![Quantcast](http://pixel.quantserve.com/pixel/p-GS-HF4BKvzCmv.gif)
![Thanksgiving-movie-marathon-family](https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy81MDUxOTgyNC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTc4Mzg0OTYyOH0.d43Qjq-DLInaGxg-p7jpSnkUsbmxMs4NptXvev1YFyI/img.jpg?width=1200&height=600&quality=90&coordinates=0%2C235%2C0%2C119)
A Movie Buff's Guide To The Ultimate Thanksgiving Movie Marathon
Thanksgiving is the ideal occasion to unwind, indulge, and enjoy movies with loved ones. Therefore, for your inevitable movie marathon, we have curated a selection of comedies, dramas, and thrillers to keep you and your family entertained. With so many fantastic Thanksgiving films to pick from, the ones on this list are guaranteed to bring you joy and tears through empathy and compassion. These films will serve as a mirror to your daily life and lighten the mood of the holidays, whether they bring back memories of your own family, your in-laws, or your friends.
Thanksgiving Movies To Watch That Focus on Family & Chosen Family Dynamics
The top 15 movies that you should watch this holiday season are listed in no particular order. Though they don't all revolve around Thanksgiving as a theme, they do involve family and chosen family. Some of them will make you think of the dysfunctional family you may be trying to avoid (The Temptations and Soul Food), the political arguments that everyone can't help but talk about (The Oath and Remember the Titans), or the chaos that has been created in your chosen family (Dreamgirlsand Friendsgiving). Whichever movie you choose, you'll be able to appreciate the various families that are reflected throughout the list.
Soul Food (1997)
What a crazy, dysfunctional family the Josephs are. From the opening scene to the rolling credits of the movie Soul Food, this family screams "red flag" brightly and boldly during the holidays. Yet, we can't help but watch their madness. Every Sunday, the family gathers for dinner adorned with soul food and inevitable family antics. However, the Joseph family experiences turmoil when "Big Mama" Joseph (Irma P. Hall), the family's matriarch, goes into a coma following a diabetic episode and limb amputation procedure.
From there, Ahmad (Brandon Hammond) observes his mother, Maxine (Vivica A. Fox), aunts Teri (Vanessa Williams) and Bird (Nia Long), and other family members as they attempt to keep up with the long-standing custom of Sunday dinners while falling back on old grudges, family rivalries, and a possible life without "Big Mama."
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967)
I'll give you one guess, but it's not Morgan Freeman, I promise. In a way, the 1967 romantic comedy Guess Who's Coming to Dinner was both ahead of its time and right on time. The renowned Sidney Poitier and Katharine Houghton portray an interracial couple who want to be married far too soon in this once-controversial romantic comedy classic. Joey Drayton brings her fiancé, the exceptionally talented Dr. John Prentice, back to her parents' house following a Hawaiian vacation. However, the sole issue is that Joey is white, and John is Black.
Their parents are taken aback to learn that their children plan to marry someone of a different race when they get to dinner. Consequently, the families discuss the challenges surrounding their son and daughter's nuptials and how they can possibly disband it.
The Wiz (1978)
Diana Ross. Michael Jackson. Mabel King. Richard Pryor. Nipsey Russell. Lena Horne. Ted Ross. All in one musical. That’s it. That’s the selling point. Those names alone should be a good enough reason for you to ease on down that yellow brick road. You’re welcome.
The Oath (2018)
The Oath captures just how frustrating it is to realize that you and your family have become so distant since your previous visit, just as you are going home for the holidays. And your family just won't stop talking about politics, even if there's an unwritten taboo about it. Your elderly uncle is bringing up something offensive with pride. The things your grandma is saying are inappropriate or no longer relevant in your culture. Your mom and dad are always discussing the wrong side of politics. Furthermore, your aunt won't stop talking about the candidates she supported and how America is rapidly going to hell in a handbasket. It's a mess. A hot mess, and it doesn't appear to be getting easier anytime soon.
This film depicts what happens when a family is so devoted to the past that they allow it to ruin the present. Chris and Kai (Tiffany Haddish) promise in the oath not to swear allegiance to the U.S. in exchange for tax breaks. Black Friday is the deadline, and it's a politically fraught Chris who pours over the news of The Oath while concentrating on getting through the holiday with his family. Nevertheless, when the police arrive the day after Thanksgiving, the family finds that they have to make a decision on how to keep their family safe and avoid going to jail.
