The internet is stuffed with Christmas movie lists, but Thanksgiving, already so often overlooked, has very few definitive films. A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving is at the top of any list, and the John Hughes classic Planes, Trains and Automobiles soon comes to mind, but after that, it’s slim pickings, something you never want at Thanksgiving. My criteria are simple: the word Thanksgiving has to be uttered or written on a sign. However, the more Thanksgivingy the movie feels, the better – whether that be due to a pivotal dinner scene, the presence of multiple pilgrims, or the celebration of family and thankfulness. Here’s my list:

1. Planes, Trains & Automobiles
2. A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving
3. Fantastic Mr. Fox
4. Scent of a Woman
5. The Big Chill
6. Home for the Holidays
7. Addams Family Values
8. Rocky 
9. The Ice storm
10. Spider-Man (2002)

Honorable mentions: The Blind Side, You’ve Got Mail, Miracle on 34th Street, Hannah and Her Sisters

Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987) – This Steve Martin/John Candy buddy movie classic is set against the backdrop of Martin struggling to get back to Chicago in time for Thanksgiving dinner with his family. As prolific a writer John Hughes was (53 writing credits), he only directed 8 of his movies. This is one of them. Trust me: it’s worth a rewatch. You know more of the lines than you think. Streaming on Paramount+ (Fall 2024).

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (1973) – This Peanuts tale is not as popular as the 1965 Christmas one, but it still packs an emotional punch. When Charlie Brown is roped into hosting a Thanksgiving dinner he, Linus & Snoopy prepare a meal of toast, popcorn, pretzels, jellybeans, and ice cream sundaes. Peppermint Patty is not impressed. There’s also lots of Snoopy and Woodstock in pilgrim hats. Streaming on Apple+ (Fall 2024).

Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) – Wes Anderson’s beautiful stop-motion film is loaded with big-name voices and based on a story by Roald Dahl. Even viewers that aren’t big Anderson fans can appreciate the craftsmanship, humor and heart of this adventure-comedy. Fantastic Mr. Fox was supposedly the first book Wes Anderson ever owned, bought by his mother whose name was, no kidding, Texas Ann. Streaming on Disney+ (Fall 2024).

Scent of a Woman (1992) – Chris O’Donnell takes a job over Thanksgiving break watching Al Pacino’s blind, cantankerous Lt. Col. Slade and the rest is history. Pacino won an Academy Award for Best Actor and the film gave director Martin Brest carte-blanc in Hollywood. Unfortunately Brest followed it up with Meet Joe Black (1998) and Gigli (2003) and was rarely heard from again. Scent of a Woman, however, packs in a lot of great, memorable scenes, including a very uncomfortable Thanksgiving dinner. Streaming nowhere (!) but available on all streaming rental services. (Fall 2024.)

The Big Chill (1983) – Another classic, this one from Lawrence Kasden of Empire Strikes Back and Indiana Jones fame. This story of angsty boomers hits a little different these days, but it’s got star power and a banger of a soundtrack including tracks by Creedence Clearwater Revival, Marvin Gaye, and the Stones. The movie doesn’t take place on Thanksgiving weekend, per se, but you’d be forgiven for thinking so and there is a memorable Thanksgiving flashback along with many touching and uncomfortable “family” moments. Streaming on Max (Fall 2024).

Home for the Holidays (1995) – The best example of a dysfunctional family visit during Thanksgiving, this Jodie Foster-directed film stars the lovable Holly Hunter as she wrestles with life as a mom and daughter. Streaming on Paramount+ (Fall 2024).

Addam’s Family Values (1993) – This live-action sequel contains the best “traditional Thanksgiving” scene in movie history as Wednesday tells the story of the Indians and Pilgrims as no one else can. Streaming on Paramount+ (Fall 2024).

Rocky (1976) – It’s Rocky. The original. It was an instant cultural phenomenon and is widely regarded as one of the greatest sports films of all time. It also has a great (and pivotal) scene on Thanksgiving. Streaming nowhere (!) but available on all streaming rental services. (Fall 2024.)

