The perfect Thanksgiving movie (depending on your family)
For those whose holiday gatherings don't look a thing like a Charlie Brown special.
Photo: Searchlight Pictures
Despite what plenty of SEO-chasing articles may try to tell you, there is no single perfect post-Thanksgiving meal movie that will suit every household. From those families diving deep into a shared tryptophan haze to those less traditional celebrants whose meals and festivities don’t look a thing like a Charlie Brown TV special, the cinematic needs of holiday merrymakers will necessarily depend on the people involved. So, rather than partake in a futile pursuit of perfection, The A.V. Club decided to present a cornucopia of tasty options tailored to some common experiences when groups of assorted loved ones gather for a day of eating, arguing, and screen-staring. What movie should you watch this Thanksgiving? Well, it depends on what kind of Thanksgiving you’re having this year. Here are five options that cover some common holiday situations:
The best movie to accompany a politically fraught dinner: Unforgiven
Since Warner Bros. Discovery shunted Clint Eastwood’s sensational Juror #2 to a December streaming slot, we figured we could go with another Eastwood masterwork: Unforgiven. This won’t be an easy Thanksgiving, and there is no respite in the blockbusters we’d typically roll into after dinner. Trust us: bringing Star Wars up at the dinner table can get ugly. On the contrary, Eastwood is the great equalizer. Framed as Hollywood’s lone conservative in a sea of liberals, Eastwood’s work is, nevertheless, well-liked across the political spectrum. As Alex Lei recently observed for The A.V. Club, Eastwood’s work is less about Politics and more about the contradictory systems in which flawed humans find themselves ensnared.
Few illustrate his strengths better than Unforgiven. Putting on his hat and spurs one last time (until he cried Macho), Eastwood plays a recovering gunslinger roped back into the business after an attack at a local brothel leaves a sex worker scarred and her career destroyed. As his character grapples with the violent world he helped create, Eastwood faces the cinematic West he helped settle. Despite the grim subject matter, Unforgiven hits many holiday sweet spots: It’s an epic period piece that pairs well with the reflective nature of Thanksgiving and a meaty conversation starter, a Best Picture winner filled with complex characters, and a gripping story that doesn’t invite moral superiority. Moreover, your Republican uncle’s ears will perk up when he hears Eastwood’s name. Sadly for him, Unforgiven doesn’t let any of us off the hook. [Matt Schimkowitz]