5 to find: Thanksgiving movie marathon
BY JAMES D. WATTS JR. World Scene Writer
Thursday, November 22, 2012
11/22/12 at 5:15 AM
Thanksgiving is a holiday constructed around - come on, now, we can't deny it - food.
So when it came time to figure out what five things we at the Tulsa World Scene department would send our loyal readers out to find on this particular weekend, the idea of crafting a Thanksgiving-day video marathon that would mimic the courses of a traditional Thanksgiving dinner - all without including any films about food itself - seems to be a perfectly logical idea.
At least it did at the last staff meeting, and more than a few cans of Red Bull.
Regardless, here's a list of things to watch, divided up by dishes.
The turkey: "Plan 9 From Outer Space." No other film would be appropriate to represent the turkey, as this 1959 cinematic creation from the mind of Ed Wood about grave robbers from outer space is considered one of the most inept movies of all time, according to the book "The Golden Turkey Awards." Impossible to watch without giggling, although some find it impossible to watch, period.
The dressing: "Pret a Porter (Ready to Wear)." Robert Altman's 1994 comedy is set in the world of Parisian fashion, combining haute couture with low-down shenanigans among its international all-star cast that includes Sophia Loren, Julia Roberts, Lauren Bacall, Tim Robbins, Forest Whitaker, Richard E. Grant and Lyle Lovett. Not for the kids.
The side dish: "Bean." In the place of that ubiquitous green bean casserole, we suggest this 1997 romp featuring Rowan Atkinson as the mostly silent, socially inept and disaster-inducing Mr. Bean, in which he tries to pass himself off as - among other things - an expert in art. The film even includes a Thanksgiving sequence, with Bean trying to cook an entire turkey in a microwave.
The dessert: "The Pumpkin Eater." Rather than indulge in something stickily sweet, check out this astringent 1964 British drama with Anne Bancroft as a women struggling to deal with the infidelities of her third husband, a successful screenwriter played by Peter Finch. Bancroft won several international awards and was nominated for an Academy Award for her performance in this film, scripted by Nobel Prize winner Harold Pinter.
And when things go wrong: "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving." No matter how much one plans, no Thanksgiving holiday ever goes quite the way we envision it. So close out the day with this 1973 animated classic, in which Charlie Brown is forced to put together a make-shift feast when friends invite themselves over for the holiday.
Original Print Headline: 5 to Find: Feast on this movie marathon