The Ice Storm (1997) – Why include this film over some others? Because it’s a great movie with incredible acting and scenes that stay with you. Oddly it stars two actors, Kevin Kline and Christina Ricci, that are in two other films on this list. Streaming nowhere (!) but available on all streaming rental services. (Fall 2024.)

Spider-Man (2002) – What a fun action and origin movie this was when it came out 20 years ago. The cast is spot on and while it’s very much a comic book movie, it still holds up. Toby Mcguire fights the Green Goblin during what is basically the Macy’s parade and then is late to another uncomfortable Thanksgiving dinner. Director Sam Raimi skillfully navigates a heart-wrenching romantic triangle and delivers a powerful closing scene. Streaming on Disney+ (Fall 2024).

What do you think? Did I miss any obvious flicks? Rankings are subjective, but I think we can all agree while there’s not much of a Thanksgiving “season” anymore, it’s still an important, beloved holiday worth celebrating.

The latest and presumably last installment of the Indiana Jones franchise came out this summer. Based on previews and the early press, Dial of Destiny did not seem worthy of $15 and an afternoon at the theater during an otherwise busy summer. Now that I’ve watched the movie via Disney+, that assessment has proven accurate.

The unfortunate reality is that 80-year-old Harrison Ford is a shell of the Indiana Jones we all remember. While Dial of Destiny contains a fun mystery and some entertaining action scenes, it is largely forgettable. Phoebe Waller-Bridge is excellent as Jones’ god-daughter, Helena, but ironically, the energy and vitality she brings to her part only highlights Ford’s own slow and grump-filled performance.

Some of this, of course, is on purpose. Ford wanted to bring closure to his character and this is where he and the screenwriters envisioned Jones by the 1960s: tired, retired, washed up and washing down his contempt for the era with booze. This nicely sets-up the “one last ride” undercurrent of the film, along with a subtle redemption arc and well-earned finale with the love of his life, Marion. Still, I’m confident most Indiana Jones fans were happy remembering the beloved character as he was in the first three films: strong, resourceful, quick-witted and full of hope.

This classic version of Indiana Jones is who we see in the first twenty minutes of the film, as modern CGI is able to de-age Ford during an action-packed flashback. Parts of this sequence are excellent and beautifully executed, tricking viewers’ brains into believing we’re watching new footage of 80s and 90s-era Jones. But then the character speaks in Ford’s gravelly, modern-day voice and the illusion is lost. While many aging actors still possess their iconic voices, Ford does not. Continuing the uneasy effect, many scenes look like a video game cut scenes rather than film. Director James Mangold shrouds the sequences in a vignette, denoting a dream-like quality, but it’s not enough. We know we’re watching a fake, and by the end you wonder how some of the scenes made it into a $300 million movie.

So this is a swan song for Indiana Jones. This installments’ McGuffin, a thousand-year-old dial which tracks rifts in time, coupled with de-aging CGI, would seemingly give the filmmakers license to revisit the previous four films, to fill some gaps in Jones’ checkered past, or to relive old glories. Alas, all of that was too ambitious for this film.

There is no clever time paradox, either. If time-travel is possible, you’d think, so are many ingenious twists and turns. The main villain, Nazi scientist Jürgen Voller, is killed in an overly graphic manner during the film’s opening scenes. His return in the 1960s raises many questions. It turns out, he simply survived. Ho hum. The film’s closing act, when the Dial is finally activated, does contain a modest twist, but for the most part the Dial was truly a McGuffin all along. Its time-tracking abilities and their effects on the plot are minimal.

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is an uneven film filled with many dubious choices by the filmmakers. Perhaps this is to be expected from a movie first hatched by George Lucas in 2008 before being passed along to a litany of writers and directors until its production could wait on Ford no longer. The film had to be made and it was. In this finale, Indiana Jones has his last adventure before settling down in Harlem with Marion and their friends. I suppose it is the ending he deserves, if there had to be one at all.

