Sylvester Stallone’s tale of a palooka from Philly who gets a lucky break contains a Thanksgiving scene where Rocky’s mousy girlfriend Adrian is preparing a turkey. Paulie, her asshole brother, throws the bird out the door while Rocky watches. Paulie is forcing his shut-in sister to come out of her shell and go on date with Rocky, so he’s not as horrible as it seems at first. (Rocky is more complex movie than people know.)
In keeping with the rule of sequels that declares everything must be bigger and worse, Thanksgiving plays a role in Rocky 2, but it’s not as the setting for a complicated familial relationship. Instead, it’s a boxing match: The big fight between Rocky and Apollo Creed that ends the movie takes place on Thanksgiving. But Rocky 2 is a seriously terrible movie, so don’t watch it on Thanksgiving or any other day.
Where to stream: Available for rental only on Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play, and YouTube.