Celluloid Turkeys: Thanksgiving Movies
In a few short days and after some long lines at the grocery stores, the annual gorge fest to give thanks to gluttony and dysfunction is upon us.
I'm not a complete cynic about Thanksgiving. I kind of miss the big, extended family dinner with some really good food, and a few family squabbles, the post- dinner 'arguments' where we'd disembowel moot points on all topics but religion lest we not set Uncle Ben off. There'd always be some bit of ancient history that would get dug up, and us kids would get to watch our parents regress. There's a reason why there's fun in dysfunction.
Here are some films to consider watching to get into the holiday spirit, dysfunction and sentiment and all.
Piece of April (2004)
Director : Peter Hedges
Writer: Peter Hedges
Tagline: She's the one in every family.
Pieces of April has to be my favorite Thanksgiving film, being an homage to dysfunction far beyond the norm. It's practically anti-sentimental.
The premise is simple; the prodigal daughter has somehow managed to convince her estranged family to come into the city to have Thanksgiving with her and her new boyfriend. Only everything that can go wrong will go wrong, for everyone. Yet, surprisingly, it capture the spirit of the day, both good and bad.
Casting is fantastic; see empress of indie Patricia Clarkson at her acerbic best. Rounding out the cast are Oliver Platt, Sean Hayes, Allison Pill, and Derek Luke, only one of which might be a familiar name, but should be. It's a great ensemble cast, whether it's the featured players or those with small parts. It's the film that made me like Katie Holmes, at least 80 minutes and for some time after viewing. If only she kept going in this vein, I might actually not be turned off from a film at the thought of seeing half of TomKat in it.
I can't decide if my favorite scene is the cooking lesson, or explaining the meaning of Thanksgiving. I do have to wonder how many real Thanksgiving disasters Hedges used to build this script. It's chocked full of interpersonal dynamics and dysfunction, you're sure to recognize a lot of people you know... including yourself.
What's Cooking (2000)
Director: Gurinder Chadha
Writers: Gurinder Chadha & Paul Mayeda Berges
Tagline: Families. Fights. Feasts. A holiday tradition.
Until recently, holiday films in the US focused on a very specific demographic in the cast, usually with DNA that could have been found on the Mayflower. Thankfully, that's changing. What's Cooking is a refreshing multi-cultural, multi-generational smorgasbord of American dreams in the most American of Holidays outside of Independence Day. Serio-comic, sure, but one worth watching.
Four separate families attempt the annual Thanksgiving dinner, but as usual in any film, there's quite a bit of drama to get through before the day is through. There are struggles for secrets to be kept, and oversharing. Fears and frustrations with tradition and acclimation among families of different ethnic backgrounds.
Chadha is best known for Bend it Like Beckham, seems to use her intimate knowledge of immigrant family experience well. She's also a bit of a champion of girl power when you look at her credits, and here she's cast some powerhouse performers in Mercedes Reuhl, Joan Chen, Alfre Woodard. Woodard has one of her best scenes ever in this one (and that's saying a lot)... wait for her to lose it.
Home for the Holidays (1995)
Director: Jodie Foster
Writer: W.D. Richter, based on Chris Radant's short story
Tagline: On the fourth Thursday in November, 84 million American families will gather together... And wonder why.
Of the films listed, this had the most commercial exposure, as well as the best known stars. Although, if you're someone who reads this blog, you're likely to be familiar with the other folks mentioned. Home for the Holidays is Foster's follow-up to Little Man Tate, and while it isn't as outstanding as it's predecessor, it's worthy of a rental this time of year, if only to remind you that you aren't alone... in wondering why.
Foster's cast includes heavyweights with household names and acting chops to back them up, including Anne Bancroft, Holly Hunter, Claire Danes and Cynthia Stevenson, as well as Robert Downey, Jr., Charles Durning, and Dylan McDermott. It's mostly predictable, but worth a watch, if only for the turkey drop scene, Stevenson is an underrated actress who does neurotic uptight very well, but she outdoes herself here.