Andor is the latest Star Wars series. The first three episodes came out this week and the show looks incredible so far. As I understand it, each three-episode arch will get a new director. I’m hoping that’s a good thing. The last two series, Obi-Wan and The Book of Boba Fett were extremely uneven. The Boba Fett series in particular had some great writing and some bad writing, mixed in with uneven acting, directing and tone. Because it was such a missed opportunity, I’ve been thinking about how it could have been better.

The Problems
What were the biggest issues with The Book of Boba Fett? The first is that fans wanted to see Boba Fett kicking butt, but the show is set in the Mandalorian time-period, five years after Return of the Jedi when an older, wiser and sarlaac-pit scarred Boba Fett is attempting to build a crime syndicate. Boba seems ridiculously out-numbered. His crew is in the single-digits until late in the series when he recruits a town of reinforcements. The scale always seems off. Lastly, the look and tone don’t match the plot. Any story about a crime syndicate begs for dark, late-night encounters but this series takes place almost exclusively during the day. Instead of scenes filled with the strain and emotion of hard choices, most scenes play out as ho-hum comic book panels where the characters don’t make things happen, they just bounce to the next page.

Fix Number One: Three Stories
One thing the series does well is to tell two stories: the story of the crime syndicate and the story of Boba Fett’s recovery and rehabilitation among the Tuskan Raiders, which we see in flashbacks when he’s resting in his bacta tank. The Sand People segment is both well-written and touching and shows us the reasons that Boba Fett has become kinder, gentler scum. Or has he?

My fix: weave three stories instead of two. Obviously, you can cut the inexplicable Mando-only episodes out of the middle of the series to save run-time. The third story, which we’d also see in flashbacks while in the bacta tank would be of a bounty hunter mission from Boba’s past. Presumably it’s a mission that goes terribly wrong. He’d display the cunning badass persona he’s famous for, as well as total ruthlessness. This would contrast with the Sand People storyline of redemption. The question going into the final series climax would be this: Can a man like Boba Fett really change or will the pressure of his predicament push him back to his ruthless ways?

Fix Number Two: The Crime Syndicate Story
The “present day” story is a mess. Characters are introduced but never developed and Boba never seems to have an adequate crew or plan. I’d restructure it as a series of problems and solutions. Each time, his reward is more allies. First, he negotiates with the Hutt Twins, then he manages to win over the Trandoshans. The whole time it’s clear his chief rival is Shaiz but we also learn the Pykes are coming. A storm is brewing and he’s out-manned. His next hurdle is winning over the Wookiee bounty hunter Krrsantan. It’s a big win, but when he tries to recruit Cobb Vanth’s town we see that the Pykes have recruited Cad Bane. Checkmate. Only as a showdown becomes inevitable does Boba Fett turn to his ace-in-the-hole, the Mandalorian. There’s a big fight of course, with different factions facing off, but Boba eventually triumphs. Shaiz is defeated and at his mercy. The question is whether Boba will delivery vigilante vengeance or true justice. Has he really changed?

Fix Number Three: Less Phantom Menace, more Rogue One
As I mentioned earlier, the bright, comic book look and tone of this series doesn’t match up with the expectations of a show about an infamous bounty hunter forming a crime syndicate. Read that description again and tell me if you see sunshiny days and smirking faces. With the introduction of the bounty hunter mission storyline, which could take place in dark city streets somewhere, the tone of the series immediately gets better. Add in some Mos Espa night scenes where bad things happen. Throw in a lightning storm. The day scenes work better as slow-burning suspense if we know that each night there will be a reckoning.

Overall, Boba Fett was both fun to watch and full of problems. Star Wars fans can be a tough crowd, but that doesn’t excuse lazy writing and uneven craftmanship. The Book of Boba Fett was a missed opportunity, but based on the first three episodes, Andor looks like a smash hit.

