Renewed Musings - The Turkey and The Stuffing

Welcome Readers! I would like to introduce you to "Renewed Musings"! This segment will be opinion/editorial pieces. Whatever just... works. But I need to warn you before hand, in the past, these kind of posts never really had structure. I tend to ramble, and I don't mean to. But... passion is the name of the game.

So... let's get this going... with our first topic: Thanksgiving. More so... Thanksgiving in movies.

Before we get to the movies, I need to make clear my stance on the holiday season. I hate most of it. I'm not an overly positive person. But I get why so many people love the holiday season. And I do have a favorite holiday in the stretch. Halloween. Spooky season is amazing. And then of course, for many people, Christmas is a huge tent pole(if you don't celebrate Christmas, and celebrate another holiday instead... that isn't the point... doesn't apply here). But what about Turkey Day? I mean... usually, my local Walmart starts putting out Christmas shit the day after Halloween. This year, they started BEFORE Halloween! And either way, what about Thanksgiving? Turkey Day accessories? Maybe fall themed placemats? Plushie Cornucopia? I mean... the browns and oranges would make for GREAT decor! But...

Why forget about Thanksgiving!?!?! Sure... Halloween... dressing up in costumes... spookiness... and candy. And Christmas is the Holiday for Capitalism and gift giving. But Thanksgiving is about food, family, and togetherness. Makes me miss all my family and friends that I've lost, but makes me thankful for the ones that are still here. So why doesn't Thanksgiving get more love?

Same thing goes for Hollywood. Just about every long running TV series has some kind of Thanksgiving episode... but movies... not so much. I wanted to make a Top 10 list, but... I only got 5 or 6 movies(that I've seen) that I MIGHT consider Thanksgiving movies. Movies that have to do with Thanksgiving as a plot point. I make that distinction, because I was researching T-Day movies... and Ranker threw Rocky at me. Rocky isn't a Thanksgiving movie. So... I will highlight these few movies... and we will come back.

So let's start with "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving". At least Charles Schultz remembered the Turkey. He had plenty of holiday specials, including The Great Pumpkin... but he DID bring the stuffing. I just gotta point out, the dinner the Peanuts gang put together... WAS accidentally racist. It was awesome that they included Franklin(the only black kid in the group) to be a part of the dinner, but did they really have to give him a side of the table to himself? Regardless... it is a good animated movie highlighting the togetherness of Thanksgiving.

Next movie I want to highlight is "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles". Legendary inadvertent buddy comedy starring the iconic Steve Martin and John Candy, directed by another legend, John Hughes. Mishaps befall this duo trying to make it across country for this holiday. Sometimes regarded as the ONLY Thanksgiving movie. That means something. Watch it, if you haven't.

Another movie to point out is "Dutch". Starring Ed O'Neill(yes, Al Bundy). Dutch is dating a rich girl. Due to plans getting canceled, Dutch goes to bring her snobby son from a private school home for Thanksgiving. A road trip, buddy comedy with Turkey as the goal. Guess what? Written by John Hughes!!!

Next movie I need to bring up is "The War At Home". Starring Emilio Estevez. Directed by Emilio. Co-produced by Emilio. Co-starring Martin Sheen. About a soldier with PTSD being forced by his father to adjust to civilian life and Thanksgiving.

Don't worry, I'm not going to forget about "Son In Law". During the height of Pauly Shore's Paulyness. Farm girl goes to college, meets and falls in love with the Pauliest of Shores... and decided to take him back home for Thanksgiving. And then more Paulyness ensues. Did I mention this was a Pauly Shore movie?

And one Unlockable Gem for you all... "The Ice Storm". Ang Lee and I have a torrid history. Some GREAT Asian Epic films, Life of Pi, Brokeback Mountain... but I avoided Gemini Man and... Hulk(Eric Bana) felt like it was made from the perspective of a Nerd with ADHD that just came out of a coma. But "The Ice Storm" is underrated.

There are a few other movies where Thanksgiving is present or at least present, but not a plot point. "Spider-Man" and "Addams Family Values" are just 2 example. But it all goes to show that there isn't much love for T-Day in movies, and honestly... why the hell not!?!

And I have to highlight one more...... just to show you how absurd it is! The movie is... "Dan In Real Life". Steve Carell killed in this movie. And as the center of it is an annual family get together. An... annual... family... get... together. This could've been a Thanksgiving movie. This could've been a Christmas movie. But it was neither of those things. The perfect up for a wonderful Thanksgiving movie...... and it isn't set during ANY holiday at all...

People love family comedies. Thanksgiving is about family, and friends, and food! Hollywood... come on... you can do something with that! You have for DECADES! And honestly, you can adapt those random family comedies. It can't be that hard...

Just add the Turkey and the Stuffing...