The Big Chill Trivia Questions

Answer: Nick

Nick is staying behind to help with the cabin. The chemistry between them was somewhat odd considering her man, Alex, just died.

Answer: Heard it through the Grapevine

Great song.

Answer: a rationalization

This exchange between Michael and Sam occurs in the den while Nick is filming his "documentary" with Harold's movie camera. Michael is wearing a black "1 Voice" tee-shirt. Remember now?

Jeff Goldblum has quite a varied filmography: "Independence Day," "The Great White Hype," "Jurassic Park," "Earth Girls Are Easy" (where he met, wooed, and won Geena Davis), "The Fly," (and, regrettably, "The Fly 2"). Kasdan used him again in "Silverado," and Goldblum and Harry Shearer brought some Mutt-and-Jeff style comic relief to "The Right Stuff," one of my favorite movies. Jeff is described in Starplus.com as "Tall, gangly, and oddly handsome ... a sex symbol for many women who are fond of eccentric intellectual types. Quirky." And funny, with a veddy, veddy dry delivery.

In 2009, Jeff joined the cast of NBC's long-running show, "Law and Order: Criminal Intent."

Answer: She wants to get pregnant

'My biological clock is ticking, these are some of the best guys I know!'

Answer: You Can't Always Get What You Want

Talk about your comic relief! At the end of the service Karen is introduced by the presiding minister. She quietly, respectfully rises from her pew to take her place at the organ, sits down and begins to play what we all assume will be some somber hymn. Instead, Karen slowly slides into this rock 'n' roll classic. As those attending Alex's funeral file out behind the casket borne by Harold, Sam, Nick, Michael, and two other men, the organ music segues into the original song and we're treated to one of Mick Jagger and the boys' very best. I'm guessing every baby boomer in the audience instantly resolves to have at least one rock classic at his or her funeral, and I don't mean "Rock of Ages."

Karen is played by Jobeth Williams, who has also had quite a film career. "Teachers," "Kramer vs. Kramer" (where we're, um, exposed to a naked Jobeth, caught by eight year-old Billy Kramer as she sneaks back to Dustin Hoffman's bedroom early in the morning), "Poltergeist" (and sequel), "Stir Crazy" with Gene Wilder, and "Switch," with Ellen Barkin and Jimmy Smits, are just a few of her many films.

Answer: Harold

She went through all the guys, and decided Harold was perfect, then Sarah (his wife) thought it was a pretty good idea and agreed!

Answer: Harold

Meg first approaches Sam, only to be rebuffed because of the guilt he's suffering over a daughter he hardly sees. Then Meg tries Nick, but learns he's not physically capable of helping her.

Meg shares her decision and strategy with Sarah as they make apple pies in the kitchen while the football game is occupying everyone else's attention. Who's left? Michael and Harold. (Sarah adds, "Too bad Richard left," a dig at Karen's boring but stable husband.) As Meg ponders the thought of "a repeat performance" with Michael, who volunteered during the first quarter of the football game, she concludes, "I can't do it with Michael. Too much history," and tells Sarah she's just going to have to forget about it this weekend; "it just isn't going to happen." Sarah asks, "Harold's not good enough for you?" Meg: "Are you kidding? I'd love it. But Harold already has enough kids. Besides, I couldn't ask that of you." At that moment we can almost hear Sarah's wheels turning.

Later that evening Sarah approaches her wonderful husband and -- after ascertaining that he loves her -- she sweetly says, "Harold, I want you to do something for me." There's 'a certain symmetry' to this scene. Earlier we learn that Sarah and the late Alex Marshall had an affair while she was married to Harold, and Harold found out. Maybe giving Harold permission to sleep with Meg would reduce Sarah's guilt for having slept with Alex.

Two quick scenes later, "in the midnight hour," Harold knocks on the door of his own bedroom where Meg is quartered for the weekend, announcing,"This bed has always been lucky for Sarah and me." The rest, as they say, is (film) history. (But we never find out if that bed was lucky for Meg. No sequel!)

As Harold and Meg, Karen and Sam, and Nick and Chloe are all "otherwise occupied," Michael tries unsuccessfully to seduce Sarah before the rolling camera, cooing, "Sarah! I never noticed what beautiful feet you have." (There's a line guaranteed NOT to sweep any woman off her beautiful feet!) He adds, "I'm picking up a vibration; I'm almost certain there's sex going on in this house." Michael may be a lot of things, but stupid isn't one of them. He knows he lost the "Make Meg a Mommy" contest, struck out with Chloe, and watched Karen go after Sam.

The next morning, Michael greets everyone in the kitchen asking, "How'd everybody sleep last night? DID anybody sleep last night? I did. All alone in my little airplane...")

Answer: The blue bath robe

Meg wears this when she goes to have sex with him!

Answer: South Carolina

If you didn't know it before, you could have learned this in the "Interesting Info" following question eight, above.

I don't think South Carolina is actually mentioned in the movie, although one or two South Carolina towns are, but a close-up shot of the hearse's license plate in the funeral procession scene clearly, albeit quickly, identifies the state. The film was shot in and around Beaufort, S.C., and its ambience was a huge factor in the movie.

Answer: Underneath his car

Richard is curious as to whether or not Nick needs help with the car problems, he's so naive!

Answer: "Joy to the World" by Three Dog Night

The movie comes full cycle. If you recall the opening of the film, Harold is bathing his young son (one of two of Lawrence and Meg Kasdan's sons who act in the film). The little tyke is playing with a squeaky toy frog named "Jerebiah". (The kid might be a little stuffed up.) He starts snapping his fingers and singing, "Jerebiah was a boo-fwog. Was a goof ren da mine. I neber ummerstooda siggle wor dee sed, but I hept Tim drig his why."

So it only makes sense to wrap up the film with the real deal.

Besides being a huge box-office hit, "The Big Chill" garnered one BAFTA (British Academy for Film and Television Arts) nomination: Kasdan and his co-writer Barbara Benedek for original screenplay. It also received several Academy Award nominations in 1984: Glenn Close for Best Actress, Kasdan and Benedek for Best Screenplay (written directly for the screen), and Best Picture. It won a 1984 Golden Globe for Best Picture (Comedy/Musical), won the Toronto Film Festival's People's Choice Award that year, and was named Best Comedy Written Directly for the Screen by the Writers Guild of America. Too bad there are no awards for Best Soundtrack.