The finale for the History channel’s popular new reality show Alone will air this Thursday, August 20th at 9pm CST. Here’s a recap of the season (major spoilers) and my thoughts on what might happen on the last episode.

Week One
On the very first night, Josh tapped out after being accosted by a family of bears. It was bad luck that he was dropped off near an active bear den, but it also sounded like Josh was done the second he hit the ground. For some guys, the reality of what they agreed to do must have been tremendous.

On the second night, Chris heard a bunch of wolves howling, got scared and quit. Apparently he had a childhood fear of dogs. Chris looked to be out of shape and was uncomfortable in the woods without a firearm. In my opinion, he was not a worthy competitor. Next up was Joe, who lost his firestarter and, realizing he wouldn’t last, decided to go home sooner rather than later. I felt bad for Joe because he was doing well and was very comfortable in the wild. He could have gone far.

The bears ran off Wayne next. Brandt drank salt water and became ill. After a major storm, Dustin decided to call it quits too. None of these three were equipped for the long haul. After one week, only 4 men remained.

The Fantastic Four
The four guys who survived week one were all badasses. Each had the skills and attitude to win it all. Lucas is an amazing guy whose strategy was to keep busy. He built a canoe, a yurt and a ukulele, but seemed to be dealing with personal demons too. His mom told him, “Lucas, please don’t go crazy.” After six weeks Lucas picked up the sat phone and tapped out.

A few days later, Mitch did the same but for a completely different reason. His mom was diagnosed with brain cancer before he left and the more he sat in the woods, the bigger his concern became over missing his mom’s final days. I think Mitch made the right decision to go home in time to see his mother for Christmas.

The way I see it, every man had an internal clock and when the alarm went off, he was ready to go home. It was incredibly challenging to survive on Vancouver Island, but each man had the skills to do so. With the exception of maybe Brandt and Joe, each man left when he simply couldn’t take the isolation and elements any longer.

The Last Episode
It’s interesting that the two goofiest guys are the last ones to leave. They’ve both struggled, but have managed to lighten things up at times and deal with the solitude. I think Alan will win. He’s been eating better than Sam and has set up a more sustainable existence. Sam’s wife has a baby on the way and he’s not been eating well. How long can Sam last?

We don’t know exactly how the show will end. Let’s say Sam taps out. Will Alan be left to stick it out in the Canadian wilderness until he breaks? Will he get a phone call? Because this is television, I think the History channel has something dramatic planned. I envision a helicopter descending upon the winner without warning. We’ll see the raw reaction of the last man standing as he’s told he’s just won the first season of Alone. We’ll all watch as he leaves the wilderness that’s been his home, $500,000 richer and crying with joy.

HBO has remastered The Wire in full-frame 16:9 HD and it will be released December 26th on HBO GO. From the press release:

The entire series has been beautifully re-mastered in 16×9 Full-Frame HD from more than 8,000 reels of original 35mm camera negative, allowing for a tighter fit on widescreen TVs and computer/tablet screens. The original negatives were scanned, edited, dust-busted and color-corrected with great care and attention taken to stay true to the look and feel of the original Standard-Definition 4:3 version.

And fear not, HD snobs, David Simon was involved in the process. He writes long here about the care that was given to scenes that were originally composed for the 4×3 format. Trade-offs were made, sure, but the transfer was not done haphazard.

There were many scenes in which the shot composition is not impaired by the transfer to 16:9, and there are a notable number of scenes that acquire real benefit from playing wide. An example of a scene that benefits would be, say, from the final episode of season two, when an apostolic semicircle of longshoremen forms around the body of Frank Sobotka. Fine as far as it goes, but the dockworkers are all that much more vulnerable, and that much more isolated by the death of their leader when we have the ability to go wider in that rare crane shot.

