (0.55 sure it was them)
craft (craft): The Accidental Tourist → The Big Chill. Kasdan's later Accidental Tourist is an entire movie of insert shots about what people carry on trips.
“the accidental tourist is like an entire movie of insert shots and what do people carry with them when they go on trips, you know?”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:07:55 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
lineage (lineage): Hometown (TV series) → The Big Chill. The Big Chill was adapted as a short-lived 16-episode TV series called Hometown in 1986.
“As the short-lived series hometown?”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:11:06 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
craft (craft): The Band → The Big Chill. 'The Weight' playing over Meg at the dining table is singled out as a best needle drop.
“I just really like when like Meg's shattered and she's sitting at the dining room table smoking and like the shoe boxes are there and the wait's playing.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:13:09 · Chris Ryan (0.50 sure it was them)
unmapped (parody): Fatal Attraction → The Big Chill. An SNL sketch has Glenn Close's character turn into Fatal Attraction while listening to the fertility-night scene.
“And finally, she turns into fatal attraction.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:18:33 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
what-if (what-if): The Big Chill → Pacific Heights. A sequel pitch with Meg's son returning is compared to Pacific Heights.
“It's like Pacific Heights.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:20:40 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
career (career): Lawrence Kasdan → Raiders of the Lost Ark. Kasdan's run: Empire, Raiders, Body Heat, Continental Divide, Jedi, Big Chill.
“Raiders of the Lost Ark.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:22:10 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
career (career): Lawrence Kasdan → Continental Divide. He sold Continental Divide to Spielberg; not a good movie but a good script.
“He sells Continental Divide to Steven Spielberg, which becomes not a very good movie, but apparently was a good script.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:22:12 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
career (career): Lawrence Kasdan → John Hughes. Kasdan's first five years beat Hughes in a screenwriting final.
“So it's John Hughes versus him in the finals and cast and wins.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:22:26 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
people (people): Phoebe Cates → Kevin Kline. Kline met Cates because she auditioned for Chloe.
“Kevin Klein met Phoebe Cates because she auditioned for Chloe.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:22:59 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
what-if (what-if): Phoebe Cates → Meg Tilly. Cates read for Chloe; Tilly got it. Cates seen as too famous.
“I think Phoebe Cates is like too famous almost.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:23:20 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
what-if (what-if): Kevin Kline → Jeff Goldblum. Kline wanted Goldblum's funnier part but was pushed to the other.
“Kevin Klein wanted Goldbloom's part because he thought it was a funnier role, but they pushed him too.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:23:36 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
people (people): Jeff Goldblum → Geena Davis. Goldblum's first wife appears in the opening credits and he later ended up with Geena Davis.
“who he then broke up with and ended up with Gina Davis.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:23:44 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
career (career): Geena Davis → Lawrence Kasdan. She later won an Oscar in a Kasdan movie.
“Who won an Oscar in a Lawrence Castan movie?”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:23:54 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
what-if (what-if): Sean Penn → Kevin Costner. Penn for Alex was raised but dismissed as too young.
“Ormer, which is Sean Penn for Alex.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:23:58 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
what-if (what-if): Meryl Streep → Glenn Close. Recasting couch: Streep in the Glenn Close part, Close in the Mary Kay Place part.
“Meryl Streep's in the Glen Close part.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:25:39 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
what-if (what-if): Glenn Close → Mary Kay Place. Close would have been an amazing Meg; she's a better actress.
“I think close would have been an amazing Meg.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:26:14 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
