Like cranberry sauce and tryptophan, sitting down to a movie on Thanksgiving is tradition. But unlike Christmas, the recipe for a “Thanksgiving movie” is loosely defined. Christmas movies, whether they’re made by Hallmark or Frank Capra or John McTiernan, tick certain boxes: gift giving, some flavor of Santa Claus, miracles. Thanksgiving movies are harder to pin down, by definition domestic in both their setting and the holiday’s origins. When was the last time Hollywood produced a classic Turkey Day movie? You’d think the holiday would inspire some memorable films beyond Planes, Trains and Automobiles, Pieces of April, and Hannah and Her Sisters. So we posed a question to several filmmakers and Hollywood friends this week: Why are Thanksgiving movies not a thing?
