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The student news site of Colonia High School

The Declaration

The student news site of Colonia High School

The Declaration

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Free Birds is a family-friendly Thanksgiving classic

Jake+and+Reggie+played+by+Woody+Harrelson+and+Owen+Wilson+go+back+and+time+to+stop+the+first+thanksgiving
Photo Credit: Photo via Relativity under creative commons license
Jake and Reggie played by Woody Harrelson and Owen Wilson go back and time to stop the first thanksgiving

Th, “Free Birds” is a funny kid’s cartoon adventure movie about a turkey named Reggie Played by Owen Wilson and another turkey named Jake played by Woody Harrelson. They go back in time to 1621 three days before the first Thanksgiving to get turkeys off the menu!

Present day

Reggie the turkey lives on a farm and grew up differently than all the other turkeys. He never fit in with the other turkeys. All the other turkeys on the farm never wanted anything to do with him. Reggie was always alone because he never fit in. They never let him sleep with them they would wake up and tell him to get out of there.

Reggie wakes up to see a giant bright light through the cracks of the barn wood wall.  They all get scared because Reggie is right. They all ganged up on Reggie and threw him out of the barn. Reggie is scared because he knows he was about to become Thanksgiving dinner.

Reggie hears a man giving a speech the man giving the speech is the President. When Reggie is thrown out of the barn, he is the only one in the field. The President’s daughter picked him but the President wanted a bigger turkey. The little girl knew how to get her way so she starts to fake cry in front of the press. He had no option but to pick up Reggie. He told the crowd this is the pardoned turkey after everybody left the farm. The President’s daughter quickly befriended the turkey by picking him up and showing him everything on the helicopter and headed to the Camp David Presidential retreat.

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On the helicopter ride, Reggie is scared because he still doesn’t know what’s happening. The President’s daughter sits next to Reggie and tells him everything is going to be okay. Reggie starts to get more comfortable and looks out the window and realized he’s the pardoned turkey.

Life is good

He realizes his new life is just beginning. The President’s daughter brought Reggie into her room, put on the tv and fell asleep. Reggie figures out how to work the tv and put on a show called Mundo del Amor. In the show, a kid is thrown out of an orphanage because of his differences. This rejection relates to him.

Shortly after that a pizza commercial came on and Reggie was getting hungry, so he called the pizza place got a pizza it was the best thing he has ever had. While Reggie got comfortable with his new life and his new favorite food. He started watching Mundo de Amor. That night a dark shadow figure came up and kidnapped Reggie. It was another turkey named Jake. He tells Reggie he is with the Turkey Freedom Front (TFF). Also, he says he is recruiting Reggie for a top-secret mission. Jake takes Reggie to a secret military base to find a time machine.

The secret mission is to go back in time and stop the first Thanksgiving. Reggie thinks Jake is crazy and doesn’t want anything to do with the secret mission. Jake brings Reggie into a dark room it’s just a tool shed. Reggie was making fun of Jake because he doesn’t believe him and accidentally opens a secret door.

While exploring the bunker Reggie still tries to escape but a group of soldiers see Reggie and try and get Reggie with a flame thrower. But Jake saves him before anything happens. Jake and Reggie are still trying to find the Time machine. Reggie and Jake quickly are identified again. They run to the time machine. Jake and Reggie get into the time machine and within seconds they get beamed up into space and time. Jake tells the time machine to go to the first Thanksgiving.

1621 three days before Thanksgiving

The time machine arrives in Plymouth colony 1621 three days before the first thanksgiving. As they explore, they think it going to be safe, but some colonists were hunting and let their hunting dogs chase after them.  Right before the dogs get Reggie, he disappears. Some turkeys saved him from the hunters and the dogs. Jake introduces himself to the turkeys and tells them that they come from the future. They get a signal from the other turkeys in a different tree that the hunters are coming back so they all quickly move and get away.

While running away from the hunters, Ranger, the strongest turkey in the flock, tells Jake what to do. Jake doesn’t like that so they quickly start getting fighting each other until Jenny another turkey stops them and tells them lets go back home. Jake and Reggie get to the turkey hideout which is a tunnel underground.

