A MARTÍNEZ, BYLINE: I know a lot of us like to watch football on Thanksgiving, but what about if that is not for you? Well, if you're a movie lover and looking for something holiday-related, we've got some suggestions for you from Brande Victorian. She recently wrote a piece for The Hollywood Reporter entitled "36 Thanksgiving Movies To Feast On This Season." Hello, Brande. I didn't know there were 36 Thanksgiving movies to start off with.
BRANDE VICTORIAN: (Laughter) It was quite a big search - I have to tell you that - to find them.
MARTÍNEZ: Since Thanksgiving is one of those days when lots of families will be coming together, what are some of your favorites for family viewing of all ages?
VICTORIAN: I think we have to start with "Miracle On 34th Street," which I know is all about Santa. But it starts on Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, which is the biggest celebration of the holiday. And I think it's also a beautiful way to usher in Christmas. This is multigenerational, so I - that's at the top of my list.
(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET")
NATALIE WOOD: (As Susan Walker) Your beard doesn't have one of those things that goes over your ears.
EDMUND GWENN: (As Kris Kringle) Well, that's because it's real, just like I'm really Santa Claus.
VICTORIAN: Another one for me is "What's Cooking?" This is 2000, but I think it's just such a great story. There's these four different families who come together - a Vietnamese family, a Latino family, Jewish, African American. And they share a Thanksgiving meal, each one having their own unique take on those classic Thanksgiving dishes. But we know this holiday is all about food. It's all about family. It's all about sharing. And so I think this is a great one.
MARTÍNEZ: All right. You've also got some animated films on your list - "Free Birds" and "Garfield's Thanksgiving." So tell us about those two.
VICTORIAN: Yes, yes. "Free Birds" - just a hilarious duo - Woody Harrelson, Owen Wilson - voicing these two turkeys. And essentially, they go back to the very first Thanksgiving and try to change the course of history so that they don't get eaten on Thanksgiving Day.
(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "FREE BIRDS")
OWEN WILSON: (As Reggie) OK, what's inside this - ooh - secret base anyway?
WOODY HARRELSON: (As Jake) A time machine.
WILSON: (As Reggie) A time machine?
HARRELSON: (As Jake) A time machine.
VICTORIAN: So that's a very cute, funny film. And as you mentioned Garfield - I mean, this is going back to the classic comic strip we all know, so very nostalgic. And also, I have to throw in "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving" - it's all in the name there with the title - from 1973.
MARTÍNEZ: Now, the movies you've mentioned have that direct link to Thanksgiving that we can kind of feel and see and hear.
VICTORIAN: Yes.
MARTÍNEZ: What about other nontraditional movies on your list that might nod to the holiday in some way?
VICTORIAN: Yeah. I'm going to start with "Rocky," since you mentioned about sports. I mean, this at least gets us into sports in some way. And this film gave us that classic line - to you, it's Thanksgiving; to me, it's Thursday. So I think that's one we can add. A personal favorite of mine is "Addams Family Values." I might still have a little Halloween in me. But in this one, we see Wednesday and Pugsley off at Camp Chippewa. And they enact this play of the first Thanksgiving, which is sort of fun.
(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "ADDAMS FAMILY VALUES")
CHRISTINA RICCI: (As Wednesday Addams) The gods of my tribe have spoken. They have said, do not trust the pilgrims, especially Sarah Miller.
MERCEDES MCNAB: (As Amanda Buckman) Gary, she's changing the words.
VICTORIAN: Also, I'm going to throw in "You've Got Mail," "Funny People," "Instant Family." All of these movies have just fantastic Thanksgiving scenes.
MARTÍNEZ: Yeah, "Sleepless In Seattle" gets all the pub for being a Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan movie, but "You've Got Mail" is right up there for me. In fact, for me...
VICTORIAN: Absolutely.
MARTÍNEZ: ...It even surpasses it. Yeah.
VICTORIAN: Yes.
MARTÍNEZ: Yeah.
VICTORIAN: (Laughter).
MARTÍNEZ: And I guess for a lot of these movies on your list, I mean, if someone wanted to, they could just, like, start them in the morning and have them on a loop all throughout the day as kind of almost, like, background holiday music in a way, except in movie form.
VICTORIAN: Exactly. A hundred percent.
MARTÍNEZ: All right. That's journalist Brande Victorian. Her work appears in The Hollywood Reporter. Brande, thank you.
VICTORIAN: Thank you so much for having me.
(SOUNDBITE OF VINCE GUARALDI TRIO'S "THANKSGIVING THEME") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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