industry (industry): Marcia Nasatir → The Big Chill. Exec who said if she couldn't get this picture made she shouldn't be in the movie business; Kasdan pitched it 17 times.
“We pitched it literally 17 times.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:28:38 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
theme (theme): The Big Chill → Bill Clinton. EW's 15th anniversary review blamed The Big Chill for soundtrack albums, 30-something, and Bill Clinton.
“Hell, blame the big show for Bill Quinton.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:29:42 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
career (career): Meg Tilly → Masquerade. Possible apex mountain for Meg Tilly is the Rob Lowe movie Masquerade, though the Big Chill is argued instead.
“It's probably the Rob Lowe movie.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:30:37 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
career (career): Tom Berenger → Platoon. Berenger's apex mountain is Platoon.
“Probably platoon, right?”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:31:06 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
career (career): JoBeth Williams → Poltergeist. Poltergeist is her apex mountain right before this.
“Poltergeist, right? Right before this?”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:31:19 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
contrast (contrast): The Big Chill → Wedding Crashers. Backyard football compared: Big Chill or Wedding Crashers.
“This or Wedding Crashers?”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:32:48 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
contrast (contrast): The Big Chill → Goodfellas. Nick wouldn't be as chill about a bat as Henry Hill, having seen the second half of Goodfellas.
“We've seen the 2nd half of Goodfellas.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:38:31 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
contrast (contrast): Succession → The Big Chill. Harold's bombed eulogy is never mentioned again, unlike Kieran Culkin's character in Succession.
“Having seen what happened to Kieran Culkin's character in succession, you know?”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:39:36 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
what-if (what-if): The Big Chill → Nick and Nam. A prestige TV version of Nick bringing drugs back from Vietnam.
“I would watch like a prestige TV version of Nick and Nam.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:41:30 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
what-if (what-if): The Big Chill → Goodfellas. A bit where the Big Chill is cast with Goodfellas-style actors.
“Is this movie better with Wayne Jenkins, Danny Treo?”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:41:47 · Bill Simmons (0.30 sure it was them)
verdict (verdict): The Big Chill → Terms of Endearment. Later the screenwriting Oscar is argued: Big Chill should have won over Tender Mercies.
“Nah, Big Chelsea should have won.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:43:09 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
programming (programming): Grand Canyon → The Big Chill. Chosen as the best double feature with The Big Chill, though two hosts are mixed on it.
“Grand Canyon, right?”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:48:35 · Bill Simmons (0.40 sure it was them)
career (career): Grand Canyon → Danny Glover. Grand Canyon is only worth it for Danny Glover.
“I think I only like that movie because of Danny Glover.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:49:00 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
industry (industry): Grand Canyon → The LA riots. Released two months before the LA riots.
“because it was released like 2 months before the LA riots.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:49:04 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
theme (theme): Singles → The Big Chill. Friendship movies loved alongside Kicking and Screaming; realism in a moment.
“I love singles.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:55:03 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
theme (theme): Kicking and Screaming → The Big Chill. Falls into the same category.
“I love kicking and screaming, and this falls into that category team.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:55:06 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
what-if (what-if): Tom Berenger → Taylor Sheridan. Berenger could be revived in the Taylor Sheridan universe, set in the old West.
“Taylor Sheridan, where are you? Tom Beringer.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:57:49 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)

