The SciFi Thanksgiving Holiday Special You’ve Been Missing

Every December, and even a little bit before, the world is awash in Yuletide cheer. Every store is decorated whether it’s brick-and-mortar or an app. Christmas songs. Community events. Your Netflix recommendations overflowing with Christmas movies.

There are like 50 new Christmas movies a year, and it’s been like that for decades.

[ ] Stop.

<| <| Rewind.

But wait, we still haven’t gotten past Thanksgiving yet! (OK, this is a US thing… apologies for everyone to whom that statement doesn’t apply).

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All right. Here we go. Christmas movies… why does Christmas get so many movies? And why doesn’t Thanksgiving really get… well, any?

OK. There aren’t none, but I’ll bet that when you hear the words “Thanksgiving Movie” not a lot comes to mind.

So let’s talk about Free Birds.

It’s a 2013 animated feature starring Owen Wilson and Woody Harrelson as the voices of the main characters. Every year, the president of the USA ceremonially “pardons” a turkey. It’s a fun, silly tradition, highlighting the oft overlooked fact that all Thanksgiving turkeys are convicted federal criminals. But what becomes of said second-chance turkey each year?

Well, at least in one instance, Free Birds posits that he becomes an accidental time traveler and ventures back to a point just before the first Thanksgiving.

Why should you check this one out?

Well, if you’re looking for a fun holiday romp, Thanksgiving doesn’t offer a lot of options (beyond, of course, the classic A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving), and this one works.

But if you’re a sci-fi fan, it’s also a Bootstrap Paradox time travel loop, and holiday movies don’t really have enough of those these days. I won’t spoil the movie any further than that. Go. Watch it. It’s sappy and kid-friendly and … well, what else are you going to watch? Christmas movies already?