Return of the Secaucus Seven (1979)

Seven former college friends, along with a few new friends, gather for a weekend reunion at a summer house in New Hampshire to reminisce about the good old days, when they got arrested on the way to a protest in Washington, DC.

Director:

John Sayles

Writer:

John Sayles

Stars:

Bruce MacDonald, Maggie Renzi, Adam LeFevre

3 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Bruce MacDonald	...	Mike
Maggie Renzi	...	Katie
Adam LeFevre	...	J.T.
Maggie Cousineau	...	Frances
Gordon Clapp	...	Chip
Jean Passanante	...	Irene
Karen Trott	...	Maura
Mark Arnott	...	Jeff
David Strathairn	...	Ron
John Sayles	...	Howie
Marisa Smith	...	Carol
Amy Schewel	...	Lacey
Carolyn Brooks	...	Meg
Eric Forsythe	...	Captain
Nancy Mette	...	Lee

Storyline

The Secaucus 7 of the film's title are seven friends who, during their college days, were arrested in New Jersey on their way to a protest in Washington. The film takes place ten years after all that, as the friends gather at the home of Mike and Katie, now schoolteachers in New Hampshire, bringing with them old problems and new: Maura has left Jeff and seeks consolation with his best friend, J.T.; J.T., arguably the least successful of the friends, finally gets the courage to move to Los Angeles to start a career as a songwriter; Irene brings her new boyfriend along, hoping he'll like and be liked by her friends and expecting them to challenge him for his more-conservative politics; and more. This is the film that inspired "The Big Chill."

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Plot Keywords:

male nudity | national film registry | speechwriter | theater | theater audience | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

Considered to have launched the directorial film career of American auteur John Sayles.

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Goofs

Camera shadow on the ground during the basketball game when JT falls down.

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Quotes

J.T.: So listen, what-what kind of music do you like?
Lee: Oh, progressive rock mostly.
J.T.: Which is that?
Lee: Oh, King Crimson, Yes, Genesis, Rush...
J.T.: Right, right. Heavy metal goes to college.

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Connections

References Dragnet (1951)

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Soundtracks

The Boots They Come and the Boots They Go
© 1977 Folk Legacy Inc.
© 1978 Daring Enterprises
Written by Bill Staines
Performed by Mason Daring and Jeanie Stahl

User Reviews

I saw this when it came out and thought it was great!

I went to a movie theater and saw "Return of the Secaucus Seven" in 1981. I was slightly younger than the characters in the movie but I could relate to their lives. When the Big Chill came out I thought it was a ripoff of Secaucus. In the Big Chill all of the characters have big time jobs - shoe manufacturer, doctor, actor, magazine writer, etc.. In Secaucus most of the characters haven't figured out what they want to do and crashing on the floor is a way of life rather than the expense account Big Chill graduates. The acting is awful. The plot is weak. It is a very rough film. But it has a sense of reality, humor, and place that most professional movies do not have. When I saw this again a few years ago on PBS it was not quite the film I fondly remembered. Perhaps I can no longer relate to post graduate blues or life without children and a mortgage. It is still an impressive low budget first film by John Sayles.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1979 (USA)

Also Known As:

Return of the Secaucus 7

Filming Locations:

New Hampshire, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$60,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Salsipuedes Productions, Anarchist's Convention Films, UCLA Film and Television Archive

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1