The second half of the year is the best time for holidays, especially when it comes to movies. October’s Halloween horror and December’s Christmas classics are staples of the colder months, but Thanksgiving is often left unnoticed. For a holiday that’s been so prevalent in America for so many years, there aren’t a lot of movies and shows associated with Thanksgiving. To solve this issue, the Life section has come together to save Thanksgiving by providing the best media for this time of year.
Dan Stark, Life Editor, he/him, daniel.stark@uconn.edu
It’s a Thanksgiving Eve tradition in the Stark house to watch the greatest – and one of the only – Thanksgiving movies there is, 1987’s “Planes, Trains and Automobiles.” Starring Steve Martin and John Candy, the film follows these two during the lead-up to Thanksgiving as they attempt to return home to Chicago after their flight from New York is diverted to Wichita due to a blizzard. It’s a beautiful comedy-drama that combines hilarious moments like Candy’s character listening to Ray Charles’ “Mess-Around” in the car, to heartfelt scenes where Candy and Martin bond. If you haven’t watched this classic yet, take 92 minutes out of your Thanksgiving break to check it out.
Samantha Brody, Associate Life Editor, she/her/hers, sab23059@uconn.edu
I always try and live the current season to the fullest if I can. Spooky movies for Halloween, skiing in the winter and plenty of swimming in the summer. Unfortunately, Thanksgiving has always fallen flat for me as a holiday. There’s just not a lot of branding surrounding it, with very little build-up. And I’m not a fan of Thanksgiving food.
Despite all this, I recently learned about what may be the second-best Thanksgiving movie of all time (the first being “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving,” obviously). If you somehow haven’t given it a watch, try out “Fantastic Mr. Fox” during break. There are plenty of strong messages about the importance of both family and community, while also remaining true to yourself and what you stand for. Plus, the whole movie is basically about getting and then eating food.
The movie surrounds the Fox family, a group of anthropomorphic, stop-motion animated foxes with Mr. Fox as their patriarch, who struggles to be the family man his wife wants him to be. Instead, Mr. Fox dreams of being a true wild fox, stealing chickens from chicken coops and living the dream. It’s about family, food and being the best version of yourself you can be. And as a bonus, it’s very fall themed.
Thaddeus Sawyer, Staff Writer, he/him/his, thaddeus.sawyer@uconn.edu
I love Charlie Brown as much as everyone else in this roundtable (especially the pilgrim origin story). However, I wrote about the Peanuts gang for the Halloween media roundtable so I feel obligated to switch it up.
Instead, I will be taking an outside the box approach by suggesting probably the most mainstream Thanksgiving media out there: The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Not only is the appearance of Santa at the end of the parade the official start of the Christmas season, but the sheer number of other celebrities really makes watching the three plus hours of parade coverage worth it. Where else can you get “Kpop Demon Hunters” and Kool & the Gang in the same place? Bonus points for the Snoopy and Woodstock balloon; you’ve got to get your Peanuts fix somehow.
Zayda Shevlin, Contributor, she/her, fhy24005@uconn.edu
In the season of scarce options for festive movies with a controversial holiday, you might have trouble finding a perfect watch for your Thanksgiving. However, in time of crisis, a classic we can always rely on is 1973’s “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.”
This movie is a short and sweet, iconic Thanksgiving film that dives into themes of gratitude and friendship while keeping you entertained with some good old slapstick comedy between Snoopy and Woodstock. The film also serves as a two-for-one deal for Thanksgiving media with some iconic jazz scores by the Vince Guaraldi Trio, which includes some of the most recognizable piano riffs of all time. This soundtrack has gone on to serve as a quintessential symbol for the fall season, with songs like “Thanksgiving Theme” and the classic “Linus and Lucy.”
This aesthetically satisfying and peachy movie placed footprints as the original “Friendsgiving” and is a must watch to take a 30-minute break from arguing with your family or studying for finals during this holiday season.