This all-star, all-too-familiar tale revolves around the Thanksgiving turkey that lures a young woman home every year to her typical American family only to be embarrassed all over again by her loony relatives.

It's Thanksgiving, so you know what that means -- dinner with your family, for better or for worse. But Claudia Larson's woes begin right before she flies home: she loses her job, and her teenage daughter swears she will lose her virginity while Claudia is away. And when she arrives at her parents' home, things do not improve, thanks to Claudia's quirky family. This includes her meddling mom, an obnoxious gay brother, her unsmiling, resentful sister, and a very odd, flatulent aunt. The next two days will prove difficult for Claudia, but they will not be without moments of tenderness, caring and love.

Produced by Jodie Foster's production company, Egg Pictures.

Color by Technicolor. Shot at the Warner Hollywood Studios in Hollywood, California and Baltimore, Maryland.

Released theatrically in the USA November 3, 1995.

Soundtrack Album available on Mercury Records, CDs and Cassettes.

Other music heard in the film: "Halls of Montezuma," "We Gather Together," "Bicycle Built for Two," "Rocking Horse" performed by Bunny, "Surfin' Bird" performed by The Trashmen, "I Wanna Be Loved By You," and "Free Stylin'."

Post-production sound facility Skywalker Ranch, Marin, California.

Copyright 1995 Paramount Pictures.

Excerpt: "I can see your roots, Claudia." -- Adele Larson (ANNE BANCROFT) to her daughter, who has just come home to visit.

"So why isn't some man from Japan giving you $63 million for one lousy picture?" -- Adele Larson (ANNE BANCROFT) to her daughter, Claudia (HOLLY HUNTER).

"Who are these people? Where did I even come from?" -- Claudia Larson (HOLLY HUNTER), to herself, speaking about her family.

DVD Features:

Region 1
Keep Case
Anamorphic Widescreen - 1.85
Letterbox - 1.85
Audio:
Dolby Digital 5.1 - English
Dolby Digital Stereo - French
Dolby Digital Stereo - Spanish
Additional Release Material:
Audio Commentary: Jodie Foster - Director

Holly Hunter: American Actress, RAISING ARIZONA (1987)
Robert Downey: American actor, CHAPLIN (1992), IRON MAN (2008)
Dylan McDermott: American actor, THE PRACTICE
Claire Danes: American Actress, LITTLE WOMEN (1994)
Anne Bancroft: American actress, THE GRADUATE
Charles Durning: American Actor
Geraldine Chaplin: American actress, DOCTOR ZHIVAGO
Steve Guttenberg: American actor, THE BOYS FROM BRAZIL, POLICE ACADEMY
Cynthia Stevenson: TV/Film Actress/"Newhart"
Johnny Tonini: 
Shawn Hatosy: Actor, JOHN Q, FAITH OF MY FATHERS

Jodie Foster: American Actress/Director, NELL (1994)

"...Wonderful performances....Refreshingly, this is a film which stretches the definition of family comedy..."
"...The script slices under the skin of this bird, pricking the festering tension that surfaces at any clan gathering..." -- 3 out of 4 stars
"...An affectionately drawn, multigenerational portrait of an eccentric family....[With] a saucy, shrewdly selected cast..."