A Collection of Delightful Films for Thanksgiving
Of all the holidays we have it seems that Thanksgiving is the one most often ignored by media, especially when it comes to movies. Part of this is certainly because of how America-centric the holiday itself is, but the fact that we lack in many great Thanksgiving classics is a bit sad. Many just immediately dive into Christmas as soon as possible, which is fine if that’s what you enjoy, but Thanksgiving is worthy of celebration. So I’ve collected five films for the holiday, some directly taking place then, others only thematically, but all wonderful for the season of thanks.
Addams Family Values (1993): Dir. Barry Sonnenfeld
The Addams family always brings a wonderfully dark charm to any season they’re a part of, and Addams Family Values is possibly their most charming effort to date. This is the sequel to the first Addams film outing, but if you haven’t seen that one fret not, this film works on its own quite nicely. Taking the Thanksgiving level to a very hilarious and charming extreme in its final act, it’s a wonderfully spooky film for the family.
Babette’s Feast (1987): Dir. Gabriel Axel
Although it isn’t directly about Thanksgiving as it is set in Denmark in the 19th century, Babette’s Feast has all the elements of a great family Thanksgiving at play, from the delicious feast itself, to the giving of thanks, love for family, and even a wonderful angle of faith. It’s a touching and sweet story about faithfulness, misguided paranoia, love, care, and thankfulness. If there’s any film on this list that will make you feel warm inside, it’s gonna be this one.
The Big Chill (1983): Dir. Lawrence Kasdan
The Big Chill, unlike the rest of this list, is absolutely not a family movie, at least not in the traditional sense. In lieu of a traditional family, The Big Chill brings together a group of friends, that although not related are certainly a family in their own right. This group of friends are reuniting under circumstances that are anything but cheerful – that being the unexpected suicide of their friend Alex, whom we never see but become intimately familiar with as the film unfolds. This isn’t the most exciting film as it takes its time and is mostly dialogue driven; although, it has a wonderful feeling of love and care with some genuinely cheery moments despite the dark subject matter. It’s adult in it’s tone, taking a slow look at a group of quarter-life friends who all have their issues as they talk and bond together. This is truthfully one for those without a traditional family, because sometimes friends can be the family you need in the roughest times.
Knives Out (2019): Dir. Rian Johnson
The funny thing about Knives Out is that although it never mentions Thanksgiving, nor even hints at it, nearly everyone I’ve ever talked to agrees that it’s a perfect Thanksgiving film. And just why is that? Although at first it might seem to be because of the autumn setting, what I think really makes this fun murder mystery whodunnit feel like the holiday is the fact that it centers on a family that is constantly bickering. The story of Knives Out is that after the patriarch of a rich family is found suddenly dead, a renowned detective shows up to investigate and determine if the act was in foul play, and if so who killed the man. This leads to us being introduced to an eclectic cast of kooky characters all making up the family, bickering over things in the exact way that even the most functional families do at times, arguing over inheritance, politics, and just about anything else a family could find time to bicker about. What sells it is just how funny it is, on top of having an incredibly charming and intriguing mystery to boot.
Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (1987): Dir. John Hughes
The always funny, and always charming Planes, Trains, and Automobiles is the first film that comes to my mind whenever I think of films taking place on Thanksgiving. This road trip comedy pairs Steve Martin as a businessman trying desperately to get home to his family in time for Thanksgiving with a slobby obnoxious but ultimately lovable shower ring salesman played by John Candy to incredible comedic effect. It’s a hysterical adventure that I revisit around Thanksgiving every few years. If you’ve seen it before and want something more, then this year might be the perfect year to revisit this as Paramount has recently uncovered an elusive three-hour director’s cut that has been lost since before the film’s release and will be remastering and releasing it in time for Thanksgiving this year. That being said, either version will likely give you enough laughs to leave your sides hurting for the season, and what more could you want from a film like this?