Before you fly, bike, drive or walk back to your family home for Thanksgiving, or even if you are just having a Friendsgiving this year instead, there’s a certain amount of preparation you must do. You need to find your most stretchy pants or leggings, eat some pre-thanksgiving treats and pie and, of course, watch a few Thanksgiving movie classics to see how others deal with the holiday mayhem of family, friends and food.
1. Pieces of April (2003)
If you think your family is dysfunctional, check out this movie where April (a young and punky Katie Holmes) works hard to impress her family with the help of her boyfriend in their tiny New York apartment. Her long estranged family recalls memories of their dysfunctional past with April and thinks of their current state where the mom of the family, Joy, has breast cancer and they don’t know who April has truly become. Despite all the bumps along the road, her oven breaking and her family almost deciding not to show up, they finally come together and makes amends.
2. A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (1973)
In this Thanksgiving classic we see the whole Peanuts gang get together and have two very special Thanksgivings, one for themselves as friends and another that includes their families. Lucy once again gets Charlie to fall for the football gag, Linus helps Charlie out with his Friendsgiving feast, there are some cute and fun songs about the little birdie and Thanksgiving and a great time is had by all – after some squabbling and misunderstandings, of course. If you want an easy and inspired feast this Thanksgiving, try out Charlie’s specialties of buttered toast, pretzel sticks, popcorn and jellybeans.
3. Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (1987)
My family has watched this movie for as long as I can remember on Thanksgiving. Though the only part of the movie that takes place on Thanksgiving is the last 5 minutes of the movie, the journey taken to get there is all part of the fun. Neal Page, a high-strung and pessimistic executive going through a series of mishaps, gets stuck trying to find his way back home for the holidays with the always-optimistic shower curtain ring seller Del Griffith. They learn a lot about adjusting to the worst possible situations all with John Hughes’ signature style of fun sound effects, good music and a happy ending.
4. Home for the Holidays (1995)
If the fact that a young Robert Downey Jr. is in this movie isn’t enough for you, then the sheer dysfunction should draw you in. Between the feuding of artistic and liberal Claudia and the conservative and pent up Joanne, the always pranking gay brother and black sheep Tommy, and the crazy-in-love parents there are so many different characters to relate to in this family. Through all the arguments and secrets some things are said that can’t be taken back at the Thanksgiving table, feelings get hurt and the family reflects on the past while accepting the changes of the future both good and bad within the family.
5. Free Birds (2013)
The voices of Owen Wilson, Woody Harrelson, and Amy Poehler are featured in this recent film where the turkeys finally fight in an attempt to take back Thanksgiving. The main character, Reggie the turkey, fears the upcoming holiday, as he knows that he and his fellow turkeys are on the menu but others don’t seem to understand or care. Through time travel, secrecy and romance the turkeys succeed in getting taken off the menu with a lot of humor, ridiculousness and, of course, food.
Bonus TV Episodes:
Bob’s Burgers: An Indecent Thanksgiving Proposal (2012)
In this hilarious episode of Bob’s Burgers, Bob’s Boss Mr. Fischoeder bribes Bob into letting him pretend Linda and his kids are his own to attract his old love interest that is only interested in married men. Bob agrees, but is upset that all of his usual thanksgiving traditions can’t be carried out. The Belchers carry out the roles of a fake family with Mr. Fischoeder and the usual family craziness ensues featuring a giant headless turkey, Bob’s absinthe induced dreams, a few guns and plenty of classic one-liners.
That’s So Raven: Country Cousins (2005)
In this crazy episode of That’s So Raven, which was originally shown in two parts on Disney Channel, Raven Symone plays multiple roles for an interesting Thanksgiving. Raven and her friend Chelsea go to the country to try and repair issues with relatives who are feuding with the Baxters for reasons we don’t discover until later. An obnoxious baby is featured alongside a reluctant Raven milking a cow, some crazy outfits, and the usual hilarity of the situations Raven finds herself in all set around the Thanksgiving table.
Feel free to share in the comments your favorite Thanksgiving movies, TV episodes, meals, and traditions! Have a great Thanksgiving break, Collegiettes!