Thursday, November 14, 2024
Perhaps your family is well-adjusted, open-minded, and chill, and your holiday gatherings are an unalloyed joy. For the rest of us, it’s complicated—which isn’t to say bad, necessarily. But also not, ya know, good.
America is so deeply divided right now, it’s likely that no two people have the same idea about how best to celebrate a holiday like Thanksgiving. On film, as in life, some people are often excluded from Thanksgiving narratives—indigenous peoples of North America, for example—and that’s all before we get into family dynamics. gatherings made under pressure have a tendency to bring lingering resentments to the surface, and also a convenient time to bring up topics best mentioned in person, making it a great time for people to come out.
My own role at Thanksgiving is as the drama-averse queer cousin who doesn't show up, leaving me plenty of time and emotional space for holiday movies. Here are 21 Thanksgiving movies about dysfunctional families that make me feel better about my own.
Pieces of April (2003)
Katie Holmes took a stab at post-Dawson's Creek, pre-Tom Cruise respectability with this low-key indie comedy drama about a misfit young woman who invites her estranged family to her tiny New York apartment for Thanksgiving, determined to prove to them she isn't the fuck-up her brittle, disapproving mother (Patricia Clarkson, Oscar-nominated for the role) thinks she is. Anyone with kids they are frustrated with or parents who've disappointed them (so everyone) will appreciate the efforts both parties go through—even if begrudgingly—to be together during a "festive" time of year. Stream Pieces of April on MUBI or rent it on Prime Video.
What’s Cooking? (2000)
Though it occasionally gets bogged down with melodrama (which is where all the screwed-up family stuff comes in), this well-acted comedy-drama captures a sense of the plurality that Americans bring to holidays like Thanksgiving. While movies and TV often portray a sameness in traditions, the fact is that every culture, subculture, and family that celebrates brings its own sets of traditions and baggage to the holiday. What’s Cooking? brings together four ethnically and culturally diverse families (Latino, Vietnamese, Jewish, and African American...with a lesbian couple in the mix) who celebrate Thanksgiving together, with each contributing different foods (and family dramas) to the proceedings. You can stream What's Cooking on Freevee and Starz.
The Ice Storm (1997)
Journey back to 1973 in Ang Lee’s Thanksgiving-set classic, as gathering for the annual dinner brings out dark secrets in the lives of two families in a quiet, picture-perfect suburb. The meal gives way to a key party (ask your grandparents) during the holiday weekend, which, if it had caught on, might have seen swinging and group sex with the neighbors become as much of a holiday tradition as green bean casserole. Alas. The Ice Storm isn't streaming but you can rent it on Prime Video.
Addams Family Values (1993)
Say what you like about the Addams family (go ahead! They WILL NOT care.); they’re one of the most loving and mutually supportive families in pop culture, and I’d rather spend Thanksgiving dinner with them than with my own family, frankly. The nod to the holiday here isn’t to a meal, though, but to the national mythology around which the holiday is built. When camp counsellors make the mistake of asking Wednesday and Pugsley to participate in a seasonal play, they turn it into a fiery indigenous revenge fantasy par excellence. Having white kids playing Native Americans doesn’t do much by way of indigenous representation, but at least the movie doesn’t glorify early contact. The Addams' are definitely screwed up, but they're doing better than most of us. You can stream Addams Family Values on Paramount+ or rent it on Prime Video.
Lez Bomb (2018)
A charming, if lesser-known suburban comedy about the very relatable experience of trying to come out at a family gathering, with mixed results. Jenna Laurenzo writes, directs, and stars as Lauren, who’s all ready to introduce her girlfriend to the family at Thanksgiving...until her male roommate shows up and everyone believes he’s her boyfriend.
Where to stream: Peacock, Tubi, Kanopy, Pluto, digital rental
Thanksgiving (2023)
This grisly, satirical Thanksgiving-themed slasher from director Eli Roth kicks off with one of those early-morning Black Friday sales that are totally fun, and where nothing could ever possibly go wrong. Taking a cue from real-life events, a crowd lined-up outside of a Wal-Mart-esque big box store gets unruly when they see the owner's daughter inside early with her friends. A stampede ensues, and it's so horrific it's nearly funny; customers and staff are killed with abandon by out-of-control shoppers (thoughit doesn't feel that far removed from some of the Black Friday near-tramplings we've seen on the news). Owner Thomas Wright (Rick Hoffman) and his daughter Jessica (Nell Verlaque) are at the heart of a plan for revenge that ensues one year later during Thanksgiving celebrations. There are fucked-up family dynamics on display in the motives of the mysterious killer, as well, but that would be a spoiler. You can stream Thanksgiving on Netflix or rent it from Prime Video.
