On November 28 this year, people in the USA celebrate the most heartfelt national holiday – Thanksgiving Day. On this day, it is customary to roast a turkey until it is golden brown (and there must be cranberry sauce on the table), exchange words of appreciation with your beloved ones during a festive dinner, and recollect all the wonderful moments of the almost passing year. Surely, what a family holiday is that if you’re not watching Thanksgiving movies and TV series specials? Here’s our list of the most memorable episodes and films to enjoy on an autumn evening with your people.
Life with Louie (Season 1, Episode 7)
Life with Louie is an iconic American animated series based on the creative work of a stand-up comedian Louie Anderson and his childhood stories about growing up in Wisconsin with his brothers and sisters.
Louie Anderson, the main character, is not happy about Thanksgiving Day at all. Year by year, he plays a turkey in a school play, but his inner actor that exists somewhere deep inside resents, so Louie decides to put up a fight. As a punishment, the boy has to make a report on the meaning of Thanksgiving and present it in front of the whole school. But here’s the trouble – he fails to get the exact answer to this question. For his mom, the most important thing in Thanksgiving is the pumpkin pie, while for his dad, it’s the right to carve the turkey. Besides, the whole house is filled with relatives who came by for holidays. How can one complete a task in a situation like that?
— Me and my friends were sitting around the other day talking about the meaning of Thanksgiving. We figured if anyone knew, maybe you?
— Meaning of Thanksgiving, huh? Like any other holiday, the name came from Latin and closely translated and means “A lot of annoying people in your house!”
— Thanks, dad.
— No, I’m serious! Ever since the whole thing had started, there were annoying people who showed up at your house and called it a holiday!
Addams Family Values
The gloomiest family of the planet is welcoming a new member! Morticia and Gomez had a new baby boy. Then a nanny appeared in their house and charmed Fester, the eldest of the Addams brothers. On Thanksgiving eve, the nanny aka insidious money hunter married the bald, innocent, and good-natured Fester. Meanwhile, she sent the children to a camp. A close-knit family once, the Addams start to have arguments and disgruntled children decide to celebrate Thanksgiving surrounded by their peers, but in a mad Addams family way.
Scent of a Woman
The main character Frank Slade has some serious plans for Thanksgiving Day. Frank, a blind retired Lieutenant Colonel, decided to go to New York one last time and blow his brains out right there. Frank's niece hires a student who, by the way, really needs some money, to take care of her uncle. They go to New York together, and everything seems fine because Frank’s company doesn’t know about the second part of his plan. In the city, the tourists stay at a fancy hotel, dine in a brilliant restaurant. After all this fun, it came to Frank’s mind that he needed to spend the night with a high-class prostitute.
However, soon the young man realizes that this entire partying doesn’t make Frank happy at all and gets the real purpose of their trip. While watching this movie, you will remember that a holiday can be spent in different ways. A turkey is a turkey, but what really matters is making your dreams come true.
Friends
The most famous episode is the one with flashbacks. Chandler once lost his toe because of Monica. To apologize and cheer him up, she put a turkey on her head and… danced a little. The Friends’ Thanksgiving Days were always exciting. On the last Thursday of November, everyone had a fight over wanting to watch a giant inflatable dog loosing over the city; found out that Chandler didn’t like dogs, and before that he once spent the evening in a box; the folks played football to win the Geller Cup, and Brad Pitt popped in, by the way. In other words, the holiday was always joyful and memorable. And also on this day, Rachel found The List that broke hearts of all fans of Ross and Rachel’s couple.
Here’s the list of all Thanksgiving episodes:
- “The One Where Underdog Gets Away” (Season 1, Episode 9)
- “The One with the List” (Season 2, Episode 8)
- “The One with the Football” (Season 3, Episode 9)
- “The One with Chandler in a Box” (Season 4, Episode 8)
- “The One with All the Thanksgivings” (Season 5, Episode 8)
- “The One Where Ross Got High” (Season 6, Episode 9)
- ”The One Where Chandler Doesn’t Like Dogs” (Season 7, Episode 8)
- “The One with the Rumor” (Season 8, Episode 9)
- “The One with Rachel’s Other Sister” (Season 9, Episode 8)
- “The One with the Late Thanksgiving” (Season 10, Episode 8)
It doesn’t really matter whether there’s a roasted turkey or a pumpkin pie on your table because you can say “thank you” and set the good mood without a feast. You can do it even by covering yourself with a warm blanket, taking a cup of hot chocolate, and turning on one of the specials from our list.
