The Top 10 Best Thanksgiving Movies
10 Movies Perfect to Watch After Thanksgiving Dinner!
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! It’s the one holiday of the year that the itis is inevitable but worry not because when you start getting drowsy from all that Tryptophan there are plenty of Thanksgiving movies for you to enjoy. Hollywood has a habit of using holidays to make the big bucks when we all settled in to watch the same old movies every year. While a lot of the films on this list might be obvious choices, I tried to mix it up a little with a few movies that might not spring to mind so easily. This time around we’ve got a collection of dramas, comedies, and even a horror movie (then again, spending time with extended family can be a nightmare all in itself). So, when the last float in the Macy’s Day parade has been deflated and all the football games are over, this list of Thanksgiving movies will help you avoid talking to obnoxious relatives that refuse to go home.
Updated: November 2020
10. Beethoven
Beethoven isn’t what one might consider a traditionally “good movie.” However, it’s one that dog lovers are sure to enjoy and it’s not bad for a Thanksgiving flick. Most of you are probably familiar with this film featuring a Saint Bernard as the slobbering lead. A family decides to adopt a runaway dog that’s a far cry from the lap rats you see in most suburban homes. While the kids love the destructive force of nature that they’ve taken in, the dad is much more of a Mozart fan it would seem. Of course, the whole thing comes to a boiling point when the huge mutt decides to ruin Thanksgiving dinner. Loveable or not, if a dog tried to snatch my turkey from me, he’d be in the doghouse indefinitely. While I’m not too keen to sit down and watch this film again, this is a great movie to distract small children with while you’re trying to finish your holiday bird.
9. The Oath
It’s going to be interesting to see how the next entry on this list of Thanksgiving movies ages in the future, but for now I think it deserves a spot due to just how crazy it is. Ike Barinholtz made his feature directorial debut with (and also starred in) this politically charged oddball comedy. In it, a less than stellar President is trying to strong-arm Americans into signing a legal document swearing allegiance to the United States government. If that sounds a bit iffy to you, then you’re in the same boat as the couple at the center of the film (Barinholtz and Tiffany Haddish) who are opposed to signing such a ridiculous nationalist document. One thing that’s been made clear over the past few years is that some family members don’t think that insane things like this sound so crazy. You can probably guess how Thanksgiving goes for the family in this film, but let me assure you that it turns out much worse than you can imagine.
8. Kristy
Not everyone gets to spend Thanksgiving with their family and for all, you college kids stuck at school, this one is for you. Kristy tells the tale of a girl who decides not to go home for the holidays. With most of the school empty, she has the run of the place. However, it goes from a quiet dreamland to full fledge nightmare when members of a cyber cult show up looking for an innocent victim to torment and kill. The result is a twisted game of cat and mouse as the girl tries to outwit her pursuers and survive long enough to get help. It might sound a bit cliche and there’s no turkey dinner, but it’s actually a rather well-told tale about a victim taking back power from her predators. I’m not saying this is an award-worthy film, but if you want a little less of a family friendly Thanksgiving movie then this one will not disappoint.
7. Home for the Holidays
Dread seeing your relatives every holiday? Well, hopefully, your dinner isn’t as messed up as the one from Home for the Holidays. Featuring an eclectic cast of actors you’ll surely recognize (including a young Robert Downey Jr.) this film tells the tale of a family coming together for a Thanksgiving dinner. The protagonist is returning home after her life has fallen apart only to find that coming home might not have been the relaxing vacation she needed. Dealing with an aunt who is losing her mind, a brother with his own relationship problems, and a sister who looks down her nose at everyone, she tries her best to maneuver through the holiday for better or worse. It’s a hard movie to watch, especially given how high tensions might be running in families after the recent election, but it’s one that reminds you that there’s a reason why blood is thicker than water.
6. Addams Family Values
I’m more of a fan of the first Addams Family movie, but the sequel isn’t half bad and is one of the best Thanksgiving movies out there. Of course, the titular quirky family returns and ends up having to fight to survive when they’re stripped of their fortune by Fester’s evil new fiance (Joan Cusack). There are a lot of great moments in this film, but perhaps the most memorable sequence is when Pugsley and Wednesday get sent to camp. While everyone else wants to stick to the script when it comes to the fable about the first Thanksgiving, Wednesday decides that the indigenous people shouldn’t have to put up with the Pilgrims B.S. So, she arranges for a little camp coup d’etat. It really is fun for the whole family.