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 | friend | college | new hampshire | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 September 1980 (USA)

Also Known As:

Return of the Secaucus 7

Filming Locations:

Jackson, New Hampshire, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$60,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$2,000,000

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

Did You Know?

Trivia

Neither of this film's big names, David Strathairn and John Sayles were in acting parts that were members of the Secaucus Seven group.

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Goofs

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

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Quotes

Norman: [looks around at the 7 people sitting in the police station when he arrives] You people together?
J.T.: Uh-huh. We're in for, uh... What do you call deer murder?
Jeff Andrews: Bambicide.
J.T.: Right. Bambicide, right. And conspiracy to deprive a furry woodland creature of its civil rights.
Norman: Jacking deer, eh?
J.T.: What's your beef?
Norman: Drunk.
J.T.: [sarcastic] No!
Norman: Drunk. Second time this week. Drunk.
Jeff Andrews: Is that a crime?
[...]

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Connections

Featured in The Story of Film: An Odyssey: Fight the Power: Protest in Film (2011)

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Soundtracks

Bad Apple Blues
Trad. / Arr.
© 1979 Sweet Melodies Publishing
Arranged by Cora Bennett
Performed by Cora Bennett (uncredited)

User Reviews

In my all-time Top 10

I am absolutely stunned by the majority of contributors here who didn't love, or even like this film. One of the best films I've ever seen in terms of dialogue. It's true that if you're in the mood to watch "Raiders of the Lost Ark" with a couple of friends, this is NOT the film for you. Since not much happens in this movie, if you can't appreciate the dialogue, than you won't like this movie at all.

I find it interesting that most of the "stars" of this picture were amateurs, and didn't make another film after this one. The only "major" stars who came out of this were Gordon Clapp (NYPD Blue) and David Strathairn, who wasn't even one of the stars, and was in a supporting role.