And I have to admit, I'm an RDJ fan, so I was bound to like this one. He's quite fun as the incorrigible brother. I haven't seen it in years; I should check it out again soon. I don't know if it lives up to my memory of it, but I enjoyed it well enough when it came out.
Honorable Mentions:
Avalon (1990. Director/writer: Barry Levinson). I saw this with my dad and stepmom when it came out, on Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is a recurring theme in this nostalgic story of three generations in Baltimore, and features outstanding performances by Armin Mueller-Stahl, Elijah Wood, and Aidan Quinn. (See, I'm not just about girl power.)
Soul Food (1997. Director/Writer: George Tillman Jr). I have a hard time not watching this one when I come across it when channel surfing. It's about big family meals, so it deserves a mention. It also has one of the best ever ensemble casts, including a very charming performance by Brandon Hammond (Ahmad). I never saw the series it inspired, but this is one of my comfort films.
Need more films about big meals? Check out Babette's Feast, Eat Drink Man Woman, which give the term "food porn" new meaning. There's also Big Night, and for the cynical intellectual, The Last Supper. Very different films, and not just about family in the usual sense, but food is as much a character as any person in each one.
Lastly, there is
WKRP in Cincinatti' "Turkeys Away" episode (1978. Creator: Hugh Wilson. Writer: Bill Dial. Directors: Michael Zinberg, Linda Day). It's not a movie, it's not a family affair, but no (American) pop culture addict can go through a Thanksgiving without thinking "As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly!!!"
It was a brilliant, irreverent, and some of the best comedy ever seen on television. Many episodes are notable, but the "Turkeys Away" episode is truly a standout in American television history. Writer Bill Dail embraced a real story and twisted in a purely WKRP way, especially with Les Nessman's reporting. It's funny on so many levels. And you can watch it on Hulu.
Now that I've got you thinking about turkeys, if you're in Austin, and wish to eschew the usual dinner, or eating alone, you have options. On thanksgiving the Alamo Drafthouse is not only open, but has a thanksgiving menu option. You can catch up on films and leave the drama on the screen. I do have plans for thanksgiving, but if it wasn't inaugural thanksgiving at a friend's place, I'd be sorely tempted to go the Alamo route. Just think, you could watch JVCD with a turkey dinner.
I'm not a complete cynic about Thanksgiving. I kind of miss the big, extended family dinner with some really good food, and a few family squabbles, the post- dinner 'arguments' where we'd disembowel moot points on all topics but religion lest we not set Uncle Ben off. There'd always be some bit of ancient history that would get dug up, and us kids would get to watch our parents regress. There's a reason why there's fun in dysfunction.
Here are some films to consider watching to get into the holiday spirit, dysfunction and sentiment and all.
Piece of April (2004)Director : Peter Hedges
Writer: Peter Hedges
Tagline: She's the one in every family.
Pieces of April has to be my favorite Thanksgiving film, being an homage to dysfunction far beyond the norm. It's practically anti-sentimental.
The premise is simple; the prodigal daughter has somehow managed to convince her estranged family to come into the city to have Thanksgiving with her and her new boyfriend. Only everything that can go wrong will go wrong, for everyone. Yet, surprisingly, it capture the spirit of the day, both good and bad.
Casting is fantastic; see empress of indie Patricia Clarkson at her acerbic best. Rounding out the cast are Oliver Platt, Sean Hayes, Allison Pill, and Derek Luke, only one of which might be a familiar name, but should be. It's a great ensemble cast, whether it's the featured players or those with small parts. It's the film that made me like Katie Holmes, at least 80 minutes and for some time after viewing. If only she kept going in this vein, I might actually not be turned off from a film at the thought of seeing half of TomKat in it.
I can't decide if my favorite scene is the cooking lesson, or explaining the meaning of Thanksgiving. I do have to wonder how many real Thanksgiving disasters Hedges used to build this script. It's chocked full of interpersonal dynamics and dysfunction, you're sure to recognize a lot of people you know... including yourself.
What's Cooking (2000)Director: Gurinder Chadha
Writers: Gurinder Chadha & Paul Mayeda Berges
Tagline: Families. Fights. Feasts. A holiday tradition.
