The Big Chill: Jeff Goldblum Credits Isolation For Helping The Cast Bond
"The Big Chill" remains one of the most impressively cast and quintessential films of the '80s and yet somehow is one of Jeff Goldbum's most forgettable film roles. Make no mistake, that's no fault of the actor. Looking back on iconic roles in "Jurassic Park" and "The Fly," the black comedy does not immediately come to mind. But Goldblum is an inspired addition to a fully stacked cast, including Glenn Close, William Hurt, and Kevin Kline — just to name a few.
The group of thirty-somethings that gather for their friend's funeral is composed of every possible personality type. Goldblum plays the suffering writer who just isn't satisfied with his wealth and success. This theme may not exactly connect with modern audiences, but the "Thor: Ragnarok" actor makes you forget by injecting his classic humor into the role. The comfort of the film is that every character makes you feel like you've known them for years, which isn't hard to believe. An integral of production was getting the actors to bond.
"[Director Lawrence Kasdan] wanted us to rehearse for four weeks together and then live all together in this sort of isolated place in Buford, South Carolina. And sure enough, his methods worked, and we just had a great time," Goldblum recalled to Rolling Stone. Arguably the most memorable scene of the film required the actors to appear as though they had known each other for years.
The Big Chill dance scene is unforgettable
Through infidelity, fights, and a bat-infested attic, this weekend with friends is full of conflict. But while concerns about how they turned from '60s idealists to modern yuppies are certainly relevant, this dynamic would not work without seeing that the characters love each other first. This is showcased in what became one of the most well-known scenes of the film. After an emotional dinner following a funeral, Harold (Kevin Kline) eases the tension by putting on a record. It works like a charm, and everyone caves to the power of dance as they clean up the kitchen. Chosen by Lawrence Kasdan's wife Meg, The Temptations' "Ain't Too Proud To Beg" was a definitive song for the film. Because of the pre-production work put into the film, it isn't hard to feel the kinship between the characters.
"That's the way it's always been for me with acting pals: You get together, like the circus, with people who were roaming and only have a fleeting brush with each other, but it demands that you are intimate in the deepest and most spiritual way and have an interesting and passionate experience that may mean something to somebody else if it's witnessed and filmed," Jeff Goldblum concluded. The characters in the film can't deny that their lives veered far from what they ever anticipated. But for one shining moment, things were as they should be.