Hold the Gravy—Five Big-Screen Turkey Disasters

There's nothing better than a good turkey story, so in honor of Thanksgiving, we've got five of 'em

By Josh Grossberg Nov 23, 2011 6:30 PMTags
Home for the HolidaysParamount Pictures

We all know the holidays are for the birds. Literally.

With Thanksgiving now upon us, E! News has dug up some favorite big-screen turkey disasters to go along with those traditionally hefty servings of stuffing, gravy, squash, cranberry sauce, green beans and all the fixin's.

So let's give thanks for these memorable movie moments:

1. Home for the Holidays: This 1995 comedy, directed by Jodie Foster, contains one of the best Thanksgiving scenes ever put to celluloid as Claire (Holly Hunter) flies home to spend Turkey Day with her parents (Anne Bancroft and Charles Durning), gay brother Tommy (Robert Downey Jr.) and stuffy sister Joanne (Cynthia Stevenson) and her family. Hilarity ensues when Tommy unsuccessfully tries carving the bird and it winds up on Joanne's lap and he calls her "a product of baboon lovin'." Word has it Foster and crew went through 64 turkeys to get this right.

2. The Money Pit: This 1986 flick features Tom Hanks and Shelley Long as a couple who buy a lemon of a house, but after this catastrophe in the kitchen, let's call it a Turkey. While it wasn't received well by critics, The Money Pit does have its moments, like Hanks' signature laugh—arguably one of the funniest in film history.

3. Christmas Vacation: OK, this one's set during Christmas, but a bird's a bird! Those wacky Griswolds just can't say no to Cousin Eddie who turns up uninvited for the big holiday dinner (staying in their trailer outside, natch). Alas, Ellen turned over roasting duties to Eddie's wife, Catherine, and unfortunately—well, let's just say the humor, like the overcooked turkey, is really dry! As Uncle Lewis might say, "The Blessing!"

4. A Christmas Story: You'll be seeing this holiday classic 24/7 soon on TNT, but we can't help but recall the hilarious moment when the Bumpuses' hillbilly hounds have their way with this turkey. The resulting carnage forces Ralphie and the fam to go to a Chinese restaurant for Christmas dinner where they end up dining on duck (without the head!).

5. Thanksgiving: While this particular "movie" was only a trailer in the feverishly twisted imagination of Eli Roth, set smack dab in the middle of Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez's B-movie double feature, Grind House, it's probably the darkest take on the holiday ever conceived. A feast of blood not to mention one-liners ("White meat, dark meat—all will be carved"), watch Thanksgiving now—if you dare!