We are just hours away from Thanksgiving, and it’s still easy to slip into that Steve Martin mode from Planes, Trains, and Automobiles—rushing through the holiday, focusing on shopping, and forgetting the deeper meaning.
But this year, let’s talk about bringing a little more of the Del Griffith spirit into our Thanksgiving. Del’s that character who reminds us to slow down and be grateful for the simple human connections we often overlook.
Thanksgiving makes us think of Pilgrims and Native Americans, but the holiday as we know it was really shaped by Abraham Lincoln in the midst of the Civil War, and thanks to Sarah Hale, he declared a national day of thanks, and later by Franklin Roosevelt, who set the date. It was never meant to just mark the start of holiday sales or be a prelude to Christmas. It was about gratitude and reflection.
And honestly, we need that spirit now more than ever. Look at what’s happening in real life: in Tamaqua, at La Dolce Casa, a restaurant that hands out free Thanksgiving meals every year, bringing people together in the true spirit of the holiday.
Even on a gloomy, rainy November day, these are the real-life Del Griffith moments—people showing that in the middle of hardship, we can find gratitude and human connection.
When you look back at the famed Thanksgiving movie, it’s clear that Del wasn’t the villain at all—he was never even the antagonist. At first, the movie frames him almost like a clumsy and bumbling nuisance, but as time goes on, you realize it was actually Steve Martin’s character who had to confront his own ego and pompousness. Neil Page was an unlikable work addicted schlub ..
Del was more like the unexpected ghost of Thanksgiving past, present, and future all lumped together, teaching Neil to slow down and be truly thankful. It took Del’s absurd behavior journey to get him there, and in the end, it was Del who made that door opening at home feel like the first truly grateful moment in Steve Martin’s character’s life.
There were major scenes struck from the movie because John Hughes that they were too depressing, and that they would take the movie into the wrong direction. But equally so they had to eventually put some scenes back in after screeners because viewers did not like Del.
People have also claimed to have found the unedited version.. it paints a much darker and sadder image of Del..
It’s funny, because when you really look back at Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, you see that Del Griffith was the heart of the story. While Steve Martin’s character starts off as the one who’s hurried and frazzled, it’s Del who brings the depth and the lessons of gratitude. And if we think about it, without those moments of slowing down and connecting, we’d all end up just living in that rushed, distracted world—like Steve Martin if he’d never met Del.
So this Thanksgiving, let’s not lose that meaning. Let’s be a little more like Del Griffith. Let’s hold onto that gratitude, appreciate those real acts of kindness around us, and keep the true spirit of Thanksgiving alive. Thanks for reading, and happy Thanksgiving, 2025.
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