The Humans (2021)
The past is very much present at nearly any family gathering, and that’s ver much the case in this psychological drama, written and directed by Stephen Karam, who also wrote the Tony-winning and Pulitzer-nominated play on which it’s based. It begins with a father struggling with 9/11-related trauma at adult daughter’s apartment, which is too close to ground zero for his comfort (and might possibly be haunted). Everyone brings traumas and resentments to the table—but the movie is smart and subtle enough to avoid obvious beats and easy answers. You can stream The Humans on Prime Video.
For Your Consideration (2006)
Another masterpiece from the great Christopher Guest (This Is Spinal Tap, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, etc.), For Your Consideration isn't about an actual screwed up family so much as it's about the production of a holiday-themed family film. The low-budget family drama Home for Purim, about a Jewish (well, obviously) family in the 1940s, gets a bit of retooling following some vague Oscar buzz. (Too Jewish! says the studio, and the movie becomes Home for Thanksgiving.) The cast, meanwhile, begins preening and jockeying for awards-season attention in increasingly undignified ways. Many of the usual suspects, including Catherine O'Hara, Parker Posey, Harry Shearer, Michael McKean, Fred Willard, Larry Miller, Bob Balaban, Jennifer Coolidge, etc., appear. You can rent For Your Consideration on Prime Video.
Home for the Holidays (1995)
Jodie Foster followed up her 1991 directorial debut Little Man Tate with this all-star holiday get-together. Holly Hunter stars as Claudia Larson, a just-fired single mom coming home to Baltimore to spend Thanksgiving with her family. Because what could be less stressful? Her old friends make her feel insecure about being divorced; her mom's sister Gladys, in the early stages of dementia, confesses her love for her father; her gay brother drops a turkey on the conservative sister; and a friendly after-dinner wrestling match gets serious. It's positively tame compared to some holiday gatherings. Robert Downey Jr., Anne Bancroft, Charles Durning, Dylan McDermott, Claire Danes, Austin Pendleton, and David Strathairn also star. You can stream Home for the Holidays on Paramount+ With Showtime or rent it on Prime Video.
Tadpole (2002)
This early-aughts indie plays a bit like a cross between Rushmore and The Ice Storm, blending the slightly twee sensibilities of the former with the weird family sexual dynamics of the latter. Aaron Stanford plats Oscar Grubman, a snotty prep-school kid who comes home for the holidays with every intention of banging his stepmom (Sigourney Weaver), but fate takes a hand when he instead winds up in a relationship with his stepmom's friend Diane (Bebe Neuwirth). Oscar is meant to be 15, so there's an ickiness that was, I guess, less of a concern in 2002, but ignore it and enjoy the great performances from all involved. You can rent Tadpole on Prime Video.
Blood Rage (1987)
When they were kids, identical twins Todd and Terry (both played by Mark Soper) spotted their mom making out with her boyfriend in the backseat of a car. Which, of course, drove Terry to a murderous rage that saw him kill an unrelated necking teenager. In an even bigger jerk move, he frames his brother for the killing, and Todd is sent away to an asylum. A decade later, Terry is living happily with his mom until his murder-y impulses are once again awakened by mom's boyfriend, Brad—but wait! Todd has escaped from the asylum with revenge on his mind. Thus do the two brothers spend a very bloody Thanksgiving holiday circling one another. Family is just so complicated! You can stream Blood Rage (aka Nightmare at Shadow Woods) on Night Flight Plus or rent it on Fandango at Home.
Krisha (2015)
Probably the least feel-good movie here (which is saying something if you’ve seen The Humans), Krisha plays at moments like a horror movie, but many who’ve struggled with substance addiction, or has family members who have, will find Krisha all too real (I’m speaking from experience here). Estranged from her family for years, Krisha (Krisha Fairchild) feels that she’s turned a corner in her life, and asks to be invited to a Thanksgiving meal that she’ll prepare. The intentions are good, but the conflicting feelings and simmering resentments of her family slowly overwhelm her, and things go downhill rather quickly. You can stream Krishna on Cinemax or rent it on Prime Video.
Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (1987)
One of John Hughes’ best movies barely involves teenagers at all, instead serving as a two-hander between Steve Martin and John Candy, a pair of desperately mismatched travelers on their ways to their respective Thanksgiving gatherings. Only the most fortunate among us have been spared the torments of holiday travel, and Hughes captures much of the feel of those trials, even as the movie reaches more absurd heights as the protagonists near their destinations. You can stream Planes, Trains, and Automobiles on Paramount+ With Showtime and Pluto or rent it on Prime Video.
The Myth of Fingerprints (1997)
Upper-middle class white family dysfunction was a big topic in the 1990s—which isn’t to say that many of the resulting movies weren’t good, as this one is. On one level, this is another story of a family coming together over the holidays while grappling with resentments and secrets and abusive histories, but this one is a big step up from the typical family drama, unravelling the various relationships with uncommon subtlety, and a sense of humor: the entire family is extremely horny, and having various couples under one roof for the holidays makes it very hard for anyone to get any sleep. Stream The Myth of Fingerprints on Fubo.
The Vicious Kind (2009)
It doesn’t always take much to upset a precariously calm family dynamic, which is what exists here between brother Caleb and Peter (Adam Scott and Alex Frost) and their father Daniel (J.K. Simmons). Here it’s Brittany Snow’s Emma, new girlfriend to Peter; misogynistic Caleb at first disapproves of her, and then finds himself falling for her. The setup isn’t particularly groundbreaking, but the movie is smart and subtle, with solid performances and believable dialogue. You can stream The Vicious Kind on Pluto or rent it on Prime Video.
Prisoners (2013)
Best known for science fiction masterpieces like Arrival and Dune, Denis Villeneuve made his mark in American cinemas for the first time with Prisoners, a twisty mystery thriller starring Hugh Jackman as a father desperate to find his missing daughter, kidnapped on a Thanksgiving Day now forever blighted by tragedy. Understandably willing to do anything he deems necessary, he runs afoul of the cop on the case (played by Jake Gylenhaal). Another feel-bad holiday classic. Prisoners is streaming on Max, or you can rent it on Prime Video.
The Oath (2018)
Ike Barinholtz and Tiffany Haddish lead this dark, and very weird comedy that skewers modern politics, but, in particular, the impact that politics can have our holiday gatherings. Here it’s a very mildly futuristic scenario in which Americans are to be required to sign a loyalty oath the day after Thanksgiving, which of course leads to all sorts of holiday folderol between family members with different ideas about what it means to be American. It’s broad, yes, but also surprisingly on point. You can stream The Oath on Kanopy or rent it on Prime Video.
The House of Yes (1997)
Screwball dark comedy The House of Yes is, perhaps, not terribly representative of any particular American family at Thanksgiving—unless you have a psychotic sister (Parker Posey) who believes that she’s Jackie Onassis. Call it a heightened version of the kinds of wackiness that family members can bring to the dinner table. You can stream House of Yes on Pluto or rent it on Prime Video.
The Daytrippers (1996)
You could spend an entire afternoon watching classic ‘90s Parker Posey movies—which honestly sounds better than 80% of typical Thanksgiving activities. Here she’s crammed into a Buick with Hope Davis and Live Schreiber as they head out on a day-after-Thanksgiving road trip to track down Davis’ husband and confront him about his cheating ways. Stream The Daytrippers on Max and The Criterion Channel or rent it on Prime Video.
Rocky (1976)
For some, the holiday’s just another day. As Rocky says to Adrian: “To you it’s Thanksgiving, to me it’s Thursday.” In the memorable Thanksgiving moment, trainer Paulie belittles his sister and the turkey that she’s struggled to cook. The scene plays as abusive, but it kicks off a love story for the ages, as Rocky and Adrian ditch the failed holiday get together in favor of a more intimate stroll. Stream Rocky on MGM+ or Fubo or rent it on Prime Video.
The New World (2005)
There’s not yet been a major motion picture that deals with the origin (mythical or otherwise) of Thanksgiving from an indigenous perspective, but visionary director Terence Mallick’s tells a dreamlike story of the (disturbing) relationship between Colin Farrell’s Captain John Smith and Q’orianka Kilcher’s Pocahontas at least does Disney one better for something approaching historical reality. Stream The New World on Max or rent it on Prime Video.
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