Black Nativity (2013)
Although this is a Christmas movie, as you and I both know, very few people have watched it, and it hasn't even been a part of our holiday traditions. This movie is the awkward in-between, much like Thanksgiving, unlike Home Alone or This Christmas. But it doesn't mean it's not entertaining to watch. Black Nativity, which stars Jennifer Hudson, Angela Bassett, and Forest Whitaker among its star-studded ensemble, centers on Langston, a teenage boy from Baltimore raised by a single mother, as he visits New York City to celebrate Christmas with his estranged cousins, the Rev. Cornell Cobbs and his wife Aretha.
Langston quickly discovers, although, that Cobbs has severe guidelines, and he refuses to abide by them. Rather, he embarks on a voyage of return to his mother, discovering the significance of religion, healing, and family in the process.
The Temptations (1998)
Say it with me: "Ain't nobody coming to see you, Otis." And in a way, he is right, we’re all here for The Temptations. Even though it's dreadful, the tale of the original The Temptations is worth knowing, especially if you're with family. Why? Well, because The Temptations were a family unto itself and, prior to their notoriety, a fraternity that encouraged one another to pursue their own goals. They were the band that was Motown's greatest success story; they went on to become platinum-selling vocalists and had the whole world in the palm of their hands. However, a cocktail of conceit, cocaine addiction, and strained relationships ultimately brought them to an end.
With this four-hour miniseries, it’s easy for families to understand what happens when they stop considering one another and begin living selfishly for themselves.
Four Brothers (2005)
To put it plainly, this film shouldn't work. The casting director chose two musicians (Tyrese Gibson and André 3000), an actor who was not well known (Garrett Hedlund), and Marky Mark, who was a combination of the two but on the well-known side of things. With a cast like that, Four Brothers just shouldn't work, but strangely enough, it does. This film is all you could ask for in a Thanksgiving movie since it depicts the lengths individuals can go to in order to show an unconditional act of love. These foster brothers come home to seek justice—pardon, retribution—for their mother's murder after learning of her death. Local police are pursuing them throughout this time as they are aware that they are going home for more than just a funeral.
Is this the best film you have ever watched? Not at all? However, it's amusing, and you will be pleased to watch people relate to each other so well, even if they have to commit several crimes to do so.
Black Friday (2021)
Black Friday is, in my opinion, the Seinfeldof films. The film is enjoyable even though it doesn't really have a purpose—everything simply happens as they go about their ordinary lives. In the film Black Friday, the action takes place on Thanksgiving night, when irate workers at toy stores reluctantly show up for work in order to open the store at midnight on the largest shopping day of the year. The narrative abruptly changes course as a meteor carrying an extraterrestrial parasite hits Earth.
This gang of outcasts, led by longstanding employee Ken and store manager Jonathan, eventually find themselves in conflict with throngs of Black Friday consumers who have been transformed into hideous beasts determined to go on a deadly spree.
Knives Out (2019)
It is easy to gripe about family members around the holidays and even threaten to murder them if they have irritated you too much. However, it is rarely carried out or genuinely intended. In Knives Out, this is a different story. In this film, the very problematic Thrombey family comes under suspicion when it is discovered that crime author and family member Harlan Thrombey's death was caused by unexplained circumstances. To find the truth, renowned detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) must sort through a maze of falsehoods and red herrings in this dark comedy starring an ensemble cast that includes Ana de Armas, LaKeith Stanfield, Don Johnson, Jaime Lee Curtis, Chris Evans and more.
Finding the ideal harmony between dark comedy, drama, and humor, this movie is an excellent choice for a family viewing experience.
Friendsgiving (2020)
Friendsgiving: I'm not sure who came up with the phrase, but my entire soul yearns to give Leslie Knope, the legendary character from Parks and Rec, all the credit. Leslie emphasizes the value and beauty of friendships in her Friendsgivings, demonstrating how the holiday is an excellent alternative to the custom of spending the day with close and extended family, which is sometimes draining and toxic. However, in spite of its lovely idea, this Friendsgiving is not that.
Friendsgiving, also called Dinner With Friends, demonstrates how sometimes the family we choose may be just as offensive as the family we were born into. Molly and Abbey (Malin Åkerman and Kat Dennings), together with their group of close friends, throw a dysfunctional and chaotic Thanksgiving meal in this comedy from 2020. Demonstrating how even the family we choose may occasionally be questionable and blatantly obnoxious.
