Weekly Movie Challenge

With this week being Thanksgiving in the United States, we thought why not base this week's challenge around it.

Whether you’re in a country that celebrates Thanksgiving or not, this challenge is a fun way to explore a diverse range of movies. You've got a couple of options available to you, a movie set during thanksgiving, a movie with a thanksgiving scene, or watch a movie that has a director/star or plot point you're particularly thankful for.

Set During Thanksgiving

These movies are fully immersed in the Thanksgiving season, using the holiday as a central part of their stories.Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987) is a classic comedy about an uptight man and a quirky stranger trying to make it home in time for Thanksgiving. Prisoners (2013) shifts gears to a tense thriller about a father’s desperate search for his missing daughter during Thanksgiving. Don't Say a Word (2001) is a psychological thriller where a Thanksgiving weekend takes a dark turn with a suspenseful mystery. Finally, Eli Roth's Thanksgiving (2023), which started out as a fake trailer for the Grindhouse (2007) movie, has finally been made and is a darkly comedic horror movie about a murderer in a John Carver mask.

Movies with a Thanksgiving Scene

Some movies may not focus on Thanksgiving entirely but still feature unforgettable moments tied to the holiday.Addams Family Values (1993) gives us an iconic, hilariously twisted Thanksgiving play that only Wednesday Addams could deliver. Eddie Murphy Raw (1987) has a Thanksgiving scene full of laugh-out-loud family chaos during Murphy’s stand-up routine. In The Gold Rush (1925), Charlie Chaplin serves up comedic gold with a Thanksgiving dinner scene involving a cooked boot and Grumpy Old Men (1993) delivers warmth and hilarity with a Thanksgiving dinner scene that underscores the love-hate dynamics between lifelong rivals.

Movie themes/people you're thankful for

This is your "get out of jail free" card, for those of you who have no interest in the American Thanksgiving holiday. If you're a fan of Benedict Cumberbatch, then check out a movie from his filmography. Love video games? Why not take a look at Grandma's Boy (2006). If you're thankful for having a job that pays the bills, 9 To 5 (1980) starring Dolly Parton might be right up you're street. If you're thankful for having a pet in your life, maybe Beethoven (1992) or dare I say Cats (2019) would be a great place to start? Failing that, if you're a fan of subterranian movies in which a small plucky crew must save the world, while risking their own lives, I'm sure there's a movie out there for you!

Below is a list of movies set around thanksgiving or containing thanksgiving scenes.

Thanksgiving

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