As a big-time movie fan (What?! You’re surprised?!) I love to watch movies associated with the various holidays. Last month I posted about some of my favorite frightening films to coincide with Halloween. Next month is going to be full of my favorite Christmas movies (advanced warning here). But when it comes to the month of November, to Thanksgiving (which is a big, important, fun holiday in itself!) there really aren’t that many movies dedicated to it. There are some TV specials, TV episodes with a Thanksgiving theme (hint: tomorrow’s post is about that!); but there aren’t a whole lot of Thanksgiving movies out there, so I’ve had to improvise and I have two movies that have become traditional Thanksgiving viewing for me.
Addams Family Values (1993)
I know. Anyone who has seen this movie is probably thinking “this is a Thanksgiving movie?” To be fair, it is not an actual Thanksgiving movie. There is only one sequence during the entire movie that deals with Thanksgiving, and it involves a play that is being performed at summer camp! Here’s a brief synopsis:
Wednesday Addams (played to morose, sardonic perfection by Christina Ricci) and her brother, Pugsley, are sent to Camp Chippewa for the summer. During their stay at this camp the camp directors, Gary Granger and Becky Martin-Granger (memorably portrayed by Peter MacNicol and Christine Baranski), announce that they will be doing a musical at the end of the summer, hilariously titled “A Turkey Called Brotherhood.” It is supposed to be a cheerful, factual reenactment of the first Thanksgiving with the pilgrims and the Native Americans, but it is full of stereotypes and slurs. The snotty, snobby popular kids portray the pilgrims while outcasts like Wednesday and her comrades portray the Native Americans.
During the performance Wednesday begins to ad lib, talking about the betrayal, mistreatment and humiliation that the Native Americans have endured over the years, leading to an all out revolt against the pilgrims. Chaos ensues! The pilgrims are overthrown with outrageous results. The whole movie is very funny, but this sequence is particularly comical, from the music to the final meltdown. My family and I have watched this movie around Thanksgiving every year since we first saw it and we just love it!
Hannah And Her Sisters (1986)
This is my own personal Thanksgiving movie; I watch this on my own because not everyone in my family is a fan of Woody Allen movies. Bottom line: you either like him or you don’t. I really like his movies and this happens to be my favorite of his. This movie concerns a woman named Hannah (played by Woody’s ex Mia Farrow) who has two sisters (surprise, surprise): Lee (played by Barbara Hershey) and Holly (played by Dianne Wiest). This is an official Thanksgiving movie because it begins at a family’s Thanksgiving dinner. We meet Hannah and her sisters (ha,ha!) and learn about their issues. Hannah’s husband Elliot (played by Michael Caine) is in love with Lee and secretly pursues her. Lee feels guilt and flattery at Elliot’s constant attention, but doesn’t want to betray her sister. Holly is a struggling actress and recovering drug addict who is just trying to find her niche in the world. Hannah, the most level-headed in the family, tries to take care of everyone (including her alcoholic mother), which causes people (like her husband) to think she is too self-sufficient and doesn’t need anyone.
The movie covers three years, three different Thanksgiving dinners, and by the final Thanksgiving all of the issues have been resolved. Elliot, having had an affair with Lee only to realize that he made a horrible mistake, is now back with Hannah, more devoted and in love than ever before. Meanwhile, Lee has moved on and is now happily married to a college professor. Holly has given up on acting and is a very successful writer, and she is now married to Hannah’s ex-husband, a hypochondriac (played by Woody Allen).
There is a perfect blend of drama and comedy with this movie and the acting is superb, especially by Caine and Wiest (each won Best Supporting Oscars for their performances); Allen won an Oscar for his excellent screenplay; and the soundtrack is full of beautiful classic songs.
There may not be a lot of Thanksgiving movies out there, but these are the two movies I will always watch at this time of year.
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