When The Big Chill originally came out, critics and others maintained it was based on this film. Maybe in the same way War and Peace was based on an overheard fishwive’s quarrel or Romeo and Juliet was based on the Elizabethan equivalent of Punch and Judy or West Side Story was based on Romeo and Juliet. Oh wait—West Side Storywas based on Romeo and Juliet. Someone once said there are only about five basic plots in the world and all stories are simply a reworking of these plots.

That of course, doesn’t apply to The Return of the Secaucus 7 because it doesn’t have a plot. Or very defined characters. Or very well-written dialogue. Or skilled actors. As a matter of fact, it wouldn’t surprise me at all if John Sayles bypassed writing a script altogether and pieced this movie together from secret footage he shot of old college buddies in some kind of bizarre forerunner to a reality TV show. This movie has that kind of feel to it—like someone who has no experience, talent, or skills in filmmaking was watching a movie one day and said, “Heck, I can do that” and then set out to prove that any idiot can make a film. Or maybe he was simply hanging out with friends, toking some Maui Wowie and decided to film their pot-laced ramblings on the meaning of life and other anomalies. Whichever version is correct, neither are guaranteed to produce an end product relevant or worth watching.

As for whether or not this movie is the basis for The Big Chill, the only thing it DOES have in common with it is that both films deal with groups of friends who went to college in the 60s. The characters in the Secaucus 7 can’t seem to let go of that and want to get together for an endless and protractedly boring period of time to blether about it. The characters in The Big Chill had the grace to move on with their lives until a event brought them back together for one weekend. That and they were also smart enough to make sure they had a good writer.