Reggie’s new flock

Jenny introduces Reggie and Jake to the flock leader who happens to be her and Ranger’s father. He tells them that they didn’t always live underground. They lived in the trees. The settlers coming forced them into hiding.

The leader, Brodbeak, tells them that they turned their tunnel into their home. This tells them that this is our future and shows Jake and Reggie their nursery. Broadbeach tells Jake and Reggie that they can stay as long as they want but they have to obey their rules the rules are that they do not fight but they defend and protect each other to survive.

The next day Reggie and Jenny went to set off the traps to catch the turkeys. After setting all the traps off, the dogs started chasing them. Reggie realized where they were and remembered that the time machine was not too far. As they are chased, they get into the time machine and go into space before they could get caught. While in space, Reggie tells Jenny what earth is and look at it in amazement for a few minutes.

When they get back, they run back to the tunnel. While they do that, Jake and Ranger go to the colony and see that they are preparing for Thanksgiving. They have one day left to stop it. Rager wants to report what’s happening to Broadbeak, his father, but Jake disappeared. Jake went to get Reggie and tells him about tomorrow’s Thanksgiving and that they must attack the fort before they attack.

Jake’s story

Jake tells Reggie how he grew up. Jake didn’t grow up on a farm but he grew up in a cold clinical factory. The formula fattens every turkey born except for him. His mother kept him hidden from the humans and tells him to take turkey eggs and run far away into a safe place to start a new flock.

Jake carried the eggs outside, but humans realized he was escaping. He almost got caught as he slipped through the fence. But the eggs didn’t fit through. After that, he decided he was better off alone where he could never hurt anyone again. Then, he saw a bright light and the light has a deep voice that said “listen to me young Jake. I am the great turkey. The most important thing for you to remember is that you must never give up no matter what stands in your way.”

The stopping of Thanksgiving

Jake tells Reggie that he knows how to stop Thanksgiving. They must sneak into the colony and destroy the weapons shed. Reggie agrees because he is in love with Jenny. Jenny’s dream is to live in peace like they did before the settlers came. Reggie and Jake dumped a bunch of gunpowder all around the weapons shed and light the fuse. Jake wanted to take what he called a powder horn for proof but he didn’t realize that it let out gunpowder and left a trail straight to the hideout.

The colonist found where they were and started breaking in. The turkeys evacuated but all the colonists were outside waiting to capture them. The colonist set it on fire when the turkeys who didn’t get caught went back underground. Jenny realizes the nursery was still there, but Jake came out of the fire with the eggs and chicks. Due to the fire, Broadbeak, Jenny, and Ranger’s father died protecting his flock. He chose Jenny to be the new leader.

War against the colonists

Jenny is the leader. Her first order is to get the turkeys that were captured. Reggie goes back to the time machine Jake finds him and tries to convince him to stay. Jake tells Reggie he can’t give up Reggie goes into the time machine and leaves. When Reggie gets back something is wrong he opens the door and sees himself, Reggie and Reggie. They talk to each other saying everything you’ve ever wanted was back in 1621. The flock gathers anything they can use as weapons they charge the humans. The humans only have cannons. They line up the cannons and fire. The sky turns grey and filled with light. Reggie came back in the time machine with a box of nice warm pizza. Jake and Reggie succeed in their mission and all the turkeys return back to the flock. Everyone is safe and happy. The colonists sit next to the Indians and the Indians sit next to the turkeys. Together they all enjoy the most wonderful food of all time . . . pizza.

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About the Contributor
Phillip Falzarano
Phillip Falzarano, Managing Editor of Sports
Phillip Falzarano is a 17-year-old who wakes up every morning, takes a shower and goes to school. He is a creature of habit. He goes to his first class which is journalism and then goes to his second class which is gym. He finds gym to be really easy and fun especially after writing and researching all morning. After gym he goes to his third block for about fifteen then walks out of the school. Falzarano's block three class is a work study class which requires him to complete 270 work hours. Working at his family's ice cream shop, Scoop to My Lou in East Brunswick, definitely gives Falzarano the hours to complete those requirements.  In his free time, he enjoys working out, watching movies and playing video games. Sleep is his number one priority. Although he is a senior, he is unsure what career to pursue.

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Free Birds is a family-friendly Thanksgiving classic