As a movie enthusiast who has spent countless hours immersed in the silver screen, I must say that Thanksgiving-themed films hold a special place in my heart. There’s just something about the warmth, family drama, and delicious food that these movies capture so perfectly.
At Thanksgiving, there are essential components that make the meal feel complete. This includes traditional dishes like turkey, stuffing, and macaroni and cheese, but it’s not just about the food. The spirit of friendship, family, and enjoyment is also crucial, which can manifest in various ways. Some may prefer playing card games around the dinner table, while others might choose to decorate for Christmas or hang lights on the tree before the next big family celebration. For those who enjoy football, watching it on Thanksgiving is a favorite pastime. However, we’ve gathered some alternative activities for everyone joining your festivities, from the young ones gathering at the kids’ table to the adults seeking a break from the weeklong cooking and the anticipation of Black Friday shopping.
Thanksgiving films might not receive as much attention as scary Halloween movies or heartwarming Christmas movies, but don’t let that fool you! There’s a wealth of stories to choose from for one of the year’s biggest family events. The variety on our list spans across genres, including romantic comedies, road trip comedies, horror films, fantasies, and of course, dramas. If you’re not considering going to the cinema for premieres like Wicked, Gladiator II, or Moana 2 with your family, then here are 36 movies that make for excellent home viewing this Thanksgiving and throughout the holiday weekend.
‘A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving’
“A Charlie Brown’s Unconventional Thanksgiving
‘Friendsgiving’
Friendsgiving, an annual event inspired by the Thanksgiving tradition, has evolved into a celebration for people to gather with their chosen family. The movie “Friendsgiving” serves as a lighthearted warning about two friends whose quiet holiday dinner takes an unexpected turn when an excessive number of guests arrive at the table. This 2000 film features Kat Dennings, Aisha Tyler, Chelsea Peretti, Jane Seymour, and Wanda Sykes in the lead roles.
‘Garfield’s Thanksgiving’
As a gaming cat enthusiast, let me tell you about my not-so-pleasant experience in 1989, based on the Garfield comic strip. In this animated special, I – being the food-obsessed orange feline – wasn’t exactly thrilled when I was compelled to start a diet just one day before Thanksgiving!
‘Hollidaysburg’
In the 2014 movie, titled “Coming-of-Age Comedy-Drama,” actress Rachel Keller plays a role. This film revolves around a group of friends who have gone off to college. During the Thanksgiving holiday, they return to their hometown, Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania.
‘Jim Henson’s Turkey Hollow’
During their holiday break, the Emmerson family spends their offline hours pursuing an enormous local folklore in the charming town of Turkey Hollow, where they’re staying with their Aunt Cly, as depicted in a 2015 Lifetime film production.
‘Kristy’
During the Thanksgiving break, when a cash-strapped college student is unable to fly back home, she instead encounters a terrifying cult while on campus all by herself. This chilling horror film from 2014 features Haley Bennett and Ashley Greene in leading roles.
‘Pieces of April’
In this 2003 film, titled a comedy-drama, Katie Holmes plays the eldest daughter named April Byrnes. The story revolves around her efforts to organize what may be their final Thanksgiving gathering as a family, since April’s mother has been diagnosed with breast cancer and it seems they will not spend many more holidays together.
‘She’s Gotta Have It’
In this 1986 film directed by Spike Lee, a standout moment occurs when Nola Darling extends an invitation to three of her romantic interests for a Thanksgiving meal at her home in Brooklyn.
‘A Waltons Thanksgiving’
In this movie, it is Richard Thomas, famous for portraying John-Boy Walton from the original CBS historical series “The Waltons“, who takes on the lead role. The story revolves around the Walton family as they get ready for their traditional Thanksgiving celebration and the annual Harvest Festival Fair.
‘What’s Cooking?’
