Return of the Secaucus Seven

Return of the Secaucus Seven (1980)

  • 80% of critics liked it
    (15 reviews)

  • 72% of users liked it
    (1,098 ratings)

College friends reunite for a New England summer weekend in this low-budget first feature by accomplished independent filmmaker John Sayles. A predecessor of the well-paced, character-driven films in Sayles' future, Secaucus Seven also looks ahead to the 1980s ensemble movies that it inspired,… More

R,
Directed By
Written By
John Sayles
Genres
Drama, Art House & International, Comedy
In Theaters
Sep 5, 1980 Wide
IFC Films

Critic Reviews

  • Emanuel Levy, Variety

    Preeiding the glitzy Big Chill by three years, John Sayles' first feature offers a poignant look at the reunion of 1960s activists; there's not much to look at this talking heads feature, which was shot for $40,000, but the dialogue is good.

  • Fernando F. Croce, CinePassion

    Granola theater on the cusp of the New Right

  • Brent Simon, Shared Darkness

    Stagy and at times unevenly acted, but full of discerning and engaging judgments about what it meant to be a childless thirtysomething couple -- or, egads, even single -- at the close of the 1970s.

  • Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews

    The much praised film upon its release, a tribute to indie filmmaking, seems to have badly dated.

  • Rob Gonsalves, eFilmCritic.com

    The sort of small-scale, sharply observed character drama Sayles' admirers know and love.

Read all 7 critic reviews

See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

  • Ken S


    A film that is more important as a piece of film history than it is a good film. What it really is, is...nice. Well directed, but clearly low budget. A fun story full of drama, a bit of comedy and a very young David Statham. Worth checking out. and don't believe the gossip,… More

  • Cinema F


    John Sayles' directorial debut provides a poignant look at the baby boom generation -- a reunion of 1960s activists. Back in the 1960s, seven restless friends, the children of Kennedy and Abbie Hoffman, were burning with worthy causes like the War on Poverty and Vietnam. They… More

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Cast

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