Movies for Turkey Day: Thanksgiving Movies

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Movies for Turkey Day

A list of Thanksgiving Day films from the Springfield City Library

Alice's Restaurant (1969) [Available through C/WMARS]: Cinematic adaptation of Arlo Guthrie's classic song story, "The Alice's Restaurant massacree." Starring Arlo Guthrie, Pat Quinn, and James Broderick; directed by Arthur Penn. Rated PG.
Avalon (1990): The story of several generations of a family, from the arrival of immigrant Sam Krichinsky in the suburb of Baltimore called Avalon, down through his children and grandchildren. The holiday of Thanksgiving plays a crucial role throughout the film. Starring Armin Mueller-Stahl, Elizabeth Perkins, and Joan Plowright; directed by Barry Levinson. Rated PG.
Dutch (1991) [Available through C/WMARS]: Dutch Dooley picks up his girlfriend's son from boarding school in Atlanta, and sets out to drive to Chicago for Thanksgiving. He thinks it's a good chance for them to get acquainted, but Doyle turns out to be an upper class brat. Their cross-country battles land them in big trouble and make it doubtful whether they'll ever make it home. Starring Ed O'Neill, Ethan Randall and JoBeth Williams; directed by Peter Faiman. Rated PG-13.
Hannah and Her Sisters (1986): During a Thanksgiving party, and the year following, we take a look at three sisters and the relationship they have with one another, and with the men in their lives. Starring Woody Allen, Michael Caine, and Mia Farrow; written and directed by Woody Allen. Rated PG-13.
Holiday Reunion (2004) [Available through C/WMARS]: Against the wishes of his wife and kids, Mitch Snider is determined to have a traditional Thanksgiving holiday with all the relatives. And it looks like that's what he will have once he receives an invitation from his long-lost cousin Woodrow in Idaho. However, cousin Woodrow and his family turn out to be nuttier than a holiday fruitcake. Starring Bryan Cranston, Judge Reinhold, Hallie Todd. Rated PG-13.
The Holiday Treasure (1973)[Available through C/WMARS]: Ten-year-old Addie is determined to share her Thanksgiving dinner with an elderly, hermit-like neighbor, despite a long-standing family feud. Starring Jason Robards, Mildred Natwick, Barnard Hughes.
Home for the Holidays (1995): Claudia Larson is a divorced single mom who just lost her job and now has to fly home for the traditional family Thanksgiving in Baltimore. From the plane, she calls for reinforcements--and her brother Tommy makes it down from Boston with a little surprise: a handsome friend named Leo. Between dropping the turkey in their sister's lap and a few fist fights on the front lawn, Claudia and Tommy recapture their childhood- -and Claudia and Leo explore the sweet possibility of romance. Starring Holly Hunter, Robert Downey, Jr., and Anne Bancroft; directed by Jody Foster. Rated PG-13.
The Ice Storm (1997): The weekend after Thanksgiving, 1973, the Hoods are skidding out of control. Then an ice storm hits, the worst in a century. Starring Kevin Kline, Joan Allen, and Sigourney Weaver; directed by Ang Lee. Rated R.
Making Thanksgiving Special (1996) [Available through C/WMARS]: Celebrate Thanksgiving with TV hostess Sharon Anderson and her guests. You'll find dozens of fresh, new ways to add to your family's Thanksgiving tradition.
The Myth of Fingerprints (1997) [Available through C/WMARS]: Warren returns home for Thanksgiving after three years. His family consists of his over-sexed sister and her long-suffering lover, his romantically distant younger brother, and his immature younger sister. The blackly comic story examines how each adult sibling has problems expressing feelings and explores their relationships with their emotionally crippled father. Starring Blythe Danner, James Legros, and Noah Wyle; directed by Bart Freundlich. Rated R.
Pieces of April (2003): A wayward daughter invites her dying mother and the rest of her estranged family to her apartment for Thanksgiving dinner. Starring Katie Holmes, Patricia Clarkson, and Derek Luke; directed by Peter Hedges. Rated PG-13.
Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987): A man must struggle to travel home for Thanksgiving, with an obnoxious slob of a shower ring salesman his only companion. Starring Steve Martin and John Candy; written, produced and directed by John Hughes. Rated R.
Scent of a Woman (1992): Hoping to earn extra money over the Thanksgiving break, an innocent and reserved scholarship student at an exclusive prep school agrees to look after a blind, retired Lieutenant Colonel, who takes him off for a wild weekend in New York City. Starring Al Pacino and Chris O'Donnell; directed by Martin Brest. Rated R.
Son-in-law (1993) [Available through C/WMARS]: L.A.'s funkiest college student, Crawl, is hilariously out of his element when he spends Thanksgiving at the family farm of a straitlaced fellow student. Starring Pauly Shore, Carla Gugino, and Lane Smith; directed by Steve Rash. Rated PG-13.
Squanto: A Warrior's Tale (1994): Squanto, a young Indian warrior, who is abducted and enslaved in England and Spain, is returned to New England and befriends the Pilgrims when they settle in Plymouth. Starring Adam Beach and Michael Gambon; directed by Xavier Koller. Rated PG.
The Waltons, the Thanksgiving Story (1973): As Thanksgiving approaches, John Boy Walton (Richard Thomas) is looking forward to taking his college entrance exam and to the visit of Jenny Pendleton. But when John Boy has a seemingly minor head injury, the family must face a dangerou operation that will either cure or permanently disable their olders son.
What's Cooking? (2000) [Available through C/WMARS]: What happens when families come together for Thanksgiving? Almost anything! A charming tale of four very different families, as they cook up some tasty holiday surprises: love, betrayal and even a few outrageous secrets-- and ultimately discover the astonishing power love has to reconnect us all. Starring Joan Chen, Julianna Margulies, and Alfre Woodard; directed by Gurinder Chadha. Rated PG-13.
Who Made the Potatoe Salad? (2005): Michael, a young police officer, and his beautiful fiancee Ashley meet her family for Thanksgiving dinner. Nothing can prepare Michael for Ashley's crazy family, and he wonders if his first meeting will be his last. Starring Jaleel White, De Ray Davis, Jennia Fredrique. Rated R.

FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES

Caillou: Caillou's Holidays (2002): Caillou loves the holidays - and Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas are his favorites! From the popular PBS series. Not rated.
A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (1973): When Peppermint Patty and a group of hungry pals show up at Charlie Brown's house expecting food, Charlie Brown is too wishy-washy to refuse. With the help of Linus, Snoopy and Woodstock a very unusual feast is prepared. Not rated.
A Day for Thanks on Walton's Mountain (1982) [Available through C/WMARS]: The Walton household has begun to branch out from its mountain roots, and their time-honored Thanksgiving tradition is threatened. Young Elizabeth takes action to reunite the family, and on the last Thursday in November, the heartfelt tradition lives on. Starring Ralph Waite, Jon Walmsley, and Judy Norton Taylor; directed by Harry Harris. Not rated.
Halloween and Thanksgiving (2000): Halloween and Thanksgiving with the bear in the big blue house.
Hoboken Chicken Emergency (1984): When Mr. & Mrs. Bobowicz send their son Arthur to buy a turkey for Thanksgiving, they aren't expecting him to bring home a 266 pound live chicken named Henrietta. Starring Peter Billingsley, Dick Van Patten, and Arlene Golonka; directed by Peter Baldwin. Not rated.
Molly's Pilgrim (1985) [Available through C/WMARS]: A Russian Jewish immigrant girl, teased by her American classmates for her ethnic mannerisms, is given a class assignment to create a doll based on a Thanksgiving character. She creates a Russian immigrant doll, because, to her mother, Russian Jews are Pilgrims too, having come to America for religious freedom. Based on the book Molly's Pilgrim by Barbara Cohen. Not rated.
Mouse on the Mayflower (1969): An animated fantasy that tells the story of a brave little mouse who helped the Pilgrims survive both the dangerous sea voyage and the cold New England winter, while staying on peaceful terms with their Indian neighbors. Not rated.
A Rugrats Thanksgiving (1997): Determined to protect Mr. Turkey from the serving platter, the Rugrats uncover the real meaning of the first American holiday. Not rated.
Seasons of Giving (1999): Animated Winnie the Pooh movie. The adventure begins once upon a cold and blustery day in the Hundred Acre Wood when Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, and Rabbit set out on a quest for winter--a favorite season they seem to have missed. And that leads to a wild search for the perfect ingredients for a festive Thanksgiving feast, and finally to Christmas, and a surprise visit from a special friend. Based on the Winnie the Pooh works by A.A. Milne and E.H. Shepard. Rated G.
Thanksgiving (1994): Thanksgiving is a time to remember how much we depend on and are thankful for the earth's bounty. This video explores the story of the Pilgrims in Plimouth Plantation and depicts Nanticoke tribe dancers, and concludes with a craft project using walnut shells to make miniature Mayflower boats. Grades K-4.
Thank you, Sarah: the woman who saved Thanksgiving (2002) [Available through C/WMARS]: We The People of the United States ... almost lost Thanksgiving. Thankfully, Sarah Hale, a magazine editor and author, believed in its importance, and persuaded President Lincoln to transform Thanksgiving Day into a national holiday. Based on the book by Laurie Halse Anderson. Grades K-5.
William Bradford: the first Thanksgiving. (1992) [Available through C/WMARS]: Animated biography of William Bradford, the leader of the Pilgrims at Plymouth, and the founder of Thanksgiving. Not rated.

All videos or DVDs are available in the Springfield City Library system unless otherwise noted.

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