Return of the Secaucus 7

R

Released Sep 5, 1980

1h 46m

Comedy

Drama

List

82%

17 Reviews

Tomatometer

73%

1,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Seven baby boomers with ties to the antiwar movement of the '60s get together for a weekend at the home of teachers Mike (Bruce MacDonald) and Katie (Maggie Renzi). What should be a peaceful reunion, however, is rife with drama. Longtime couple Jeff (Mark Arnott) and Maura (Karen Trott) are separating, speechwriter Irene (Jean Passanante) is self-conscious about her conservative boyfriend (Gordon Clapp), and Frances (Maggie Cousineau) has a flirtation with a local mechanic (David Strathairn).

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Ravenswood R

Too many characters given equal weight. Where are they all from and exactly why are they together for a weekend "reunion?" Why do the out of towners know the locals? Why do the writer and director think you can have 12 main characters in a movie? It is confusing, and meanders from scene to scene with no plot. The scenes are half OK and half good. The me generation gets its first inklings that the fun is about to be over for good. The 80s will crush anything that was left of their progressive ideals, but all of these good natured quippy drips were born into affluence and they will do OK, and they know it. All of the characters are breezy and self sufficient in their privileged ways, and as a result they all lack feeling and depth. For all of the flaws, some light humor and Robert Altman influenced quirkiness and dialogue help maintain a medium level of interest. A good museum piece or time capsule of a very brief era for the then existing middle class in the late 1970s.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

09/11/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The best, GREATEST movie ever made!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/26/23

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Audience Member

John Sayles makes his directorial debut in this drama about College friends reuniting for a weekend and end up dealing with the break-up of one of the long time couples in the group. The movie is a decent, and more realistic and less phony than the more well-known film "The Big Chill", which came out a few years later. I enjoyed this indie drama, it has good dialogue and some nice moments, though I doubt it will really stick with me for years to come.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/17/23

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Audience Member

A dull kind of proto-mumblecore that nonetheless has moments of insight and sincerity.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/25/23

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Audience Member

now i see where they got the idea for the pic"the big chill", right here

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/21/23

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Audience Member

Well before "The Big Chill" came along, John Sayles made this terrific low-budget film. If you are looking for slick-filmmaking go elsewhere. If you want something that is different, and for me far more believable, than most Hollywood films try this one. 2 Stars 10-26-13

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/23/23

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John Sayles

Director

Mark Arnott

Jeff Andrews

Gordon Clapp

Chip Hollister

Maggie Cousineau

Frances Carlson

Brian Johnson

Norman

Adam LeFevre

J.T.

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The Big Chill

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Keith Uhlich

(All (Parentheses))

This state-of-the-(dis)union character drama proves ultimately gentle where Sayles’s grindhouse projects go thematically and aesthetically blunt.

Feb 8, 2024

Full Review

Emanuel Levy

Variety

Preeiding the glitzy Big Chill by three years, John Sayles' first feature offers a poignant look at the reunion of 1960s activists; there's not much to look at this talking heads feature, which was shot for $40,000, but the dialogue is good.

Rated: B

Dec 24, 2006

Full Review

Nell Minow

Movie Mom

Fresh, smart, endearing.

Rated: 4/5

Nov 26, 2003

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Cole Smithey

ColeSmithey.com

This film is an exquisite time capsule of New Hampshire culture circa 1980. Dig the Tretorn tennis shoes.

Rated: A-

Jun 16, 2017

Full Review

Fernando F. Croce

CinePassion

Granola theater on the cusp of the New Right

Mar 3, 2010

Full Review

Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

The much praised film upon its release, a tribute to indie filmmaking, seems to have badly dated.

Rated: C+

May 27, 2008

Full Review

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Synopsis

Seven baby boomers with ties to the antiwar movement of the '60s get together for a weekend at the home of teachers Mike (Bruce MacDonald) and Katie (Maggie Renzi). What should be a peaceful reunion, however, is rife with drama. Longtime couple Jeff (Mark Arnott) and Maura (Karen Trott) are separating, speechwriter Irene (Jean Passanante) is self-conscious about her conservative boyfriend (Gordon Clapp), and Frances (Maggie Cousineau) has a flirtation with a local mechanic (David Strathairn).

Director: John Sayles
Screenwriter: John Sayles
Distributor: RCA/Columbia, IFC Films, MGM Home Entertainment
Production Co: Salsipuedes Productions, UCLA Film and Television Archive, Anarchists' Convention
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 5, 1980, Wide
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Apr 5, 2002
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 4, 2020
Runtime: 1h 46m
Sound Mix: Mono

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