Thanksgiving Family Reunion (2003) Reviews

• "Nothing here makes any sense"

  danindenver2003-11-27

  Tasteless and embarrassing. Tasteless exposure of nearly every embarrassing thing you never want the world to know about your family - plus a few more things that make watching this movie quite uncomfortable. Judge Reinhold's characteristic awkward, uncomfortable performance could have been used to gain the sympathy of the viewer. Instead it became simply boring. But I don't blame him. The overall lack of comedic timing in this movie indicates serious problems throughout production. The movie had plenty of clever gag ideas as well as some bad ones. Many of the situations touched on were ones that the average person could relate to. The problem was in the amateurish implementation, nearly every - step - of - the - way. Each of the actors and actresses had good moments: good facial expressions and reactions. But, at the end of each scene, one shouldn't be left wondering "what was that all about?". The gags were thrown out there, but the scenes weren't polished: the bedroom-sharing scene ended on a very lame note. The nude shower scene was obviously intended as a gross-out piece, but that's all it was - disgusting, not funny. Even a mud-wrestling scene provides no satisfaction for the male audience. What was the point of including it, then? "Since this project is categorized as being in production", I hope that the producers will take the time to reconnect the dots and polish up the scenes. There is potential, here, for a good movie. Apart from that, one thing the movie managed to do quite well was to totally denigrate the profession of anesthesiology. Now, I'm not a big fan of doctors, but the absolute insult to this medical specialty was sad and unnecessary. I feel truly sorry for them, now. The best line in the movie is one that sums up the entirety of the experience: "Nothing here makes any sense"

• There Was A Time When "National Lampoon" Meant Something.

  BigHardcoreRed2005-03-10

  National Lampoon's Holiday Reunion is about two cousins in a rather dysfunctional family who do not even remember each other. Since neither cousin has any extended family, they decided to reunite and have Thanksgiving together. Of course, the "normal" family is appalled when they meet their redneck cousins. Sound familiar? Maybe because it is the same plot from National Lampoon's Vacation, only a lot less funny. Judge Reinhold stars as Dr. Mitch Snider, an anesthesiologist for the stars in California. Bryan Cranston co-stars as Woodrow Snider, the redneck cousin with a big heart but down on his luck. Cousin Eddie.. I mean Cousin Woodrow is also in between a rock and a hard place financially and wants to ask his cousin, Mitch, for $60,000, but for some reason, asks for a kidney instead. I suppose to make Mitch feel sorry for him. I do not even really have to go into the rest, because if you have seen the other National Lampoon movies up to this point, you know what will happen. Even the formula for Holiday Reunion is the same as Holdiay Vacation. Both families consist of the husband and wife, daughter and son, and of course, the token old guy. I really hope National Lampoon's gets it's act together because they used to be a great franchise, but lately, I have seen nothing but unoriginality and poor writing, especially for the comedy we have come to expect from them. 3/10

• The Most Painful Thanksgiving Special in History

  terriblybee2003-11-24

  I had the chance of catching this show on television yesterday because my friend's "monster truck" was featured in the made-for-television movie. For me, and my friend, that was the highlight of this horrific production. I can't tell you how awful this movie was -- but I will try. The script was terrible and the concept was extremely lame. If I had had any choice, I would have watched the first five minutes and then turned it off. I don't understand how this screenplay made it from an executive's desk to the production floor with people showing confidence in it. Who in their right mind would even fund such a script! I hear some of the National Lampoon's writers are auctioning themselves off on eBay and I can understand why. I would have laid off (*cough, fired*) writers whose only potential was churning out such idiotic tripe. In a nutshell, National Lampoon is in trouble. The film's struggle to make people laugh falls flat on its face. The characters are not real, the actor's are not having any fun, and the director didn't know what to do with the material (not that any director would know what to do with it either). Combine that all together and you have a film where you can actually see the director shouting at the audience: LAUGH, DAMMIT! This formula movie has no reason to exist. Nothing in this film made you care about it. None of the characters were interesting, none of the situations are even close to reality and one knows that careers are in trouble when such garbage hits the screen. Viewing this film will expose you to the following: a stupid plot, Los Angeles dwelling socialites, Idaho living yokels, cell-phone addicted teens, animals with diseases, farting pseudo-uncles, a disregard for gun safety, and my friend's truck. Anyway, I am tired of writing this review because this film doesn't even deserve to have a review. Just know, it plain sucks. If you like movies and value your time on this planet, save your two hours and watch something else. Maybe, National Lampoon's Vacation, I know it was good. Oh, my friend's truck was cool. I had the chance of catching this show on television yesterday because my friend's "monster truck" was featured in the made-for-television movie. For me, and my friend, that was the highlight of this horrific production. In a nutshell, National Lampoon is in trouble. This formula movie has no reason to exist. Nothing in this film made you care about it. None of the characters were interesting, none of the situations are even close to reality and one knows that careers are in trouble when such garbage hits the screen. Viewing this film will expose you to the following: a stupid plot, Los Angeles dwelling socialites, Idaho living yokels, cell-phone addicted teens, animals with diseases, farting pseudo-uncles, a disregard for gun safety, and my friend's truck. If you like movies and value your time on this planet, save your two hours and watch something else. Maybe, National Lampoon's Vacation, I know it was good. Oh, yah. My friend's truck was cool.

• This turkey is rancid

  ca_dale2006-08-10

  I almost never give movies a 1/10; even really bad films usually have some small redeeming qualities. Unfortunately Thanksgiving Family Reunion is so mind-numbing bad it isn't even worth seeing for a cheap laugh. Horribly delivered, unfunny, often embarrassing jokes, terrible acting, completely forgettable characters, and no plot or direction what so ever. A completely pointless waste of time from start to finish. Remember when National Lampoon made good films like "Animal House" and "Vacation"? Where did it go so horribly wrong? 1/10 all the way.

• worst of the lampoon series

  departed072003-11-23

  i thought it was going to be funny with the previews on TBS, but when I saw the real thing, it was pathetic. Somehow the film was serious than actually funny. Its about a depressed man for which his family doesn't give a damn about him. Bryan Cranston plays the long lost cousin of Judge Reinhold for which he is a putz on the nervous breakdown and wants a real relationship with his family. Bryan was the reason i watched this movie.