Halloween came and went, I celebrated my anniversary sans costume but saw many folks in great regalia. My favorites were Kick Ass, Wonder Woman, Ringo, my own brother and his girlfriend looking incredibly post-apocalyptic in their home-made Road Warrior costumes, sexy Abraham Lincoln, sexy Jesus, and Starbuck.
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And now Thanksgiving is on the horizon; although it may seem that xmas is my favorite (and maybe it is? I am not ready to make that final call), I continue to give Thanksgiving, in all its family and food splendor, the top spot. I think. Besides the facts that I love eating all manner of vegetable, baked, and sauced good, and love seeing my loved ones, I also really, really love autumnally inspired films. Looking at the fall is one of my eyes’ favorite activities and fall movies additionally affirm my penchant. So, below I have put together a near-exhaustive Thanksgiving movie list for you to peruse.
My favorites (just happen to all be dysfunctional family films):
-Home for the Holidays
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My love for this film is unconditional. Every actor (Holly Hunter, Robert Downey Jr, Anne Bancroft, Charles Durning Steve Guttenberg, Cynthia Stevenson, OH, and David Strathairn as the glum Russell Terziak) delivers superb, heartfelt performances, the direction has that same love and kindness exuding from it that all Jodie Foster-directed pics have, and I never stop loving the look of it. It’s like when you watch an old Nora Ephron film and remember that the reason you love her movies so much is all the kitchy, interior, detail. I mean, Meg Ryan’s kitchen in Sleepless in Seattle is one of my favorite set pieces ever. So, it’s a great film about the dysfunctions and love that bring families together and keep them apart. Get in there if for some reason you haven’t watched this movie every year since it came out in 1995.
-Pieces of April
This film is a surprise. I did spend a lot of time watching Dawson’s Creek back in it’s hey day and I never loved Katie Holmes but I absolutely love her in Pieces of April. Again, a conflicted family comes together despite their differences, and finds some acceptance for each other.
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-The Ice Storm
I think this may have been the first Ang Lee film I ever saw, and I also think I saw this at the tail-end of my Elijah Wood crush era; so, special times. It’s great (as you probably already know) – sad, introspective, excellent looking.
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-House of Yes
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The Honorable Mentions:
-Wonder Boys
This is one of my favorite films – I think part of it is that I fetishize the college professor/author lifestyle but also, I think the Robert Downey Jr/Katie Holmes/Tobey Maguire casting makes me think of fall now. Also, Wonder Boys features a lot of great sweaters, boots, and interiors.
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Wonder Boys, the Ice Storm, Pieces of April and Home for the Holidays all also feature complex older women struggling with various levels of crisis and/or tragedy, which I appreciate. And apparently this is a filmic quality I enjoy associating with the holidays! Speaking of:
-Hannah and her Sisters
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-Dutch
I recently rewatched this movie; I remember seeing it as a pre-adolescent and enjoying it and it totally stands the test of time. What do we call those two-opposites-forced-to-road-trip-with-each-other movies? Well, it’s one of those, which seems to also be a holiday film tradition. Ed O’Neill is great, little Ethan Embry (then known as Ethan Randall, I believe, who is another holiday film veteran: All I Want for Christmas? Anyone?) is also fantastic as a spoiled, angry, too-smart-for-his-own-good brat. Try it if you go in for male bonding/alternative father-son relationship-building/road trip/class clashes/blue collar-bootstrap pride films. Make sense? Sure it does!
-In America
I love this movie and I distinctly recall a Halloween scene and not so distinctly think there may also be a thanksgiving scene. Either way, it hits a lot of those necessary-for-me-to-love elements: it’sa uniquely American, immigrant, bohemian family story, it’s ALSO set in New York with hints of bootstrap success, and showcases some excellent acting. I’m pretty sure there’s some good sweaters and boots in there too.
-Planes, Trains, and Automobiles
Another film I recently rewatched that was not as fun as I remember it, mostly because I tend to want more silliness from Steve Martin and don’t love it when he plays straight but it is possibly the originator or the holiday two-opposites-forced-to-road-trip-with-each-other movie trend so it’s got to get some props; and it’s John Hughes-directed so this could be the film we either blame or celebrate for his Home Alone trend. Oh wait – pretty sure we have European Vacation to blame/celebrate for the beginning of the trend. Also, like any good John Candy film, it makes you sad he’s dead.
-Funny People
Remember how there’s a thanksgiving scene in this movie? Well there is!
-Curly Sue
Curly Sue is fun for a number of reasons – it’s a John Hughes family film, great, throwback pseudo-orphan/makeover film, you have to give props to a successful precocious performance by a child actor, there’s plenty of scene-setting and city-features, and look out for a very early Steve Carell cameo!
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Movies I have to rewatch but, according to the internet and my own vague recollections, have thanksgiving elements:
-Scent of a Woman, 1992
-Alice’s Restaurant, 1969
-Addams Family Values, 1993
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-Son In Law, 1993
-Avalon, 1990
Movies that I have not seen but that the internet promises contain the appropriate thanksgiving themes:
-What’s Cooking? 2000
-The Big Chill, 1983
-By the Light of the Silvery Moon, 1953
-The Doors, 1991
-Broadway Danny Rose, 1984
Let us conclude with this disgusting, Grindhouse, faux movie trailer for Thanksgiving from Eli Roth. Or, if you don’t want to spoil the food/sweaters/family dysfunction/cuddle vibe established by the films I have described, DON’T watch this!
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