“House of Yes” is the dark ‘90s Thanksgiving comedy that you don’t want to watch with family

Thanksgiving movies are full of classic ‘home for the holidays’ storylines revolving around bickering relatives, who somehow reconcile dated societal expectations with individual differences, because at the end of the day they are still a family—House of Yes (1997) is not one of these movies. While the film starts out with the formulaic premise of the favourite son of a society family bringing his donut shop fiancé home for Thanksgiving dinner, it quickly diverges into an absurd black comedy when his twin sister, “Jackie-O”(Parker Posey) appears at the window of their grand Whitehouse-style East Coast mansion in her holiday attire: coiffed bob, layered pearls and backless black cocktail dress.

Posey’s character wasn’t born with the same name as America’s most famous first lady. Everyone has called her Jackie-O since a childhood ‘Ides of March’ party, which she attended in a brain-splattered (created using macaroni and ketchup) version of the iconic pink Chanel suit Kennedy wore when her husband was assassinated—another day that proves to be pivotal for the family’s development. If there was any doubt about whom Posey’s Jackie-O sees as her personal John F., that is put to rest when she receives the news of her twin brother, Marty’s (Josh Hamilton) engagement. She lets out a shriek of horror that she tries to disguise as excitement to feign civility.

While incest, insanity and murder are not classic tropes of holiday comedies, it is the nonsensical upper-class insistence on broaching these subjects with unimpeachable manners that creates some of the film’s best moments. For instance, when the younger brother (Freddie Prinze Jr.) finds out about his siblings’ grossly inappropriate relationship, he tells them that he feels “majorly left out,” and asks Jackie-O if the shame drove her crazy, to which she replies, “Don’t be so bourgeois.”

The film also plays off the stereotype that parents don’t think that anyone is good enough for their sons and daughters—a line of logic that concludes with children dying alone or ending up with each other. Instead of intervening in her offspring’s love affair, the waspy velvet scrunchie-wearing mother (played by Geneviève Bujold) seems to be in full support of Jackie-O, absolving herself of any responsibility by telling his fiancé (Tori Spelling) “You raise cattle, children just happen” as she offers to send her off with a filled croissant in a cab back to New York after blackmailing her. Spelling plays the part so poorly (winning a Razzie for the performance) that—against your better judgement— you kind of side with the incestuous twins over her. 

Although House of Yes is a Thanksgiving movie, don’t count on any elaborate Turkey dinner scenes, as the only things consumed at the holiday table are Pepsi and rum.