Among subsequent films that seem to "owe" their plots to "Secaucus 7" is the British film "Peter's Friends." All these films, like "Big Chill" add their own twist to the story, but the characters and basic plot seem all too similar to "Secaucus 7" to be coincidence. The movie itself says SO much about my generation, particularly in those 10 or 15 years after college, when we are getting our lives started, or, like J.T., still looking for a starting-point. I always feel that I KNOW these guys! Sayles, generally, is one of those directors who has stuck to his guns and still tells a wonderful story with characters that are truthful. Thank heaven there are little havens like his movies in this world of "sequels" ad nauseum, and more special effects than plot. (I was DRAGGED, kicking and screaming, to see this movie and have never stopped thanking the friend who frog-marched me into the movie theatre to catch this movie. I have since become a hard-core Sayles fan and have every movie of his I can get on DVD.)