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A cornucopia of Thanksgiving films for you

Thanksgiving gets the shaft. Sure, everybody loves the yearly family fest and turkey feast. Mashed potatoes, stuffing - or dressing, depending on where you live - pumpkin pie and cranberry sauce: What's not to love? But when it comes to pop culture, Thanksgiving-themed options are few and far between. Take music: There are a million and one beloved Christmas carols and basically zero Thanksgiving songs. Movies? Only a handful of films are centered on Turkey Day celebrations, compared with an enormous glut of yuletide flicks. So while a rental of the classic animated TV special "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving," the Holly Hunter neurotic comedy "Home for the Holidays" or last year's hit "Pieces of April" - along with a few others - would make for fine holiday viewing, you have to get pretty creative if you want to go beyond that. Did we mention Creative is our middle name? To help create a cornucopia of Thanksgiving movies, here's a mix of items that fit the holiday and a film to go with each: PILGRIM "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" (1962) - After his role in this classic Western, John Wayne would forever be aped using the familiar - and somehow intimidating - address that became his signature line. There are even drinking games based on how often the Duke calls someone "Pilgrim" in this Academy Award-winning movie co-starring Jimmy Stewart. TURKEY "Ishtar" (1987) - Despite a recent rash of worthy competitors - including the likes of "Rollerball," "The Adventures of Pluto Nash" and "Catwoman" - this turkey of a film is still the consensus choice as the biggest disappointment in cinematic history. The unfunny interplay between big-name, high-paid stars Dustin Hoffman and Warren Beatty stands the test of time: Still lame after all these years. TRAVEL "Planes, Trains & Automobiles" (1987) - The nightmares of the Thanksgiving travel crush are well-known to anyone who has tried in vain to get home in time for the family's holiday celebration. This Steve Martin and John Candy comedy is a wild romp that perfectly captures the desperation, and hilarity, of the homeward journey. PIE "Pi" (1998) - Ah, nothing says creamy pumpkin or sweet pecan like a twisted, mathematical mind-bender about a young whiz being driven insane by his own theories and ambitions. Definitely not for the kids - unless, that is, you want them to suffer from headaches and hallucinations brought on by trying to find a secret, numerical pattern that holds the key to life and the stock market. SHOPPING MALLS "Dawn of the Dead" (2004) - While the body is still struggling to digest the previous day's massive meal, the holiday shopping season officially opens. Smart planners have polished off their gift lists by now, but the majority of us will have to brave the stores and the horrors that await. The makers of the original "Dawn of the Dead" - and the remake that was released on DVD in October - definitely had the right idea for their zombies-attack flick: The survivors' final stand takes place in a mall.