Although the Thanksgiving movie isn’t the same cultural behemoth as the Christmas movie, there’s something a bit more nuanced and bittersweet about the Thanksgiving-set film, more rueful and winsome. And while you can find all sorts of holiday-themed fare, especially on Hallmark and Lifetime at the moment, here are a few Thanksgiving movies to take the edge off this holiday weekend, or at least to remember that Thanksgiving has always been an especially fraught holiday gathering, a good reminder during this most unusual year.
“Krisha”: With his 2015 directorial debut, Trey Edward Shults made an ingenious low-budget indie, casting his family and shooting over Thanksgiving weekend at a relative’s home, centering the film around a character named Krisha, played by his real-life aunt Krisha Fairchild, as a newly sober woman who arrives at the house of her formerly estranged family to cook the holiday meal. Shults’ film captures the agony and the ecstasy of Thanksgiving with a truly chaotic bent, showing off his style that would later be used in films like 2019’s “Waves.” Watch it on Showtime or Kanopy.
“The Oath”: This 2018 dark comedy starring Ike Barinholtz (who also wrote and directed) and Tiffany Haddish meant to capture the politically charged discussions of Thanksgiving that always seem to mark the holiday. In the film, the situation escalates when citizens are asked to sign a “loyalty pledge,” dividing the family. What seemed outlandishly dystopian as recently as 2018 is honestly plausible in 2020. Watch it on Hulu or Kanopy.
“Pieces of April”: This 2003 indie film directed by Peter Hedges (Lucas’ dad) was one of the first non-“Dawson’s Creek” breakout roles for Katie Holmes, outfitted here in black eyeliner and baby bangs. Holmes plays April, who uses the holiday as a way to reach out and make amends with her estranged family (Patricia Clarkson, Oliver Platt, Alison Pill). Watch it on Amazon Prime Video or Hulu.