Fun items (21)

fun, about Bill Simmons: Bill's birthday movie each year; this year The Big Chill, previous years Boogie Nights and Shawshank.
“Every year on my birthday, we do a movie that I love, and this year we're doing the big chill.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:00:58 · Bill Simmons (0.90 sure it was them)
fun, about The Big Chill: Hosts watch with closed captions to catch the lyrics of 'I Heard It Through the Grapevine' in the opening montage; the sad song is catchy.
“when you watch this movie with the closed captions, heard it through the grapevine, is you see the lyrics.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:20:21 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
fun, about The Big Chill: Meg Kasdan helped curate the soundtrack, picking songs popular with the characters in 1968-69.
“Meg Kazden, Lawrence Kazden's wife, you know, helped curate the soundtrack and worked with him on it.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:23:00 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
fun, about Cruising: Cruising is the most popular Rewatchables episode of all time.
“Well, cruising's the most popular watchable of all time.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:25:43 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
fun, about The Big Chill: The film earned $56.4 million on an $8 million budget.
“$8 million budget.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:29:17 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
fun, about The Big Chill: Ebert's 2.5 stars reads like a 3 or 3.5 review to the hosts; maybe it hit too close to home.
“It feels like a 3 or 3.5 star review.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:30:08 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
fun, about Kevin Costner: Costner played Alex but his entire flashback scene was cut; Kasdan has never released it. Hosts split on whether the 40th anniversary Blu-ray should include it.
“Kasten is just like, look, I made that movie.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:40:16 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
fun, about The Big Chill: Richard's 3 a.m. kitchen sandwich scene: the square lawyer delivers 'nobody said it was gonna be fun' to the lapsed revolutionaries; a most-rewatchable scene.
“Nobody said it was gonna be fun.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:45:26 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
fun, about The Big Chill: Most rewatchable scene is unanimous: the opening 20 minutes.
“It's the opening 20 minutes.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:54:57 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
fun, about Nick (William Hurt's character): Hosts debate whether Nick, Alex, or both went to Vietnam; Nick's 'hog not working'.
“Nick's hog not working.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:03:03 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
fun, about The Big Chill: Four handsome leads; Goldblum is 'the best route runner' and has great hands.
“Goldblum's also the best route runner of all of them.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:05:12 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
fun, about The Big Chill: The cinematographer noticed the farmland rows matched the stitches on Alex's wrist.
“this matches perfectly with the stitches on Alex's wrist.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:06:17 · Chris Ryan (0.40 sure it was them)
fun, about The Big Chill (title): Kasdan's explanation of the title: cold adult reality after the warm embrace of friendship in college.
“the experience of cold adult reality after leaving the warm embrace of true friendship during college.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:12:30 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
fun, about The Big Chill: Fertility-night scene: Meg's request to impregnate her, Sarah offering Harold; the biggest nitpick and discussion.
“She's like, I want to have a baby.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:15:22 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
fun, about The Big Chill: SNL sketch where Glenn Close's character turns into Fatal Attraction.
“They did a great sketch when they had, uh, I think Kevin Klein.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:18:14 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
fun, about Lawrence Kasdan: Hot take: the first five years of Kasdan's career are the greatest screenwriting run in movie history.
“the 1st 5 years of Kazden's career is the greatest screenwriting run in movie history.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:22:00 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
fun, about The Big Chill: Kasdan wrote the part of Nick for William Hurt.
“Kazden wrote the role in Nick for William Hurt”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:22:43 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
fun, about The Big Chill: A sound technician recorded a ghost voice in the house during filming; the one-hour reunion documentary tells it.
“there was a supernatural event in the house.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:26:55 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
fun, about The Big Chill: The Michigan football scenes come from a 1980 Michigan vs Michigan State game won 27-23.
“The Michigan football scenes are from a 1980 game between Michigan and Michigan State that Michigan won 2723.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:28:07 · Bill Simmons (0.30 sure it was them)
fun, about The Big Chill: Kasdan pitched the film to studios 17 times; his producer said it was what a screenplay is supposed to be.
“We pitched it literally 17 times.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:28:38 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
fun, about The Big Chill: JoBeth Williams: for the Costner scene they rented a big house in Atlanta and installed bead curtains, rock posters, incense and 1968 Life magazines.
“they rented a big house in Atlanta and installed bead curtains, rock posters, incense, and 1968 life magazines”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:29:02 · Bill Simmons (0.30 sure it was them)

Who's talking

Bill Simmons (host): Loves The Big Chill enough to make it his birthday movie and has seen it more than almost anything. Cares about football-movie accuracy, soundtrack craft and the 80s ensemble dramedy. Can't stand bad touch football scenes and the Oscars' snubs.
Chris Ryan (host): Sentimental about the film as his mom's movie and the Motown soundtrack. Loves American Flyers and ensemble friendship movies. A sucker for needle drops and domestic details like Nick's Porsche.
Sean Fennessey (host): A DVD head and Letterboxd regular who would cave on the deleted scenes. Likes the fact sheets, craft details like Ozu, and friendship movies. Dislikes the sequel idea and the Costner scene being sat on forever.
Craig Horlbeck (guest): A younger Ringer staffer who had never seen the film and adored it. Loves Singles and Kicking and Screaming style realism about friends.

The show's recurring bits

Apex Mountain: The moment a star peaks; where on the mountain a performance sits.
Who Won the Movie: The hosts name the person who came out of the film best off.
The Ebert review: Roger Ebert's original review and star rating read aloud. Ebert is cited, never on the show.
Casting what-ifs: Who was almost cast, or who should have been.
Most rewatchable scene: The scene each host would stop on while flipping channels.
Aged best / aged worst: What holds up and what does not.
Picking Nits: The little things in a film the hosts love that they don't think totally work: the nits.
Double feature: The film each host would pair it with; a programming pick.

Names the transcriber got wrong

Kazden/Casting/Kasten/Castan = Lawrence Kasdan
Barringer/Beringer = Tom Berenger
Kevin Quine/Klein = Kevin Kline
Socaucus 7/Sokaka 7 = Return of the Secaucus 7
John Sales = John Sayles
Sierra/Cisco/CR/Sia = Chris Ryan
Sean Fantasy/Fantasy = Sean Fennessey
Barbara Benedict = Barbara Benedek
Martian Assetier = Marcia Nasatir
Joe Beth Williams = JoBeth Williams
Black Cat = Black Hat
Garb = Garp
Gina Davis = Geena Davis
Mick Tilly = Meg Tilly
Mary K. Place = Mary Kay Place
Matt Bellanie = Matt Belloni (ad)
Wayne Jenkins/Danny Treo = likely Danny Trejo and other actors