RIP, Fictional U-M Grad William Hurt
I think that anyone who was in "The Big Chill" should be an honorary U-M grad. Sad to hear that William Hurt passed away yesterday at the age of 71. I believe he's the first member of the main cast that we've lost.
He was great in "Body Heat" and "Broadcast News," but "The Big Chill" will always be his crowning accomplishment. Can't believe it's been 39 years since that film came out. RIP, William.
March 14th, 2022 at 10:26 AM ^
Saw this yesterday. I liked his acting style; RIP William.
March 14th, 2022 at 10:47 AM ^
Rest In Peace, William.
He played the Vietnam vet who'd had his balls blown off. Not too many actors get to play a character whose balls are gone. Well done. Remember the scene in the movie when they're watching UM-MSU game on a little 13-inch TV. I always think of that scene when I'm trying to explain to my kids what it used to me like to watch football.
I'll always remember Jeff Goldblum saying we had the ugliest helmets in football. Never forgave him for that.
Great cast. Kevin Costner as the funeral body!
March 14th, 2022 at 10:49 AM ^
I grew up in Ann Arbor, and saw the Big Chill when it came out when I was around 14 or 15. I remember being thrilled with the local/University references -- the scene of Bo as the group watched a Michigan game on TV (I believe against MSU), a character jogging in a Michigan t-shirt, the reference to the Daily etc. As a kid I had a limited sense of what a national reputation Michigan had so seeing local references in Hollywood movie was cool.
In any case, I enjoyed William Hurt in that movie, Body Heat etc, and am sorry to hear that he passed at a relatively young age.
March 14th, 2022 at 10:55 AM ^
“Children of a Lesser God” is also worth a watch. “Body Heat”, written and directed by UM alum Lawrence Kasden (like “The Big Chill”) is in my top ten.
Thank-you, Mr Hurt. RIP
March 14th, 2022 at 12:18 PM ^
Thought of those two movies, before Big Chill.
March 14th, 2022 at 12:34 PM ^
Body Heat was my favorite.
Come on, Body Heat is bogus. Great acting and amazing FL noir ambience, but ridiculous plot. He's convicted based on his fingerprints on the glasses of a guy he'd been seen in public with and zero other evidence.
Hassan was my commencement speaker.
March 14th, 2022 at 11:20 AM ^
RIP. I know Jeff Goldblum saved the world and predicted the chaos of dinosaurs, but I can never forgive an alum that hates on our helmets.
It was of a piece with the character but yeah that was a mortal sin
March 14th, 2022 at 11:21 AM ^
I've never seen "The Big Chill," but I did find him to be pretty awesome in "A History of Violence." RIP.
March 14th, 2022 at 11:29 AM ^
Magnus,
Not sure how old you are, but the music alone is terrific. And you just might fall in love with Meg Tilly and her knowledge of football penalties.
It's a must see.
Actually went by the Big Chill house in Beaufort a few years ago. Pretty run down and weedy.
Is Meg Tilly an actress? Or a character? Or a giant prehistoric shark?
Yeah, I guess I'm not old enough.
Someday I'll watch it. Thanks.
March 14th, 2022 at 11:27 AM ^
I have never forgiven Jeff Goldblum's (actually, his character's) snarky comment about the Michigan helmet - "Ugliest helmets in football."
March 14th, 2022 at 12:01 PM ^
Goldblum's character was supposed to be a bit of a dick, so it was in character.
Plus, there’s a scene where he disses Procol Harum, so you’re obviously not meant to trust his opinion on much of anything.
March 14th, 2022 at 11:30 AM ^
John Wangler's No. 1 accomplishment at Michigan was his pass to Anthony Carter. No. 2 was his appearance in "The Big Chill."
March 14th, 2022 at 11:36 AM ^
His 911 T would be worth a mint today... In addition to the music it was a great movie for cars.
Also a fun piece of movie trivia - who was the most famous actor in the movie even though he didn't have a line?
March 14th, 2022 at 11:39 AM ^
Kevin Costner and his hand/wrist.
March 14th, 2022 at 11:37 AM ^
Watched The Big Chill last night after hearing the news. More recently, I enjoyed his portrayal of Henry Paulson in Too Big to Fail (the HBO film about the 2008 economic crash). Altered States, his first film, is extremely trippy (figuratively and literally). He wasn't afraid of taking roles--he played all sorts of types, including comic book characters (Thunderbolt Ross in the Marvel films). RIP
The sensory deprivation tank in Altered States is classic. Some of us remember when there was a place in Ann Arbor where you could spend an hour in a sensory deprivation tank.
Oh the memories of when women allowed us to have our junk bulging through our pants. Then the Fab Five had to bring in the epoch of baggy shorts.
IMHO two of the greatest American actors of their generation.
March 14th, 2022 at 11:41 AM ^
The game they were watching was the 1980 Michigan-MSU game at the Big House, which we won, 27-23. You can hear Jim Brandstatter on the call when Wangler completes the pass to Craig Dunaway.
I believe that Kevin Kline and Tom Berenger were the only two characters who wore U-M swag in the movie.
March 14th, 2022 at 12:35 PM ^
It's been ages since I saw the movie, but I had forgotten that Brandstatter was doing the calls that long ago. I would have thought Ufer was still around, and even after Ufer, Beckman is the one I remember.
March 14th, 2022 at 12:58 PM ^
Bob Ufer passed in Oct 1981. It is possible that in that particular movie scene, they used the TV audio and not the radio version. Unless Brady was broadcasting from a non affiliate radio station.
