The Big Chill may be the crowd-pleaser from director Lawrence Kasdan's portfolio, but this bittersweet comedy remains one of his best films. William Hurt is wonderful as the travel writer whose orderly life falls apart when his young son dies and his wife (Kathleen Turner) leaves him; an Oscar-winning Geena Davis plays the eccentric dog trainer who helps him recover. While there are plenty of laughs along the way, an air of melancholy hangs over the piece as Kasdan movingly probes the emotions Hurt has so successfully buried away.

After the death of his son, travel writer Macon Leary seems to be sleep walking through life. Macon's wife is having similar problems. They separate, and Macon meets a strange, outgoing woman who brings him 'back down to earth', but his wife soon thinks their marriage is still worth another try.