2000’s comedy-drama “Holiday Inn” featured Mercedes Ruehl, Kyra Sedgwick, Julianna Margulies, Alfre Woodard, and Dennis Haysbert. The film brought together four culturally diverse families – Vietnamese, Latino, Jewish, and African American – who gathered for a Thanksgiving feast, each offering their unique spin on traditional holiday dishes.
‘Addams Family Values’
Instead of being a typical Thanksgiving film, this one offers an unconventional twist. In a 1993 dark comedy, there’s a scene where Wednesday takes the role of Pocahontas in the Thanksgiving play at Camp Chippewa and, feeling wronged by her fellow campers playing pilgrims, she decides to exact revenge. This unique scene makes it worth watching all on its own.
‘Black Friday’
2021’s horror-comedy features Devon Sawa, Michael Jai White, and Bruce Campbell in the cast. This time, toy store workers endure an unexpectedly harrowing night during Thanksgiving when they discover that the Black Friday shoppers they encounter have been affected by a parasitic organism, posing a threat to their survival.
‘The Blind Side’
In this 2009 biographical sports drama, the heart of the story is widely recognized, yet watching Sandra Bullock’s portrayal of Leigh Anne Tuohy welcoming 17-year-old foster child “Big Mike” Oher on the eve of Thanksgiving has a unique charm. (It’s worth noting that there have been real-life disputes surrounding this film: Michael Oher, the actual person, has expressed dislike for the movie, and legal conflicts between him and the Tuohy family have arisen since its release.)
‘Dutch’
1991 comedy features Ed O’Neill as Dutch Dooley, an ordinary guy who encounters a string of misfortunes during a road trip with his snobbish girlfriend’s son, Doyle, whom he consents to fetch from his exclusive school in Georgia and transport back to Chicago for the Thanksgiving break.
‘A Family Thanksgiving’
In the 2010 Hallmark film titled “Original Movie”, a successful lawyer questions her life as a single professional when an enigmatic elderly woman shows her an entirely different universe, in which she’s blissfully married with children, on Thanksgiving Day.
‘Four Brothers’
When an elderly woman is fatally shot inside a grocery store as she purchases ingredients for Thanksgiving, her four adoptive sons – portrayed by Mark Wahlberg, Tyrese Gibson, André Benjamin, and Garrett Hedlund – resolve to seek justice and avenge her tragic death by taking action themselves.
‘Free Birds’
In the 2013 animated humor, titled “Free Birds,” we find two talking turkeys, voiced by Woody Harrelson and Owen Wilson, embarking on a time-travel adventure to the very first Thanksgiving feast. Their mission? Alter history to prevent humans from turning their species into farm animals for consumption.
‘Funny People’
The poignant Thanksgiving sequence in this seemingly ordinary movie without holiday themes is what makes it stand out on the list. Released in 2009 by Judd Apatow, this black comedy-drama follows Adam Sandler’s character, a former comedian facing a terminal illness, as he attempts to mend relationships with those around him. The film boasts an impressive cast including Seth Rogen, Leslie Mann, Eric Bana, and Jonah Hill.
‘Grumpy Old Men’
The longstanding disagreement between neighbors John Gustafson and Max Goldman escalates further when they both discover that a newly arrived woman in the neighborhood was present at a mutual friend’s Thanksgiving meal, leading them to vie for her affections.
‘Home for the Holidays’
As a gamer, I’d say: Over the Thanksgiving break, finding myself single and my daughter off celebrating with her beau, I headed back to my old stomping grounds for a family dinner. It wasn’t exactly a gathering of superheroes; more like a cast straight out of a 1995 movie – Holly Hunter, Robert Downey Jr., Claire Danes, and Dylan McDermott were the stars in this family drama.
‘The House of Yes’
In the 1997 black humor film, Parker Posey portrays a woman fixated on Jackie-O, who, fresh out of a mental institution, hatches a scheme to sabotage her brother’s upcoming wedding during Thanksgiving.