Until recently, holiday films in the US focused on a very specific demographic in the cast, usually with DNA that could have been found on the Mayflower. Thankfully, that's changing. What's Cooking is a refreshing multi-cultural, multi-generational smorgasbord of American dreams in the most American of Holidays outside of Independence Day. Serio-comic, sure, but one worth watching.
Four separate families attempt the annual Thanksgiving dinner, but as usual in any film, there's quite a bit of drama to get through before the day is through. There are struggles for secrets to be kept, and oversharing. Fears and frustrations with tradition and acclimation among families of different ethnic backgrounds.
Chadha is best known for Bend it Like Beckham, seems to use her intimate knowledge of immigrant family experience well. She's also a bit of a champion of girl power when you look at her credits, and here she's cast some powerhouse performers in Mercedes Reuhl, Joan Chen, Alfre Woodard. Woodard has one of her best scenes ever in this one (and that's saying a lot)... wait for her to lose it.
Home for the Holidays (1995)Director: Jodie Foster
Writer: W.D. Richter, based on Chris Radant's short story
Tagline: On the fourth Thursday in November, 84 million American families will gather together... And wonder why.
Of the films listed, this had the most commercial exposure, as well as the best known stars. Although, if you're someone who reads this blog, you're likely to be familiar with the other folks mentioned. Home for the Holidays is Foster's follow-up to Little Man Tate, and while it isn't as outstanding as it's predecessor, it's worthy of a rental this time of year, if only to remind you that you aren't alone... in wondering why.
Foster's cast includes heavyweights with household names and acting chops to back them up, including Anne Bancroft, Holly Hunter, Claire Danes and Cynthia Stevenson, as well as Robert Downey, Jr., Charles Durning, and Dylan McDermott. It's mostly predictable, but worth a watch, if only for the turkey drop scene, Stevenson is an underrated actress who does neurotic uptight very well, but she outdoes herself here.
And I have to admit, I'm an RDJ fan, so I was bound to like this one. He's quite fun as the incorrigible brother. I haven't seen it in years; I should check it out again soon. I don't know if it lives up to my memory of it, but I enjoyed it well enough when it came out.
Honorable Mentions:
Avalon (1990. Director/writer: Barry Levinson). I saw this with my dad and stepmom when it came out, on Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is a recurring theme in this nostalgic story of three generations in Baltimore, and features outstanding performances by Armin Mueller-Stahl, Elijah Wood, and Aidan Quinn. (See, I'm not just about girl power.)
Soul Food (1997. Director/Writer: George Tillman Jr). I have a hard time not watching this one when I come across it when channel surfing. It's about big family meals, so it deserves a mention. It also has one of the best ever ensemble casts, including a very charming performance by Brandon Hammond (Ahmad). I never saw the series it inspired, but this is one of my comfort films.
Need more films about big meals? Check out Babette's Feast, Eat Drink Man Woman, which give the term "food porn" new meaning. There's also Big Night, and for the cynical intellectual, The Last Supper. Very different films, and not just about family in the usual sense, but food is as much a character as any person in each one.
Lastly, there is
WKRP in Cincinatti' "Turkeys Away" episode (1978. Creator: Hugh Wilson. Writer: Bill Dial. Directors: Michael Zinberg, Linda Day). It's not a movie, it's not a family affair, but no (American) pop culture addict can go through a Thanksgiving without thinking "As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly!!!" It was a brilliant, irreverent, and some of the best comedy ever seen on television. Many episodes are notable, but the "Turkeys Away" episode is truly a standout in American television history. Writer Bill Dail embraced a real story and twisted in a purely WKRP way, especially with Les Nessman's reporting. It's funny on so many levels. And you can watch it on Hulu.
Now that I've got you thinking about turkeys, if you're in Austin, and wish to eschew the usual dinner, or eating alone, you have options. On thanksgiving the Alamo Drafthouse is not only open, but has a thanksgiving menu option. You can catch up on films and leave the drama on the screen. I do have plans for thanksgiving, but if it wasn't inaugural thanksgiving at a friend's place, I'd be sorely tempted to go the Alamo route. Just think, you could watch JVCD with a turkey dinner.
Comments