But there are other scenes, composed for 4:3, that lose some of their purpose and power, to be sure. An early example that caught my eye is a scene from the pilot episode, carefully composed by Bob, in which Wee Bey delivers to D’Angelo a homily on established Barksdale crew tactics. “Don’t talk in the car,” D’Angelo reluctantly offers to Wee Bey, who stands below a neon sign that declares, “burgers” while D’Angelo, less certain in his standing and performance within the gang, stands beneath a neon label of “chicken.”

That shot composition was purposed, and clever, and it works better in the 4:3 version than when the screen is suddenly widened to pick up additional neon to the left of Bey. In such a case, the new aspect ratio’s ability to acquire more of the world actually detracts from the intention of the scene and the composition of the shot. For that reason, we elected in the new version to go tighter on the shot in order to maintain some of the previous composition, albeit while coming closer to our backlit characters than the scene requires. It is, indeed, an arguable trade-off, but one that reveals the cost of taking something made in one construct and recasting it for another format.

On the latest episode of the Incomparable Podcast, a draft was held to build ultimate superhero teams. Not a single person drafted Superman OR Batman! I get that everyone is over Wolverine, but no caped crusader? Was the latest film that off-putting? My ultimate 7-person superhero team would be:

Superman – Every team needs a heavy and the last son of Krypton is the ultimate one.

Batman – Known as the World’s Greatest Detective, he’s also good with gadgets, rich, and has a ready-to-move-in hideout.

Professor X – He also has a great HQ, but it’s his near omnipotent telepathy that we’ll need to save the world.

Forge (X-Men) – I’ve always loved his ability to build really awesome guns to shoot at people. Plus, Cable is too moody.

Hulk – Smash. Hulk smash.

Spiderman – He may not be the most powerful, but he’s smart and will bring some levity to the morning status meetings.

Black Widow – My team needs some feminine charm and who better than a top-secret spy that looks like Scarlett Johanson? TEAM COMPLETE!

The sixth season of Mad Men started last Sunday and for big fans of the show, it was like a big juicy cheeseburger. So good. This Sunday HBO’s Veep, one of the funniest shows on TV, starts its second season. I’m also intrigued by NBC’s Hannibal which started a few weeks ago. A couple shows I need to catch up on are Netflix’s House of Cards and the Sundance Channel’s Top of the Lake starring Elizabeth Moss of Mad Men. Full circle!

Game of Thrones: Season 3

The third season of Game of Thrones premiered Sunday night. The episode, titled Valar Dohaeris, wrapped up a few loose-ends and moved the chess pieces around a bit. It also showed us a darker side of Tywin Lannister. In the most moving scene of the episode, he completely dresses down series favorite and season 2 hero Tyrion Lannister. After neglecting to visit his injured son, Tywin leaves no stone unturned in his insults, and eviscerates any hopes the younger Lannister had of proper inheritance or succession. Later, Rob Stark and company come upon the remnants of Harrenhal, where hundreds (thousands?) of northerners have been massacred at the hands of Lannister’s henchman, the Mountain. The war is turning ugly.

In an equally dark scene, Daenerys Targaryen (the dragon lady) contemplates hiring an army of slave warriors. The seller demonstrates the warriors’ resolve and lack of human emotion by slicing off one of the man’s nipples. Ewww! It looks like she may not need the slave warriors, though, because she meets up with Barristan “The Bold” Selmy aka the oldest badass around. It will be interesting to see what he brings to her side. I suspect he has many old secrets to share.

We also see more of John Snow, who meets the King beyond the Wall and pledges his loyalty. And of course, even way out there they know he is the bastard son of Ned Stark. Poor Johnny can’t ever seem to get out of dad’s shadow. The much anticipated Season 3 premiere re-set the table for another fun season of scheming and plotting. Game of Thrones is on HBO Sunday nights at 8pm CST.

More: GoT producers tell Entertainment Weekly season 3 will be the best yet. Why HBO says record pirating of GoT is a compliment. The Atlantic holds a round table discussion on the season 3 premiere.