Watched this film again for the first time since it was in theaters about 20 years ago. It held up better than I expected, especially given some of the user comments here.
The film doesn't have the more conventional dramatic devices that you'll find in "The Big Chill" and it does begin to lose steam midway as there doesn't seem to be much in the way of conflicts among the characters, except for the one couple in breakup mode.
However, the group as a whole are intelligent and interesting enough to merit a viewing of the film, thanks to Sayles' skills as a writer. And the tone is more wry than rueful. The cast is generally appealing, with some familiar faces (David Strathairn, "NYPD Blue's" Gordon Clapp, Adam LeFevre) in younger days. I will agree with another poster that Strathairn's performance is not good; he's pretty hyper and amateurish, except during one scene in the bar with Maggie Counsineau (another weak link in the cast). Clearly he learned quite a lot very quickly given his subsequent work.
"Secaucus Seven" has been unavailable on video for some time now, unless your local store or library has an old copy (which is how I got it). But it's worth another look.
The film doesn't have the more conventional dramatic devices that you'll find in "The Big Chill" and it does begin to lose steam midway as there doesn't seem to be much in the way of conflicts among the characters, except for the one couple in breakup mode.
However, the group as a whole are intelligent and interesting enough to merit a viewing of the film, thanks to Sayles' skills as a writer. And the tone is more wry than rueful. The cast is generally appealing, with some familiar faces (David Strathairn, "NYPD Blue's" Gordon Clapp, Adam LeFevre) in younger days. I will agree with another poster that Strathairn's performance is not good; he's pretty hyper and amateurish, except during one scene in the bar with Maggie Counsineau (another weak link in the cast). Clearly he learned quite a lot very quickly given his subsequent work.
"Secaucus Seven" has been unavailable on video for some time now, unless your local store or library has an old copy (which is how I got it). But it's worth another look.