The Viral Thanksgiving Text Mistake Will Soon Become A Netflix Movie
People make mistakes. Even grandparents. And mistakes involving cell phones are something we can all relate to, right? Wanda Dench certainly can. Dech is surely not the first grandma to dial a wrong number, although this mistake was not a techno goof. Before Thanksgiving in 2016 she texted the number that she thought belonged to her grandson, but, unbeknownst to her, according to Variety, she unwittingly inquired as to whether a complete stranger would be attending her Thanksgiving feast.
That stranger, Jamal Hinton, responded to her text, saying, "You not my grandma, Can I still get a plate tho?" To which Wanda Dench replied "Of course you can. That's what grandma's do...feed everyone." Dench, a self-described military brat, had grown up moving around quite a bit, and that experience altered the way she thought of strangers. "We moved around a lot," she told ABC News, "so I was always going to new places. And so strangers were not strangers to me."
The meaning of Thanksgiving
Hinton accepted the invitation saying, per People, "It was a reminder that there are still some good people left in the world." The ensuing Thanksgiving feast was the beginning of a beautiful friendship. They have celebrated the venerable American holiday together ever since. And now Netflix has decided to share their story with the world, announcing they would be turning the happy Thanksgiving tale into a film. Per CBS, "The Thanksgiving Text ” is being penned by Abdul Williams, whose other Netflix features include "Lottery Ticket" and "Salt-N-Pepa."
"The Thanksgiving Text" will be added to the Netflix repertoire of shows inspired by or revolving around, food. Hinton and Dench released a joint statement upon the announcement of the planned Thanksgiving feature, saying, per Variety. "We are excited to share our story with the world. We hope it inspires more people to reach out and make connections they wouldn't ordinarily make," they said, adding, "We are so blessed to find a genuine friendship brought together by God from a mistaken text message."
So, next year, after filling your bellies with the sumptuous holiday feast, when your family gathers around the telly, instead of football, home movies, or "Friends" episodes, you will be treated to a tale of a simple mistake, an unlikely friendship, a holiday feast, and a heart-warming tradition that exemplifies what Thanksgiving is really all about.