It's a great Thanksgiving movie. A big part is the heart of the story. Loving one another. That certainly lines up with Thanksgiving.
So many stories, so little time.

I think this movie is definitely a Thanksgiving movie as far as its themes about family and friendship are concerned. Family and friends are two things we all should be thankful for.
You've seen Guy Standeven in something because the man was in everything.

I definitely think of it as a Thanksgiving movie. To me, "Pieces of April," while pretty good, is too serious to be fun. And "Home for the Holidays" was so forgettable that I only saw it once when it first came to cable. I don't even know if I finished the whole thing.
"'Extremely High Voltage.' Well, I don't need safety gloves, because I'm Homer Simp-m-m-mm-m-m-mm-m" - Frank Grimes

I say its a Thanksgiving movie in much the same way Die Hard is considered a Christmas movie. Thanksgiving is more of a backdrop to the plot than the actual focus.
But P,T,andA does focus on the spirit and theme of Thanksgiviing. With the relationship of Del and Neal.

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The best test for a situation like this is to make a list of what it would take to turn this into a non-Thanksgiving movie. For PT&A, the only thing they would have to do is change a few short lines of dialogue where he mentioned coming home for Thanksgiving.
If it would requiring large changes to characters or events in the plot, you could argue that this is a Thanksgiving movie, but thats not the situation here.
Im still gonna keep watching it every Thanksgiving through. Its an awesome movie and its a good time of the year to watch it.

Thank you KingCobra686, glad you took the time to type out a well thought out intelligent reply unlike some other people on here.
But yeah thats pretty much what i was saying, as you said they could easily have changed it to him trying to get home for a wedding, or a birthday and it wouldn't have changed the movie one bit hardly. Thanksgiving as you said wasn't a big focal point throughout the movie, it was likely just added to the plot on a whim, like "well we need him to be trying to get home for some occasion or holiday hmmmm how about Thanksgiving? Ok sounds good".
But for those who watch it for Thanksgiving and do think of it as one thats fine, i'm not saying anyone that thinks of it that way are wrong, just merely giving my opinion on it. Also i thought it would be an interesting topic for debate since no one has really brought this up before.
As i said for me though i need more than "I gotta get home for thanksgiving" to really think of it as a thanksgiving movie. And when i see this movie listed as like number 1 for thanksgiving movies to watch, i just think of those other movies i listed and how they don't get hardly any recognition for being about thanksgiving but this one does and it hardly involves anything with thanksgiving.
Thats what i love about these high school girls, i get older they stay the same age.

The only real Thanksgiving elements are that he is trying to get home for a Thanksgiving dinner, and the random themes about being home for the holidays and being with family.
They could have easily made the plot about him trying to get home for his kids birthday or something else random and they would have barely had to change anything. Its not a movie that involves Thanksgiving as a critical element.
That said, there arent many other options out there for good movies to watch on Thanksgiving, so this is about as good as we have right now. Its a good comedy to have playing during Thanksgiving in the background, its enjoyable to watch, and the elements in the movie work well with Thanksgiving.

No, you were talking to anyone that would listen. That's probably a very big problem in your personal life
Maybe you missed the part where the guy was being a dick to me for no reason, so i think its fair i return the favor to him. Don't know why you're coming to the defense of some a$$hole who came in here only to act like a dick and not reply with a thought out reply debating the topic.
To nitpick a notion that this isn't a Thanksgiving movie is the most absurd post I've ever seen.
If you think me saying i don't consider this a thanksgiving movie is the most absurd post you've ever seen then you probably just signed up on IMDB today.
It's a beep great movie. It doesn't have enough turkey in it for you. We get it but no one cares. Really, we don't.
where in my post did i ever say this wasn't a great movie? Huh? Infact i clearly said i love the movie, also don't try and act as you speak for everyone on this board, you don't represent anyone on here other than yourself.
Thats what i love about these high school girls, i get older they stay the same age.

No, you were talking to anyone that would listen. That's probably a very big problem in your personal life. To nitpick a notion that this isn't a Thanksgiving movie is the most absurd post I've ever seen. It's a beep great movie. It doesn't have enough turkey in it for you. We get it but no one cares. Really, we don't.

No smart ass you wanna fvck off? cause i wasn't talking to you.
Thats what i love about these high school girls, i get older they stay the same age.

well good for you, you want cookie

I know i just meant in Thanksgiving movies i like to see the meal being cooked, going to the store, old relatives coming in. I know the goal of the movie is him getting home for the meal but i dunno, i guess it just doesn't put me in the spirit of Thanksgiving cause you don't see much of the food or most of the stuff you deal with on Thanksgiving.
Thats what i love about Pieces of April, you see Katie Holmes going and desperately trying to get a thanksgiving meal made in her tiny apartment. You see her dropping the turkey, rushing to get all the stuff she needs, while her family is on their way to eat there. You just relate to her so much and its a very realistic take on a young girl trying to get a thanksgiving meal made in time for her family.
I just meant Planes Trains and Automobiles doesn't involve much thanksgiving antics. You don't see anyone going to the store, making a turkey, you don't see a bunch of family members coming in to eat. The entire movie is Steve Martin having to put up with an annoying shower rings salesmen from town to town, and in the final 20 seconds of the movie you see a thanksgiving meal on a table.
I know the plot is him getting home for thanksgiving but i need more than that to see it as Thanksgiving movie.
Thats what i love about these high school girls, i get older they stay the same age.

The entire trip focuses on a Thanksgiving meal, but I somewhat see your point
I think it's also a case of there not being many good Thanksgiving movies.