Chicken Run (2000)
Unexpectedly, this film still holds up. I recall thinking this movie was the oddest thing I had ever seen or experienced when I watched it for the first time as a child. The jokes were beyond me. I was unaware that it made a communist allusion and missed all the innuendos. Thus, the sheer brilliance of this film delighted me greatly when I saw it as an adult. The narrative of Chicken Run centers on a group of hens destined for a life of egg-laying on a Yorkshire farm. The hens believe a flashy American rooster is capable of showing them how to fly to freedom.
August Osage County (2013)
What a disaster this family is.
There is a cruel mom who is hooked on prescription drugs. A daughter who is addicted to being anywhere else. The lovebird cousins. A father who has suddenly vanished and a strained couple who no longer understand one another. This movie is exactly how I see a horrible Thanksgiving going. A toxic, codependent, manipulative family forced to survive time together without murdering one another. In the beginning, you sympathize with the characters, but around halfway through, you start to think that maybe they deserve each other. It's a comedy about tragedy and how terrible it can get. That being said, this is advantageous for those who become irritated with their own families quickly during holidays. After all, you will have a greater appreciation for your family after witnessing the devastation that this one brings to one another.
Remember the Titans (2000)
Na na na na na na na na hey, hey, hey, goodbye...
I can't exactly say what it is about Remember the Titans that makes it so special. It could be the brotherhood Gerry and Julius have for one another. It could be the fierceness and compassion Denzel Washington brings to Coach Boone. It could be the hilarity brought by singing "Sunshine" in a high-pitched voice. It could be the genuine smiles created from hearing "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" being sung by big football players. It could even be that it is based on a true story.
Whatever the case may be, this film is unique and ideal for the Thanksgiving holiday because it exemplifies the beauty that arises from putting aside differences and embracing your chosen family. This film explores the importance of human connection. A breath of fresh air, this masterpiece shows individuals truly choosing to love one another unconditionally, in spite of their differences and upbringings.
Left side. Strong side.
Dreamgirls (2006)
I was forced to listen to the school choir sing several arrangements of "Family" from this musical during my whole time in high school. They played it at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and any other occasion when they needed to jog our memories that we were a family and not just a group of people compelled to know one another by virtue of our shared school zone and residential communities. And although that was a nice message to deliver, I think they completely misunderstood it. It was comical how the group first used this song to manipulate listeners by singing about being a family before betraying their, let's face it, somewhat conceited and demanding friend.
This musical is ideal for the occasion since it depicts the dysfunction that our chosen families may also create in us, particularly if we are unable to learn how to properly connect with one another. This family is turbulent and frequently causes harm to one another for sport, but in the end, they demonstrate how, with time and when we put our egos aside and realize that we are family, we can find our way back to one another and support one another no matter what. Plus, who wouldn't want to hear Jennifer Hudson and Beyoncé give performances of a lifetime?
Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)
Fantastic Mr. Fox is a superbly written and beautifully animated movie that addresses the issue of greed. Following twelve years of idyllic bliss, Mr. Fox betrays his wife by raiding the fields owned by Boggis, Bunce, and Bean, their human neighbors. His marriage, his family's life, and the lives of his animal companions are all at risk when he gives in to his primal cravings. Mr. Fox must use his innate cunning abilities to overcome the farmers attempting to drive him and his group deep below.
This movie is ideal for the occasion since it emphasizes the importance of contentment and gratitude for what you already have rather than always yearning for more. This film ultimately demonstrates that you will never be content if your wants exceed what you now have.
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for daily love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Featured image by DjelicS/Getty Images
Taysha Robinson is a writer and high school English teacher, based in metro-Atlanta. A self described philomath, you can find her reading books and articles of every genre, attending educational conferences, and hiking wherever the terrain will allow.
This Black Woman-Owned Creative Agency Shows Us The Art Of Rebranding
Rebranding is an intricate process and very important to the success of businesses that want to change. However, before a business owner makes this decision, they should determine whether it's a rebrand or an evolution.
That's where people like Lola Adewuya come in. Lola is the founder and CEO of The Brand Doula, a brand development studio with a multidisciplinary approach to branding, social media, marketing, and design.
While an evolution is a natural progression that happens as businesses grow, a rebrand is a total change. Lola tells xoNecole, "A total rebrand is necessary when a business’s current reputation/what it’s known for is at odds with the business’s vision or direction.
