Thanksgiving: A Few Movie Essentials

Adam Pally, Rachel Bloom and Vincent Kartheiser in MOST LIKELY TO MURDER. Photo Credit: Lionsgate

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles is a Thanksgiving staple but a few other films deserve to be included when it comes to Thanksgiving viewing.

Moviegoers got lucky in 2018 because not one but two Thanksgiving options were released: Most Likely To Murder and Lez Bomb.  The two films may be comedies but they couldn’t be more different.  However, what is important is that both films take place during Thanksgiving weekend.

In Most Likely To Murder, concierge Billy Green (Adam Pally) comes home to Valley Stream for the holiday.  He exaggerates about what he’s doing in Las Vegas while still living in the past.  Unfortunately for Billy, former girlfriend Kara Dublowski (Rachel Bloom) is in a relationship with Lowell Shapiro (Vincent Kartheiser).  Lowell also works as a pharmacist in the town.

Dan Gregor, who co-wrote the script with Doug Mand, directs the film.  When one thinks of films being a family affair, this is certainly one of those films.  You can get a sense of the chemistry between the actors by watching the film.  Even though the film is a comedy, it enters Hitchcockian territory once the film makes the jump to noir.

Caitlin Mehner and Jenna Laurenzo in Lez Bomb.
Caitlin Mehner and Jenna Laurenzo in Lez Bomb. Courtesy of Gravitas Ventures.

As for Lez Bomb, the film is written and directed by Jenna Laurenzo.  It’s the dysfunctional LGBTQ holiday comedy we need.

As several generations come together for Thanksgiving in Ramsey, New Jersey, Lauren Anderson (Jenna Laurenzo) has some very important news.  She’s choosing this most stressful of holidays to tell her parents–Rose (Deirdre O’Connell) and George (Kevin Pollak)–that she’s a lesbian.  Outside of Lauren’s relationship with girlfriend Hailey (Caitlin Mehner), the relationship with her mom is the most important.  If you can’t be honest with your own mother, who then can you be honest with?

Danielle Solzman

Danielle Solzman is native of Louisville, KY, and holds a BA in Public Relations from Northern Kentucky University and a MA in Media Communications from Webster University. She roots for her beloved Kentucky Wildcats, St. Louis Cardinals, Indianapolis Colts, and Boston Celtics. Living less than a mile away from Wrigley Field in Chicago, she is an active reader (sports/entertainment/history/biographies/select fiction) and involved with the Chicago improv scene. She also sees many movies and reviews them. She has previously written for Redbird Rants, Wildcat Blue Nation, and Hidden Remote/Flicksided. From April 2016 through May 2017, her film reviews can be found on Creators.