Just in time for the upcoming holiday, National Geographic will premiere a two-part television movie about the very first Thanksgiving in 1621 between the Pilgrims and Native Americans. The series creators have marketed this special, Saints and Strangers, as a realistic, historically-accurate version of the trials and tribulations the Pilgrims faced during their Mayflower voyage and after their landing.
The film title refers to the ship’s passengers – some of whom left for religious freedom (i.e. “Pilgrims”) and some of whom were criminals and adventurers looking for a new life.
With limited reviews out, only time will tell if the movie is historically-accurate or if it has a liberal bent. Nat Geo did create a fun, interactive website to accompany the film, available here. This description plays on the website:
“They left in search of freedom. Freedom to choose their own path. But the path was never straight and simple. It forced them to choose between rule and rebellion. Faith and fortitude. Desperation and determination. Peace and provocation. Truth and treason. The pilgrims made a new life and a new world. Their choices became legacy and legend.”
One interesting fact about the movie is that the Native American actors in the film learned a dying tribal language called Abenaki, which was used by many local tribes at the time the movie takes place. This adds a realistic element to the film that most other television movies wouldn’t bother with.
The two-part movie will air Sunday, Nov. 22, and Monday, Nov. 23, on National Geographic Channel at 9/8 Central.