"For example, if you’ve fundamentally changed what your product is and does, it’s likely that your brand is out of alignment with the business. Or, if you find your company is developing a reputation that doesn’t serve it, it might be time to pump the brakes and figure out what needs to change.
She continues, "Sometimes you’ll see companies (especially startups) announce a name change that comes with updated messaging, visuals, etc. That usually means their vision has changed or expanded, and their previous branding was too narrow/couldn’t encompass everything they planned to do."
Feature image courtesy
The Brand Doula was born in 2019, and its focus is on putting "the experiences, goals, and needs of women of color founders first," as well as brands with "culture-shifting missions."
According to Lola, culture-shifting is "the act of influencing dominant behavior, beliefs, or experiences in a community or group (ideally, for the better)."
"At The Brand Doula, we work with companies and leaders that set out to challenge the status quo in their industries and communities. They’re here to make an impact that sends ripples across the market," she says.
"We help the problem solvers of the world — the ones who aren't satisfied with 'this is how it's always been' and instead ask 'how could this be better?' Our clients build for impact, reimagining tools, systems, and ways of living to move cultures forward."
The Brand Doula has worked with many brands, including Too Collective, to assist with their collaboration with Selena Gomez's Rare Beauty and Balanced Black Girl for a "refresh," aka rebrand. For businesses looking to rebrand, Lola shares four essential steps.
1. Do an audit of your current brand experience — what’s still relevant and what needs to change? Reflect on why you’re doing the rebrand in the first place and what success would look like after relaunching.
2. Tackle the overall strategy first — before you start redesigning logos and websites, align on a new vision for your brand. How do you want your company to be positioned moving forward? Has your audience changed at all? Will your company have a fresh personality and voice?
3. Bring your audience along the journey — there’s no need to move in secret. Inviting your current audience into the journey can actually help them feel more connected to and invested in your story, enough to stick around as changes are being made.
4. Keep business moving — one of my biggest pet peeves is when companies take down their websites as soon as they have the idea to rebrand, then have a Coming Soon page up for months! You lose a lot of momentum and interest by doing that. If you’re still in business and generating income, continue to operate while you work on your rebrand behind the scenes. You don’t want to cut existing customers off out of the blue, and you also don’t want so much downtime that folks forget your business exists or start looking for other solutions.
While determining whether the rebrand was successful may take a few months, Lola says a clear sign that it is unsuccessful is negative feedback from your target audience. "Customers are typically more vocal about what they don’t like more than what they do like," she says.
But some good signs to look out for are improvements in engagement with your marketing, positive reviews, press and increase in retention, and overall feeling aligned with the new branding.
For more information about Lola and The Brand Doula, visit her website, thebranddoula.com.
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Feature image courtesy
Earlier this year, while having a conversation with a couple of women about, well, a lot of things, when it came to the topic of traditionalism in relationships, one of them said, “I hate submission in all forms” to which I replied, “Unless a man does what you say, right?” to which she paused — and then shrugged and laughed.
It’s what I said next that tripped her right on out, though: “I guess that means that you hate the missionary position too because, I mean, lying on your back and opening up your legs in order for a man to enter inside of you? Not sure it gets much more vulnerable than that.” Her response? “Well damn. Touché.”
Ain’t it though? And here’s the thing, if you’ve ever wondered what the origin story of the classic missionary position is, according to some long-standing lore, it’s not too far off from what I said. That’s why, if you keep reading, I’ll attempt to fully explain what I mean when I say that, along with why, no matter what you think about where the name of the position actually came from, the missionary continues to be a supreme sexual go-to…for oh so many super valid different reasons.
If the Position Sounds Like What You Think, There’s a Reason for That
Back when I toured with an organization that got people out of porn and sex addiction, they put out a documentary about them called Missionary Position. Because it was a Christian-based group, it was definitely meant to be a pun.
I say this because, according to urban legend, the missionary position came from Christian missionaries who believed that getting into that position was the “proper” way to have sex. Is there Scripture to support this? No.
At the same time, though, because there are Scriptures that speak to sex being designed for marriage (I Corinthians 6) and husbands needing to lead their wives as their wife submits to her husband (Colossians 3:18, Ephesians 5:22, Titus 2:5) — many conservative biblical thinkers believe that the position complements, if not straight-up amplifies, all of this.
