15 Great Thanksgiving Movies
When one thinks of holiday movies, the first thing that springs to mind is most likely either Halloween or Christmas. But amid all the Christmas cheer and Halloween scares, Thanksgiving should not be forgotten.
There's nothing better than queuing up a good movie once your family is done enjoying Thanksgiving dinner, and since 2020 has been an especially tough year, you're probably going to want a stress free, easygoing holiday film to help you relax.
Apart from the unspoken mandatory viewing of A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, there are plenty of movies centered around the Thanksgiving holiday that are quite good. From family dramas to unlikely romances, the following list of movies all has something we can relate to this holiday season—and more importantly, they remind us to be thankful for what we have in our lives.
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Home for the Holidays (1995)
After losing her job, making out with her soon-to-be former boss, and finding out that her daughter plans to spend Thanksgiving with her boyfriend, Claudia Larson faces spending the holiday with her family.
The House of Yes (1997)
Official plot synopsis: A mentally unbalanced young woman - who is convinced she is Jackie Kennedy - flies into a murderous rage when her brother returns home to reveal he is engaged.
Addams Family Values (1993)
Official plot synopsis: The Addams Family try to rescue their beloved Uncle Fester from his gold-digging new love, a black widow named Debbie.
Scent Of A Woman (1992)
Official plot synopsis: A prep school student needing money agrees to "babysit" a blind man, but the job is not at all what he anticipated.
Funny People (2009)
Official plot synopsis: When seasoned comedian George Simmons learns of his terminal, inoperable health condition, his desire to form a genuine friendship causes him to take a relatively green performer under his wing as his opening act.
Tadpole (2002)
Official plot synopsis: A coming-of-age story about a suave 15-year-old prep school student who falls in love with his stepmother. When her best friend responds to his advances, he suddenly finds himself in way over his head.
Avalon (1990)
Official plot synopsis: A Polish-Jewish family comes to the U.S. at the beginning of the twentieth century. There, the family and their children try to make themselves a better future in the so-called promised land.
Nobody's Fool (1994)
Official plot synopsis: A stubborn man past his prime reflects on his life of strict independence and seeks more from himself.
The Big Chill (1983)
Official plot synopsis: A group of seven former college friends gather for a week-end reunion at a South Carolina vacation home after the funeral of another of their college friends.
Krisha
Official plot synopsis: Krisha returns for Thanksgiving dinner after ten years away from her family, but past demons threaten to ruin the festivities.
You've Got Mail (1998)
Official plot synopsis: Two business rivals who despise each other in real life unwittingly fall in love over the Internet.
The Ice Storm (1997)
Official plot synopsis: In suburban New Canaan, Connecticut, 1973, middle class families experimenting with casual sex and substance abuse find their lives beyond their control.
Hannah And Her Sisters
Official plot synopsis: Between two Thanksgivings two years apart, Hannah's husband falls in love with her sister Lee, while her hypochondriac ex-husband rekindles his relationship with her sister Holly.
The Last Waltz (1978)
Official plot synopsis: A film account and presentation of the final concert of The Band on Thanksgiving Day.
Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (1987)
Official plot synopsis: A man must struggle to travel home for Thanksgiving with a lovable oaf of a shower curtain ring salesman as his only companion.
Special Mention: A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (1973)
Official plot synopsis: Peppermint Patty invites herself and her friends over to Charlie Brown's for Thanksgiving, and with Linus, Snoopy, and Woodstock, he attempts to throw together a Thanksgiving dinner.
