2
(nothing spiritual)
7
(Jon forgets to put on pants)
6
(worth getting out around Thanksgiving)
Halloween and Christmas get a lot of attention, but there aren't too many Thanksgiving specials out there; not that I've seen, anyway. Want to get in a thankful spirit this year? Check out "Garfield's Thanksgiving."
Jon finally gets a date with Liz the vet. She’s coming to his house for Thanksgiving, and Jon’s the chef. The problem is he couldn’t fix a good turkey if his life depended on it. Worried that his dinner date will be ruined he panics until Garfield suggests he call Grandma. Can she save his date?
This is one of maybe 2 Garfield specials I’d never seen before DVD or read in book form so there won’t be any comparison to childhood impressions this time (I was getting to be an older child by this time, anyway). Production-wise it’s the last of the holiday specials so if you're watching them in order of month rather than release the continuity will be off a little since Garfield meets Grandma for the first time in the Chrsitmas special.
The quality of the art and production has improved since the earlier days of the Halloween special. And while the Christmas special holds the most sentimental value for me, this one is arguably the funniest of the three holiday specials. Garfield’s quips about Jon’s desperation and the wrongness of dating his cat’s doctor are priceless.
I'm not a fan of most musicals and would like the Garfield specials more if they quit with all the singing. Maybe that's why I like the Thanksgiving one a little more than some of the others, it has less of a musical feel. There is a song in here still, a little too slow and sweet for my taste, but it's more a musical montage and not sung by the characters.
Morality
While this one gets a little more risque than those in the past, such as Jon answering the door in his boxers having forgotten to put on pants, it's still focused on being accessible to all ages.
Spirituality
There's perhaps less of a moral story to this one, focusing more on the comedy, but there's still a vibe of being thankful and appreciating our Grandmas. The characters appear to be praying over their meal at one point in the musical montage.
Final Thoughts
While "Garfield's Thanksgiving" hasn't been a tradition for me, ever since getting the DVD I find myself eager to pull it out during that time of year.
Buying Guide
If you're looking for the classic Garfield holiday specials you can get them on DVD. If you read the guide for the Christmas or Halloween specials this is just a repeat.
Your best bet is Holiday Celebrations release. The alternative is the Garfield Holiday Collection. There is a set for the Garfield Show, but that is for the newer CG version of Garfield, not the classic. This collection is NOT included in the Cat Tales box set.
The Garfield Holiday Collection sounds like a good deal, and has amusing cover art showing some promise. What's more is that in addition to the 3 holiday episodes are 2 more specials that are well worth seeing. However, comments on this set are anything but favorable. There are numerous audio and video problems reported to make this a potentially terrible viewing experience.
Final Recommendation:
The Holiday Celebrations release may not offer a lot, but if the reports of the Holiday Collection are true, it's the only acceptable DVD release of the holiday specials. I wish we got more focus on restoration and some extras even if just short features on Jim Davis and Lorenzo Music.
Garfield Holiday Celebration is a single disc DVD containing 3 holiday-themed specials.
Video
1.33:
This is the TV standard ratio. It has a little trash even a stray hair here and there. It's really not all that bad for an old TV episode but a long way from impressive.
Audio
2.0 mono:
The audio is mostly clear except for some minor white noise but not crisp. There is virtually nothing on the low end and it's entirely all from the front (not surprising for a mono mix).
Packaging
The case is standard plastic.
An insert has the cover art and a chapters list for all the specials.
The interface is very simple, even a little boring.
Extras
There are none.
Episodes
There are 3 episodes (each with its own review). They are presented in the order of the holiday rather than in the order they aired. So on DVD Garfield is reunited with Grandma at Thanksgiving though he won't meet her until Christmas.
Each episode is right about 24 minutes. There is a play all option