Fr. Kevin Drew: The Paradox of American Thanksgiving

In the 1976 movie Rocky, two very lonely people, Rocky and Adrian, end up going out on a date on Thanksgiving. Adrian’s brother had just pulled her turkey from the oven and threw it into the alley. After crying, Adrian leaves the house with Rocky. On the front porch he tries to make light of the situation by saying he didn’t like turkey that much anyway. “But it’s Thanksgiving,” Adrian responds. Rocky says, “To you it’s Thanksgiving. To me, it’s just Thursday.”

I have a nice little scar on the back of my left hand which I can blame on the movie Rocky. As a middle-schooler, I was inspired to start doing one-handed push-ups in imitation of the boxer Rocky, as he trained for his big fight. My hand took a beating in the process, and I had to have an operation. You’ve got to love movies. …