
Louie, upset with being cast as the Turkey every year, single-handedly ruins the annual Cedar Knolls Elementary Thanksgiving Pageant. The principal decides that as punishment Louie needs to give a presentation on the meaning of Thanksgiving the Monday after the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Louie tries to figure out the meaning of the holiday while his house is flooded with guests for Thanksgiving dinner, each of whom have their own unique interpretation of the holiday.
Louie's dad gets fired so the entire family tries to think of ways to save money until he can get back on his feet. Meanwhile, summer vacation has started and Louie is looking forward to three months of swimming and freedom...until his Dad, starved for things to keep himself busy, decides that Louie is going to help him do every fix-it job around the house.
Louie Anderson tells the story of a typical Christmas season when growing up in Cedar Knolls, Wisconsin during his childhood. Young Louie and his family go through the usual routine every family goes through during the season--with some hilarious results! Everything from buying a Christmas tree for the steep (at that time) price of $35, to putting up Christmas decorations for a lonely neighbor (who turns out to be Jewish), to actually opening presents on Christmas Day.