March 14th, 2022 at 12:10 PM ^
RIP Mr Hurt🙏
Really enjoyed your movies.
March 14th, 2022 at 12:11 PM ^
Cool story, old man time. Back in my day, there were a lot of screenings of movies in auditoriums (auditoria?) throughout campus that you could go to for a buck. Since I like movies and I didn't have much money, I went to a lot of them. One time, I went to one in Angell Hall and they told us to look under our seats. They had passes taped to some for a premiere screening of The Big Chill. Well, guess who won. It wasn't exactly a gala--it was just a bunch of scraggly ass college kids like me seeing the movie a few days before anyone else did. HOWEVER...Kasden also came back and talked to a class I was in. He was a nice guy and very patient with a bunch of star struck 21 year olds.
Btw, the crowd reaction to the football game scene was great.
March 14th, 2022 at 12:31 PM ^
In the very underrated Broadcast News with Holly Hunter and Albert Brooks, Hurt gave Brooks' character this tip for pulling the bottom hem of his jacket down enough to sit on it so the jacket stays form fitting and taught all the way up through the shoulders when seated.
I've used that tip ever since I saw the movie. It works.
March 14th, 2022 at 12:31 PM ^
One of my all-time favorite movies, directors and actors. Actually had to take a breath yesterday before I could get the words out to my wife that Bill Hurt had died.
I was a student and attended the game clipped in the movie. Kasdan stood as my favorite until Sofia Coppola came along and Spike Lee kept adding to his body of work. (What they have in common is, IMO, great soundtracks.)
I was a student at the time and attended the game clipped in that 1980 season. It kind of reminded me that the student body wasn't entirely in love with Bo.
Had to laugh at your Bo comment. We yelled at him as much as we yell at Harbaugh, or any other MIchigan coach. It's in our genes.
Go Blue.
March 14th, 2022 at 12:58 PM ^
I really liked the Village when it came out and still do this day. A lot of critics panned it, but I still think it’s one of M Nights better movies.
I figured I'd be the only one to make that comment. I love the Village; I'm transfixed every time I watch it, and Hurt was great in it.
I so love that movie. Get tested for Prostate Cancer guys! No one should die from that at a young age, and 71 is young. RIP Bill.
Aw, man. Strongly seconded. I didn't know it was prostate cancer. My primary doc and urologist caught mine early and, while the side effects aren't something I'd recommend, alive and generally very healthy is a really, really nice state.
Are we talking PSA? It's quite a moving target:
https://www.urologytimes.com/view/psa-screening-in-prostate-cancer-the-controversy-continues
https://thereader.mitpress.mit.edu/the-paradox-of-mans-most-feared-test-the-psa/
We have no knowledge of Hurt's disease course. He may have been screened appropriately.
I'm betting your medical experience is way beyond mine. For everyday schmucks like me, PSA is a good start point to consider regarding PC. My PSA wasn't that high (4-ish), but I have a significant family history, so it was enough to get referred to the urologist. The urologist confirmed the levels with a test or two (he said it was 50-50 it was cancer based off everything), then recommended an MRI. That came back highly suspicious and the odds went up 75-25 for cancer. He then did a targeted biopsy under sedation (thank God) which confirmed the cancer. I had surgery last July after about 8 months of other stuff. The end pathology was that the disease was starting to push out of the gland (Stage 3) and there was a small amount of Gleason Score 5 cancer, which is the highly aggressive kind. Another few months and...? So I'm very pro PSA screening based off the very small sample size of me.
PC tends to be slow growing, but maybe William Hurt hit the negative jackpot and was riddled with Gleason 5. If so, it may have been hyper-aggressive and even with decent screenings it was too much to overcome.
I'm a big proponent of PSA screenings followed by an MRI if it's suspicious. Don't be afraid of anything--it's painless. And being on the right side of the dirt is still good.
Wow, Brimley. Thanks for sharing and good to hear that you got (by all appearances) excellent care.
Yeah, family history is significant.
When the film first came out, as a member of SAG I was able to go to a private screening in NYC. For some reason there were only 4 of us in the audience, my brother and I, and another member friend who brought her own guest. During the scene where the cast watches an M game on TV, we heard Let's Go Blue. My bro, the composer of the copyrightable part (the treble) back in his marching band days, knew they'd correctly gotten the ASCAP permissions and registered it, so we sat for the credits, and when his name appeared he stood, and with a broad smile, took a bow to us in the almost empty theater. We liked the film too.
And back when I first arrived in NYC, doing one of my earlier (perhaps my first?) jury duty shifts, I saw Wm. Hurt, another one in the big pool, standing and taking to someone. Hard to miss. I wanted to tell him of the musical connection, but was of course too professional (shy?) to accost him. [I'm assuming he wasn't put on a panel because he would've been too distracting.]
RIP.
Bummer. Way too young. I saw him in person back in the 2000's while attending my father-in-laws prep school reunion in Massachusetts. Hurt went to Middlesex Academy which is a really good private school outside Boston. They have a very strong program in the performing arts, among other things. Another famous actor alum of the school is Steve Carell.
I'm kinda sad to hear this. I liked him. The Doctor should be required viewing in the curriculum of every medical student.
I hope I see him again.
The Big Chill is free to watch on Tubi, if you're so incllned. LINK.
I still can't decide whether this is the best or worst Michigan hat of all time.
I was born in 1981. You were in Burlodge in 82. The big chill came out in 83. In 1984 our QB was...and that brings us full circle to 2022.
The Big Chill is worth a watch for the soundtrack alone. Throw in the AA references and it's a must watch for UM fans.