Thanksgiving might not get its own genre of film, but there are a few gems perfect for viewing this time of year.
There’s no shortage of Christmas movies these days (looking at you, the Hallmark channel), but Thanksgiving movies are a little harder to come by. Luckily, we’ve done the digging for you, so you won’t have to spend hours navigating Roku’s menu bar. Whether you need a family activity that doesn’t involve talking to one another, or you’re looking for a little reassurance that your dynamic isn’t that toxic, here are some Thanksgiving movies to check out.
Best Thanksgiving Movies
Holidate
Holidate isn’t expressly a Thanksgiving movie — because it covers almost literally every holiday, from Valentine’s Day to Arbor Day. But that’s what makes it so fun. In this rom-com, Emma Roberts and Luke Bracey make a pact to pretend date so they’ll have someone to bring home for all the major holidays, including Thanksgiving.
Where to watch Holidate: Netflix
You’ve Got Mail
So this classic rom-com starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Thanksgiving movies, there is a key scene that relates to the holiday. Remember when Joe Fox comes to Kathleen Kelly’s rescue in the cash-only line at Zabar’s? It’s the Thanksgiving spirit (and Joe’s charm) that gets Kathleen through the line and on her way.
Where to watch You’ve Got Mail: HBO Max
Planes, Trains, and Automobiles
Considering this movie is all about a high-strung marketing exec who’s desperately trying to get home to his family in time for Thanksgiving dinner, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles is a great movie to watch this time of year. Plus, after spending so much time with family, you might need a few laughs, courtesy of the dream team of Steve Martin and John Candy.
Where to watch Planes, Trains, and Automobiles: Pluto TV, Paramount Plus
The Family Stone
So technically this movie does take place on Christmas, but it’s all about a dysfunctional family, and if that’s not the perfect kind of movie to watch this season, I don’t know what is. In it, Dermot Mulroney brings his uptight girlfriend (played by Sarah Jessica Parker) home for the holidays with the intention of proposing to her with a family heirloom. Family hates her, hijinks ensue.
Where to watch The Family Stone: Hulu
Home for the Holidays
Continuing the “family drama” theme is this Jodie Foster-directed comedy with a killer ensemble cast: We’re talking Holly Hunter, Robert Downey Jr., and Claire Danes, to name a few. It stars Hunter as Claudia Larson, a single mom who’s just lost her job due to budget cuts, and who flies home from Chicago to Baltimore to spend Thanksgiving with her kooky family.
Where to watch Home for the Holidays: Pluto TV, Paramount Plus
Little Women
While there may not explicitly be a Thanksgiving scene in the Greta Gerwig-directed adaptation, there are more than enough family dinner scenes to make Little Women a Thanksgiving movie. If nothing else, you can be thankful for the fact that you’re not sharing a house with all of your adult siblings. Or for modern medicine… or for the unexpected Bob Odenkirk cameo.
Where to watch Little Women: Prime Video, Hulu, Apple TV+
Addams Family Values
On the darker side of weird family dynamics is the Addams family, and watching their spooky goth antics will probably make you grateful for your own (comparatively normal) family. In Addams Family Values, Gomez and Morticia hire a babysitter to take care of their newborn after Wednesday and Pugsley tried to kill him. The only problem? They don’t know that the babysitter is a serial killer.
Where to watch Addams Family Values: Paramount Plus
A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving
It doesn’t get more quintessential than this little 25-minute crowd-pleaser, featuring our favorite Peanuts. Peppermint Patty invites the gang over to Charlie Brown’s house for Thanksgiving, even though he’s going to be at his grandmother’s house, and Snoopy decides to cook his own Thanksgiving dinner. (Wearing a chef’s hat and everything.)
Where to watch A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving: Apple TV+
Tower Heist
When a group of tenants all lose their pensions in a Ponzi scheme, they decide to team up to steal their funds back. An Ocean’s 11-style heist movie might not be the first thing you think of when you think of Thanksgiving movies, but Tower Heist takes place during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, so it makes the cut. It stars Ben Stiller, Eddie Murphy, Robert Downey Jr., and Matthew Broderick, among other stars.
Where to watch Tower Heist: Prime Video
Free Birds
Suppose you’re looking for a really family-friendly holiday film. In that case, it doesn’t really get more wholesome than this animated movie about two turkeys teaming up to travel back in time to get turkey taken off the Thanksgiving menu. The birds are voiced by some big names, like Owen Wilson, Amy Poehler, and Woody Harrelson.
Where to watch Free Birds: Prime Video