‘The Humans’
2021’s American psychological drama titled thus, gathers around its cast members – Richard Jenkins, Amy Schumer, and Steven Yeun – where a somber Thanksgiving unfolds as the Blake family, spanning three generations, assemble for their holiday meal in a dilapidated New York City apartment.
‘The Ice Storm’
During Thanksgiving 1973, the film “The Ice Storm” unfolds, depicting two affluent Connecticut families trying to evade the societal shifts of early ’70s through excessive drinking and dabbling in sexual exploration. The star-studded cast features Tobey Maguire, Christina Ricci, Elijah Wood, Katie Holmes, and Sigourney Weaver.
‘Instant Family’
2018’s movie “Instant Family” makes the list due to its heartwarming Thanksgiving dinner scene. Starring Mark Wahlberg and Rose Byrne, this film tells the story of a couple who unexpectedly become parents to three children when their plans to adopt one child are changed upon encountering siblings in need of a loving home.
‘Krisha’
In the 2015 psychological drama, a person in their late sixties, who is overcoming addiction, endeavors to mend relationships with their family during Thanksgiving celebrations.
‘Miracle on 34th Street’
Every Thanksgiving, I look forward to George Seaton’s “Miracle on 34th Street” just as much as I do a dollop of cranberry sauce. This Academy Award-winning movie kicks off on the bustling morning of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and spins a tale about an elderly gentleman, who lands the role of Santa Claus at the legendary 34th Street department store in New York City, and insists that he is the genuine article.
‘Planes, Trains, and Automobiles’
In this comedy about a road trip, Steve Martin and John Candy find themselves caught up in a series of amusing mishaps as they make an unforeseen three-day drive back home for Thanksgiving dinner.
‘Prisoners’
In 2013, I found myself immersed in the chilling tale of “Prisoners,” a thriller where I played the role of an investigator trying to find two missing girls after a Thanksgiving dinner in Conyers, Pennsylvania. Stars like Jake Gyllenhaal, Hugh Jackman, and Viola Davis graced the screen alongside me in this gripping drama.
‘Rocky’
While “Rocky” isn’t traditionally considered a Thanksgiving movie, the date does hold some importance in the original 1976 sports drama. In the film, Rocky Balboa, played by Sylvester Stallone, famously says, “To you it’s Thanksgiving, to me it’s Thursday.” This highlights that although Thanksgiving isn’t significant for Rocky within the movie’s narrative, it does have a symbolic meaning outside of it.
‘Scent of a Woman’
In the 1992 film “Scent of a Woman,” Chris O’Donnell plays the role of a preparatory student who accepts a short-term job as an assistant to a retired Army lieutenant colonel, portrayed by Al Pacino, just before the Thanksgiving break. The character he assists is both blind and dealing with depression.
‘Son in Law’
In the 1993 cult film, a farm girl with top academic honors from South Dakota invites an unconventional spirit from her Los Angeles university to spend Thanksgiving with her. The roles are played by Pauly Shore and Carla Gugino.
‘Soul Food’
Every Sunday, the Joseph household is known for its grand meals, and it’s during these dinners that family conflicts often take place, as depicted in the 1997 film Soul Food, starring Nia Long, Vanessa Williams, Vivica A. Fox, Michael Beach, and Mekhi Phifer.
‘Sweet November’
In the 2001 romantic comedy, Keanu Reeves and Charlize Theron play leading roles. Their characters embark on a month-long experimental relationship with surprising results.
‘Thanksgiving’
In the 2023 Eli Roth slasher movie featuring Patrick Dempsey, a tiny Massachusetts community endures a murder spree over the Thanksgiving season.
‘The Weather Man’
In the movie “The Weather Man,” directed by Gore Verbinski, Nicholas Cage plays the role of a meteorologist from Chicago experiencing a mid-life crisis. During the festive Thanksgiving season, he rekindles relationships with his long-estranged family members.
‘You’ve Got Mail’
The heartwarming Thanksgiving setting places the 1998 romantic comedy featuring Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks, where two people fall in love through emails, among our favorites.
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2024-11-19 01:26