Turkey Coma Theater,
Guaranteed to Hit the Spot
Reel Movie Reviews by Donovan Darling Staff Writer
Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)
“I think I have this thing where I need everybody to think I’m the greatest, the quote-unquote Fantastic Mr. Fox.” What to say about a Wes Anderson movie? Well, this might be my favorite. A stop-motion movie which took 5 years to make, based on the book by Roald Dahl and starring handmade animal puppets, it follows the adventures of Mr. Fox, a former master thief turned reporter. Unfortunately, as a reporter and family man with a mortgage, Mr. Fox misses the old days of the chase and begins stealing again while hiding it from his family. Like all Wes’s movies, this has a massive cast of quirky characters played by big-time actors, including George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Willem Dafoe and so many more. And believe it or not, this has a Thanksgiving-scene near the end. While not a blatant Thanksgiving movie, it does indeed embrace the ideas of diversity, chosen family and “us vs. them.” Each character has their own little existential struggle, be it a career, bullying, illness, or love, played against a wide autumnal-colored backdrop of the English countryside in what feels like fall. It’s incredibly written, funny, heartfelt and just a world of its own. Rated PG for action, smoking and slang humor — great for all kids!
Addams Family Values (1993)
“I am a turkey. Eat me!” One of the very few movies that’s deeply critical yet also somehow celebratory of Thanksgiving, Adams Family Values. Indeed, this is a true Thanksgiving movie which celebrates family and embracing our differences, while razzing the holiday’s origins and modern whitewashing in dark comedic fashion. In this unpredictable and brilliant satire, Uncle Fester (Christopher Lloyd) falls in love with a murderous gold digger (Joan Cusack) who quickly turns him against his own family, much to their shock. Simultaneously, the Addams children Wednesday (Christina Ricci) and Pugsley (Jimmy Workman) go to summer camp, which turns out to be a wacky microcosm of cultural problems — racism, conformity and censorship. This classic “us vs. them” movie is ridiculous, funny, dark and a surprisingly heartwarming look at a family’s idiosyncrasies. Starring the above, plus Anjelica Huston and Raúl Juliá as Morticia and Gomez Addams. Rated PG-13 for violence and mature themes — good for older kids.
Dutch (1991)
“Nothing burps better than bacon.” Love him or hate him, Ed O’Neill is quintessential ’90s, made famous by playing Al Bundy on the Fox TV show “Married With Children.” Here he plays a similar character, Dutch Dooley, a gruff but lovable blue collar American. While obnoxious, he’s also hilarious and wise like the old-fashioned TV dads. In this road comedy-drama directed by John Hughes, Dutch is dating a divorcée named Natalie (JoBeth Williams) and he offers to drive her snobby 13-year-old son, Doyle (Ethan Randall) from his Atlanta private school to Chicago for Thanksgiving. Doyle blames his mother for the divorce and expectedly hates Dutch, especially his blue collar roots. In this classic odd-couple dynamic, the road trip is filled with constant arguments, situational comedy and eventually, love. Rated PG-13 for mature themes, language and violence — older teens and adults only.
