It was the autumn of 1621 when 50 Pilgrims and 90 Wampanoag Indians held the first Thanksgiving to celebrate a successful harvest. 200 years later, it became a national holiday that is still celebrated today. Thanksgiving is a day to be grateful. It is a day when Americans gather together with family to enjoy delicious traditional foods like turkey, stuffing, gravy, and pumpkin pie! It is a day to enjoy some football and classical movies. Here is a list of films to enjoy this Thanksgiving.

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (1973)

We all remember watching this instant classic as kids. In this holiday special, Charlie Brown attempts to have a Thanksgiving dinner after Peppermint Patty invites herself and her friends to his house. Snoopy, Linus, Woodstock, and the whole gang get together for a dinner filled with large ice cream sundaes and whipped cream. Since its premiere in 1973, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving has continued to air every November as a Thanksgiving special. This Emmy award winning animation is based upon the popular comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz. Although, it might be for kids, who can resist a good classic with Charlie Brown and Snoopy?

Planes, Trains, & Automobiles (1987)

Planes, Trains, & Automobiles is a hilarious and heartwarming classic about two men trying to make it home for Thanksgiving. In this comedy, Neal Page (Steve Martin) and Del Griffith (John Candy) get trapped in Kansas after all the flights are canceled due to a massive snowstorm. All Neal truly wants is to get home in Chicago to spend Thanksgiving with his wife and kids. Unfortunately, he gets stuck traveling with Del Griffith who he finds is extremely annoying. According to the Hollywood Reporter, the film “has become a holiday traveler’s staple” and is a must watch during this holiday season.

The Nightingale (2015)

The Nightingale, directed by Philippe Muyl, is a beautiful family film that follows the journey of an elderly man and his spoiled granddaughter. The pair travel to rural, southwestern China with a caged bird in order to keep a promise made to a loved one. Through this bonding journey, Ren Xing, the granddaughter, goes through a humbling transformation as she begins to understand the simple life that her grandfather experienced. This heartening film examines family values, traditions, and generational differences. This was China’s official selection for the 87th Academy Awards. It is the perfect movie to watch with family on Thanksgiving. It will surely make you laugh, cry, and be thankful for family.

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March is not only a time to welcome the springtime but also a month to celebrate women worldwide as it is Women’s History Month! There have been a lot of women who have contributed to the film industry―whether through directing, screenwriting, etc. A great example would be Tamar Simon Hoffs, who is well-known for her work in the film Red Roses and Petrol (2003) that was distributed by World Wide Motion Pictures (WWMPC). Hoffs is particularly interesting as she is the first woman to receive credit for playing all three roles of director, writer, and producer for the major studio film, The Allnighter (1987).

Despite the great strides women in the film industry have accomplished, there has been a problem for both genders in Hollywood―diversity. As a result, to commemorate Women’s History Month, why not discuss the growth in diversity amongst actresses throughout the years? Here are two amazing actresses that have made significant contributions to the diversity in Hollywood!

First off would be Academy Award Golden Globe and Emmy award actress, Viola Davis! Since 2014, Davis has been in the popular TV drama How to Get Away with Murder, and in 2015 she became the first black woman of any nationality to win the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. Her portrayal in the TV drama also won her two SAG Awards in 2015 and 2016. In 2012, she was listed by Time as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. And Sunday she won her first Academy Award, for her role in "Fences."

Another actress that promotes diversity would be Constance Wu! Wu is known for her role as Jessica Huang in the ABC comedy series Fresh Off the Boat. It is a known fact that there is a limited number of Asian actors in Hollywood and Wu is well-known to speak her thoughts regarding this matter. For instance, in one of her interviews with Entertainment Weekly, she stated “[Diversity] doesn't mean we want the white people to write Asian stories. What I want is to foster the Asian-American writers and directors and producers and actors...foster their stories to come into the spotlight a little bit.”

It is great to see the growth that women in the film industry, especially in Hollywood, have accomplished. Although there still exist problems and obstacles actresses have to face, they have indeed come a long way! Let’s clap our hands for the actresses out there who continue to push through these obstacles and help pave the way for other women in the industry or those interested in joining.

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