The Very Thought of You...

"I am writing my blog if anyone cares."(1) It is once again the holiday season, time to "shovel the turkey, and stuff the snow."(2) Thanksgiving is just around the corner and it is time for my yearly ritual of watching one of my top ten movies, Home For The Holidays. The underrated Jody Foster movie has been criticized by some as being sacrilegiously anti-family. I disagree, I think if anything it tells the awful truth about so many families that many would rather hide.

It also tells another uncomfortable truth about loneliness. It reminds us we can be surrounded by our family and still be alone. This is apparent from the beginning of the film after Claudia (Holly Hunter) is picked up by her parents at the airport. She looks into another car where a man who we assume has also just been picked up by his parents looks at her as if to say "help me, I am begging you!" When Claudia arrives at her parents house she asks herself, "who are these people?" Later, when Claudia's parents drop her off at the airport, Adele Larson (Anne Bancroft) asks, fighting back her tears, "who was that girl anyway?" Tommy Larson (Robert Downey Jr.) is clearly alone, as no one except Claudia will even acknowledge he is gay. The movie is full of similar dialogues and situations that remind us we are all alone.

The tension is apparent between family members, but all hell breaks loose when Tommy Larson accidentally (?) pours the stuffing from a turkey on his sister Joanne's (Cynthia Stevenson) head.

The section entitled,"The Point" is the climax of the film, and a very beautiful, poetic, nostalgic way to bring everything together. I am a real sucker for nostalgia, and my favorite movies almost always seem to contain nostalgic elements. For me "The Point" is reminiscent of my favorite movie, Cinema Paradiso, when Salvatore (Jacques Perrin) watches a montage of kissing scenes spanning every movie that was shown at the Paradiso throughout his life that had been deemed pornographic by Father Aldelfio (Leopoldo Trieste), cut and reassembled by Alfredo (Philippe Noiret).

In "The Point" the viewer hears the voice of Nat 'King' Cole singing "the Very Thought of You" as we see what appears to be old home movies of the various characters. We find out that even the characters that may appear mean-spirited or soulless in the film have passed short-lived moments in their lives where they are happy and before our eyes they are rehabilitated. Henry Larson's proud moment was standing with his family on the airport tarmac watching a plane fly close overhead. Tommy's moment was his marriage on a beach with his partner and friends. Even Joanne and Walter Wedman (Steve Guttenberg) share a playful moment together chasing each other around.

We have heard about Claudia's moment with her daughter Kit (Claire Danes) throughout the film. In fact, throughout the film, she reminds herself, "just float." We finally see in her moment, she is snorkeling with her daughter; they see a beautiful school of fish and look at each other in wonder. Curiously, Dylan McDermott, who Claudia will try her best not to fall in love with is named Leo "Fish". The Point is touching, and pure genius.

The soundtrack, including original music composed and arranged by Mark Isham, is one of my all time favorites. The only thing I would criticize is the use of the Janice Joplin tune, "Piece of My Heart," for the credits which in my opinion, breaks the mood created by the cinematography, and the rest of the soundtrack, but especially, "The Point." Jody Foster has defended the choice, saying the words match perfectly what she was trying to convey.

The film reminds me to be thankful for ribbons of memories that sweeten life when youth is through.(3)

1. Adele Larson makes a similar comment about making coffee.

2. Henry Larson (Charles Durning) makes this funny faux pas in the Thanksgiving prayer.

3. Paraphrased and unashamedly lifted from "With You" from Pippin.