Kansas City Playlist: Facing The Big Chill

Tonight the temperature in Kansas City plunges as we serve up just a bit more nostalgia whilst smarter locals get ready for what looks like rougher, darker & tougher months of colder weather ahead.

As always, old movies are a passion of this blog and this evening we share a boomer classic that, like all Great American movies, was more hype and culture commentary than worthwhile cinema . . . 

The description for those who (luckily) can't remember the publicity still top photo . . .  

"The Big Chill is a 1983 comedy-drama about a group of college friends in their 30s who reunite for a weekend after the suicide of a former classmate. During their reunion, they grapple with disillusionment, lost idealism, and the changes in their lives, all while reconnecting with each other, rediscovering their bonds, and dealing with awkward romantic and personal situations. The film is known for its ensemble cast, iconic soundtrack of 1960s hits, and its exploration of the baby boomer generation's transition into middle age."

We watched this movie on cable as a youngster and really didn't get it but liked the music. It was neat to watch elite yuppies dance to the same tunes that were also agreeable classics in urban American neighborhoods . . . Even if, even back then, the perms seemed ridiculous. 

Again, in retrospect, despite the all-star Hollywood cast, and upon a couple of subsequent viewings, the movie wasn't very good at anything other than conveying the vapidity of middle-class life and the downward trajectory of the American dream. 

Similarly . . . 

Tonight the movie comes to mind as culture war continues to confront the nation, holiday season travel is threatened by the longest government shutdown in American history and most adults understand that the "A New American Golden Age" was nice idea, a great sales pitch but also a very bad joke. 

Amid court fighting the reality is that a great many Americans are getting a good look at scarcity that shows very little sign of improvement no matter which set of politicos are able to claim victory. 

None of this is to say that there isn't a great deal of opportunity throughout the Western world . . . But, as of this writing, the idea of American exceptionalism seems to be undergoing a rough transition and even the most resolute conservatives are fighting to extract meaning and clearly define their goals. And that word salad means ZILCH to the vast majority of Americans struggling just to buy food and pay rent as the rise of inflation seems unstoppable no matter what catchphrases dominate the discourse. 

Thankfully, and we all need to remember this . . .

Death and an economic downturn AREN'T THE SAME THING. 

Experts predict RECORD BREAKING holiday season shopping that might just add to even more credit card debt but nobody REALLY seems to care that much because more people seems to understand that post-capitalism is real and money is just an idea.

And so, this might be too hopeful, but maybe the big chill isn't so bad . . . 

And all of this inspires our www.TonysKansasCity.com and a bit of nostalgia for a time when middle-class yuppies seemed like foreigners in the house of my Mexican grandma . . .

If readers think this post is depressing . . . Look up the behind the scenes life of Three Dog Night despite their otherwise hopeful classic "Joy To The World" in 1971 . . .

Sorry, this soulless sequence of yuppies dancing comes to mind EVERY TIME I see middle-class people having fun. Credit where it's due, Hollywood really does shape imaginations.

A better boomer song that came to mind throughout this week and because the economy looks so troubled.

For the bridge and from this movie, "Natural Woman" by Aretha Franklin was an instant classic that spoke to the purity of the first wave of feminism. Ultimately, in traditional American fashion, the song was ruined by decades of commercials for jeans, luxury cars and skin care products.

Finally, the tragic life of Marvin Gaye might never be retold in cinematic from BUT his music speaks for itself and was introduced to new generations by The Big Chill. Still one of our favorite tracks that was masterfully incorporated into the otherwise schlocky Big Chill movie . . .

As always, thanks for reading this week and have a safe & fun Saturday night.