Top Thanksgiving Movies
By John Quinlan, jquinlan@siouxcityjournal.com | Posted: Friday, November 28, 2008
Come every Christmas, a holiday-themed movie comes to the local cineplex. Some are good. "Elf." "The Santa Clause." Most are not. "Surviving Christmas" or "The Kranks" anyone? But at least, Hollywood is trying to pay respect to the Christmas season. Not so much attention is given to that other late-year holiday, Thanksgiving.
If you're looking for a Thanksgiving-themed film, you'd best turn to the little screen and the latest Hallmark movie. They're usually pretty darned good. And the best Thanksgiving movie ever, big screen or large, is probably the little screen's 1973 classic, "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving."
Which is not to say there aren't a few Thanksgiving movies for which we can give thanks. So when the football game's over, check out one of the following Thanksgiving-themed movies. All are available on video or DVD. The best:
1. "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" (1987) -- Director John Hughes' best -- and funniest -- outing features a hilariously mismatched Steve Martin and the late, great John Candy as they team up to get home for Thanksgiving. Catnip for anyone who has had a bad traveling experience -- and surprisingly and believably sentimental when it counts.
2. "Home for the Holidays" (1995) -- Jodie Foster directs this ensemble acting feast with a good mix of comedy and drama that focuses on daughter Holly Hunter's return home to share Thanksgiving dinner with her dysfunctional family, including daughter Claire Danes and garrulously goofy gay brother Robert Downey Jr. back when his own life was an even goofier mess.
3. "Pieces of April" (2003) -- Low-key but affecting seriocomic indie film offers appealing Katie Holmes as black-sheep daughter April who is trying to reconcile with her family, dying mom Patricia Clarkson (an Oscar nominee) and dad Oliver Platt, by hosting a Thanksgiving dinner in her crummy New York City apartment. Clarkson and Platt on the road to NYC are perfect.
4. "Hannah and Her Sisters" (1986) -- One of Woody Allen's last really good movies involves three sisters and their relationships in a comedy/drama bookended by Thanksgiving dinners. What makes it work are the three sisters: Barbara Hershey, Mia Farrow and Oscar-winner Dianne Wiest. Allen won a writing Oscar and Michael Caine an acting one.
5. "Nobody's Fool" (1994) -- Not everyone's cup of tea, this is Paul Newman's last star turn and he is wonderful as grouchy small town nobody named Sully who tries to reconnect with his son and grandson. Not a nice guy, but interacting with solid supporting cast that includes Bruce Willis and Philip Seymour Hoffman, this "Fool" really grows on you.
Honorable mention: "Alice's Restaurant," "Scent of a Woman," "The Ice Storm," "Dutch" and "A New World."
If you're looking for a Thanksgiving-themed film, you'd best turn to the little screen and the latest Hallmark movie. They're usually pretty darned good. And the best Thanksgiving movie ever, big screen or large, is probably the little screen's 1973 classic, "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving."
Which is not to say there aren't a few Thanksgiving movies for which we can give thanks. So when the football game's over, check out one of the following Thanksgiving-themed movies. All are available on video or DVD. The best:
1. "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" (1987) -- Director John Hughes' best -- and funniest -- outing features a hilariously mismatched Steve Martin and the late, great John Candy as they team up to get home for Thanksgiving. Catnip for anyone who has had a bad traveling experience -- and surprisingly and believably sentimental when it counts.
2. "Home for the Holidays" (1995) -- Jodie Foster directs this ensemble acting feast with a good mix of comedy and drama that focuses on daughter Holly Hunter's return home to share Thanksgiving dinner with her dysfunctional family, including daughter Claire Danes and garrulously goofy gay brother Robert Downey Jr. back when his own life was an even goofier mess.
3. "Pieces of April" (2003) -- Low-key but affecting seriocomic indie film offers appealing Katie Holmes as black-sheep daughter April who is trying to reconcile with her family, dying mom Patricia Clarkson (an Oscar nominee) and dad Oliver Platt, by hosting a Thanksgiving dinner in her crummy New York City apartment. Clarkson and Platt on the road to NYC are perfect.
4. "Hannah and Her Sisters" (1986) -- One of Woody Allen's last really good movies involves three sisters and their relationships in a comedy/drama bookended by Thanksgiving dinners. What makes it work are the three sisters: Barbara Hershey, Mia Farrow and Oscar-winner Dianne Wiest. Allen won a writing Oscar and Michael Caine an acting one.
5. "Nobody's Fool" (1994) -- Not everyone's cup of tea, this is Paul Newman's last star turn and he is wonderful as grouchy small town nobody named Sully who tries to reconnect with his son and grandson. Not a nice guy, but interacting with solid supporting cast that includes Bruce Willis and Philip Seymour Hoffman, this "Fool" really grows on you.
Honorable mention: "Alice's Restaurant," "Scent of a Woman," "The Ice Storm," "Dutch" and "A New World."
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