It wasn’t until the final fifteen minutes of The Turkey Bowl that I realized I’d been duped.
Eager to dive into the film as part of my Thanksgiving festivities, I started watching a story about a group of L.A. hipsters playing football. But as the movie unfolded, something felt off—where was the celebrated Barry Switzer cameo I’d heard so much about? With the credits almost rolling, it finally hit me: I was watching the wrong Turkey Bowl.
As it turns out, there’s another Turkey Bowl that is, for all intents and purposes, officially terrible.
Having corrected my egregious mistake, I finally settled in to watch the real Turkey Bowl, a heartwarming tale about a group of lovable Norman-area underdogs playing a belated high school football makeup game around Thanksgiving. And, yes, it featured the legendary Barry Switzer in a cameo that did not disappoint.
Pass the gibblets, son!
In the big city of Chicago—that, apparently, has a B.C. Clark’s jeweler's outlet in the windy city—former quarterback-turned-corporate bootlick Patrick (Ryan Hansen) is making a play for a senator’s bougie daughter. About to take a Thanksgiving trip where he plans to propose to her, he is urgently called to his hometown because his childhood friend recently died.
Though thoroughly broken up about the death, actually, it was a roundabout joke by his friends to get the old football team together again. You guys!
After an arrest caused by an ex-rival, he is sentenced to community service by the sheriff that, remarkably, wants Patrick to start in the big game. Under duress, he returns to Norman Putman to rekindle his dormant winning spirit as he takes on his rival Ronnie (Alan Ritchson) and his former Noble High teammates.
In a montage of near-Bad News Bears outtakes Patrick leads the team to shape up or ship out, buying the team new jerseys, navigating the various love triangles, managing to spike the punch at a kid’s birthday party, and causing a teen-style blowout for the ages. Invariably, though, the film has a ho-hum climactic football game near the rich Norman neighborhood.
While not terribly bad, The Turkey Bowl does overstay its welcome by about 15 minutes, three pratfalls, and an odd Harland Williams cameo.
Hansen himself is a mostly serviceable leading man (as well as executive producer), with hopefully many Hallmark Thanksgiving movies in his future…maybe The Christmas Bowl?
The supporting cast of The Turkey Bowl includes familiar faces like Alan Ritchson, Brett Cullen, and John Beasley, all bringing life to a story set in what the rest of the country calls late autumn—or, as we call it in Oklahoma, late summer. And, yes, Barry Switzer, the beloved O.U. coach (and local storage locker king), delivers a head-scratching performance as the humorously challenged and questionably wise coach who steps in to train the team.
One thing The Turkey Bowl nails is its authentic Oklahoma charm, showcasing a variety of businesses and landmarks that make it feel undeniably local. From BC Clark’s and McClain Bank to the Norman courthouse, high school football fields, and even the OKC Airport, the film sprinkles in just enough Oklahoma flavor to keep you grounded in its small-town setting.
While “Thanksgiving” barely factors into the plot, the movie still works as a passable piece of Amazon Prime entertainment—perfect for watching on your phone while slumped on a threadbare sleeper sofa, reheating leftovers, and wondering where it all went wrong.
Sure, The Turkey Bowl may not be appetizing the next day, but for tonight? It’ll do just fine.
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Follow Louis Fowler on Instagram at @louisfowler78.