Personally, while none of what I just shared sounds totally outlandish, I must admit that I definitely would like to see a chapter and verse that confirms any of this (as far as the missionary position goes) to be true. I tend to check out Scripture a lot and…I haven’t seen it yet. Just sayin’.
Then There’s Another Theory…
Okay, but what about the people who don’t have Christian and/or conservative sexual views? Many of them also partake of the good ole’ fashioned missionary position, so…where do they think that the term comes from? Good question. From what I’ve read and researched, outside of a Scriptural realm, many consider missionary to be a type of “vanilla sex.” I evenread one article that said it’s for couples who are either so in love that they want to look at each other in the eyes all of the time (yeah, bookmark that) or are too lazy to try anything else (hmm…).
On a more scientific tip, theKinsey Institute has its own perspective. Although Alfred (Kinsey) did acknowledge that the tale of Indigenous people learning about the missionary position came from actual missionaries, once the sexual revolution began to pick up steam, many found the story to be ludicrous at best. Not only that but another semi-popular spin is that the Indigenous people of a certain time were not learning about sex from white missionaries via the missionary position; by using the term, they were actually mocking them for thinking that was the best way to have sex.
Some even "despise[d] the European position and consider[ed] it unpractical and improper." Some natives also believed that anyone who felt like sex should be that way, actually didn’t know how to have “effective intercourse.”
Listen, I’ll say this: whether you believe that the missionary position actually came from missionaries or that the term was an inside joke amongst the individuals who the missionaries called themselves trying to minister to — I think that if there are two things that we all can agree on, it’s that 1) the missionary position is definitely an all-time classic and 2) it’s not going anywhere any time soon.
And honestly, since one definition of a missionary is simply “someone who is on a mission”…no matter which theory floats your boat, what possibly could be wrong with that? Besides, I’ve got some pretty solid reasons for why the missionary position deserves its flowers…regardless.
5 Solid Reasons Why the Missionary Position Reigns Supreme. STILL.
Again, whether you like the name or not — shoot, whether it’s your immediate go-to position or not, take a moment to read why you definitely shouldn’t rule the missionary position out or simply chalk it up to some…vanilla sex (geeze).
1. Yes, eye contact is important. Positions that don’t call for eye contact have their benefits (doggy style comes to mind). However, don’t sleep on the fact that eye contact helps you to deeply connect with your partner, puts you in a better mood, increases arousal, and helps you to trust your partner more. If you take all of this into account, if you want to experience a deeply passionate sexual experience, why wouldn’t you choose a sexual position that has eye contact involved?
2. You can get maximum skin contact. When two people are fully naked and engaged in sexual activity, yes, they are going to experience plenty of skin-to-skin contact. That said, when someone is literally lying on top of someone else, it doesn’t physically get much closer than that —and the more that happens, the safer and less stressed you feel. Plus, that makes it easier for your oxytocin levels to surge which causes you to bond with your partner all the more.
3. It hits all spots. This point, I mean quite literally (andy’all can argue with science if you disagree). When it comes to making it easier to stimulate a woman’s clitoris and hit her G-spot which increases her chances of climaxing, the missionary position earns first place (especially if you have a pillow underneath your butt). Although the positioning itself plays a huge role, I’d venture to say that the other stuff that we already touched on helps with this too. Anyway, how cana position that gives more orgasms than other ones be considered “boring”? How indeed, y’all?
4. The variations are virtually endless. I think something that should go on record — not just when it comes to the missionary position but all sexual ones — is there are tweaks and “upgrades” that you can give to them all. For instance, shout out to Men’s Health for their article, “18 Missionary Sex Positions That Put a Fun Spin on the Classic Move.” It contains illustrations ‘n all of some real winners. Take a look. Prove me wrong.
5. C’mon, it’s comfortable. Uh-huh. Whoever the hater was who said that only lazy people engage in missionary sex, I’m going to swap out “lazy” for comfortable. When you’re tired or parts of your body are sore or not as flexible as you would like, the missionary position can definitely get you what you need without you having to stress yourself out in the process. To me, that doesn’t seem lazy so much as smart.
___
Personally, I found the potential origin stories of the missionary position to be interesting. At the same time, it didn’t really influence me one way or another. At the end of the day, I’m always gonna be a fan of it. I mean, after all I just said, it would be silly (and counterproductive) not to be.
So-called vanilla sex or not, chile.
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Featured image by Giphy